Does Baking Soda absorb new furniture odor?

[space-time]

Wife bought a dresser for kid's bedroom and yes, it does smell like new furniture. It does not bother me or the kids, but she says the odor giver hear headache. She asked how to deal with this, I think it just takes time but she wants something now, so I told her to try baking soda. I know baking soda is supposed to help in some cases (fridge, cars) but I am not sure if it even works for new furniture. Any thoughts? alternatives?

[NewtonMP2100]

....they make those baking soda closed 'bags' now [ basically the baking soda box with tight mesh on sides so it can breathe and so the baking soda doesn't spill out ].....it should absorb the odor....most put 'sachets' in dressers to freshen clothes/drawer.......

[Article Accelerator]

http://www.healthyhouseinstitute.com/a-870-Outgassing

https://www.karenkingston.com/blog/moder...utgassing/
http://www.ashleysgreenlife.com/2013/07/...iture.html

[cbelt3]

Mrs. cbelt3 bought a Chinese made coffee table that had a 'lift up' lid. The chemical outgassing was INCREDIBLE. I assembled it and left it open in the garage for two months.

Closed, it still stinks. As soon as I can afford to get rid of it, it's going.

I swear it was painted with left over chemical warfare stuff.

[Buzz]

Febreeze has some odor eliminating products that work very well. Some have more pungent scents than others, so test 'em first, but we've been using their stuff for years. They also have fragrance free products. A few spritzes in the drawers works wonders, and sometimes an extra spray or two on a paper or cloth towel to stash in the drawers works well to maintain freshness. Follow up w/ a sock of baking soda for ongoing odor control if desired. Good luck.
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[Filliam H. Muffman]

Where did you buy it? I would say go back and complain ASAP so they know you have an issue in case it still stinks two weeks later.

You shouldn't need either of these, but they are options if she really likes the dresser and can't find a comparable piece anywhere else. There are activated charcoal filters for HEPA filters that can help with some organic off gas. The other option is to rent an ozone generator and put the dresser in a closet with the generator for a couple of days.

[tenders]

Before embarking on chemical warfare in your house to try to overcome something that only one constituent finds offputting, I'd put the offending furniture in the garage for a week. If the situation weren't tolerable then, I'd do it for another week. And only then would I start launching chemical agents.

[GuyGene]

All I know is they use some nasty mess in past many years. Some people even have had to encase their Macs, etc. in special cases, e.g., Charles Moore, of Applelinks, Low End Mac. I think that mess hurts us all! Even if we don't get headaches. I have a friend who built his house a few years ago and he didn't even use any plywood. Gases from plywood glue isn't good either.

[lost in space]

Headaches and the like aren't just from the odor, they are reactions to toxins. Fabreze might mask the odor, but you're still breathing the chemicals causing the odor. The chemicals leaching from that dresser could be -most likely are- toxic. I haven't found baking soda very effective either with chemicals, though I've had success with more "natural" odors, like in a fridge. Something charcoal-based might be work.

Best bet like tenders said, put it in the garage for a week or two. If you can, have the space close to the temperature in your house, otherwise, when it's heated up again back in the house, it could trigger the release of more toxins. A fan on it will help too.

[Racer X]

We routinely let stuff outgas or finish curing in our garage.

What I don't understand is how the air in a Harbor Freight store is safe from an OSHA standpoint, and why the full time employees aren't dead, or awaiting lung or liver transplants.