Why Does IKEA Furniture Smell?

Have you brought in some new IKEA furniture items at your home and now they are giving out a very strong smell?

If yes, then now you are surely thinking that why does my IKEA furniture smell?

Well, we are going to tell you why your IKEA furniture smells and whether if that smell is toxic for you or your pets. Let’s take a deeper dive into this article.

Does IKEA furniture smell?

The answer is yes! IKEA furniture does give out a smell.

If you have recently purchased some IKEA furniture items and now, they are giving out a strong smell, then you must be wondering that from where is this smell coming from?

The smell that is coming from IKEA furniture items is due to the different materials used in the making of that furniture item.

When a furniture item is manufactured, it involves a lot of chemicals and other products like formaldehyde, waxes, and paints, etc.

So, when you open that furniture item, those chemicals (volatile organic compounds) start off-gassing. They go into the air and hence create a strong smell.

This is the exact reason why your IKEA furniture is giving out a smell and it is a completely normal issue that is easy to solve.

How long does it take for IKEA furniture to off-gas?

The next question in your mind would be that how long will IKEA furniture take to completely off-gas?

Well, the IKEA furniture can take somewhere between 6 months to 5 years to completely off-gas.

The strong smell of the new IKEA furniture will go away after a couple of days or a week – but the fumes keep off-gassing for a long time.

As per experts, IKEA furniture will take up to 6 months or 5 years to completely off-gas. It depends upon the conditions at your home. For example, the off-gassing process becomes so much fast when the temperature is high.It also depends on the type of chemicals used in the manufacturing of the furniture item like some compounds off-gas faster and some compounds take longer to off-gas.

Is IKEA furniture smell toxic to cats?

If you have a cat at home and you are concerned whether if the IKEA furniture smell is toxic for your cat or not.

Well, IKEA says that all of its furniture items are non-toxic and completely safe for consumers. They do not use any harmful materials in their furniture items that can affect the health of customers.

According to the famous Retailer Report Card that ranks different retailers based onthe use of toxic chemicals – IKEA is ranked 6 and has an A – rating in terms of safety.

IKEA pays special attention to keeping its products safe and healthy for the consumers. Therefore, your cat will be very much safe from IKEA furniture smell.

However, long-term exposure to the off-gassing can still be harmful because most of the off-gassing smells contain formaldehyde which can cause irritation and other health problems.

Therefore, you are recommended to keep your cat away from the strong IKEA furniture smell as a precautionary measure.

Is IKEA furniture smell toxic to dogs?

IKEA says that their furniture items are completely safe and non-toxic for humans and animals.

They take special measures to eliminate or minimize the use of toxic material for making furniture items.

However, you are advised to keep your dog away from long-term exposure to the off-gassing smell of IKEA furniture as a precautionary measure.

Why? Because it contains formaldehyde and long-term exposure to it can cause irritation and other health complications.

Why does IKEA smell so good?

Have you purchased new IKEA furniture and are impressed by the smell? You must be thinking that why does it smell so good? It’s because IKEA uses special perfumes and scents on their furniture items. It is a marketing and sales tactic as people will be more impressed by the good smell and buy more IKEA products.

Previously, IKEA has also joined hands with the famous perfume brand of Sweden – Byredo.

They put special focus on making their products look and smell good and that’s what helps them generate more sales.

What is the smell in IKEA?

If you are asking about the strong smell that comes out from new IKEA furniture items then it is due to the formaldehyde and certain other chemicals used for making furniture items. Formaldehyde is present in the glue used for joining different parts of a furniture item.

When the product is manufactured in the factory, it is packed and sent to you. When you open the furniture product, then all the chemicals used in its manufacturing (like formaldehyde) start off-gassing. They go in the air and create a very strong smell.

If you want to know about the fragrance coming from IKEA furniture products – then keep in mind that they use different types of scents and perfumes to make the product smell good.

Is New IKEA Furniture Smell Dangerous?

No, generally the new IKEA furniture smell is not dangerous at all.

IKEA claims that they do not use harmful or toxic material for making their furniture items. They say that all of their products are non-toxic and safe for all consumers.

However, the smell given out by new IKEA furniture does contain some amount of formaldehyde, which is present in the glue used in IKEA furniture items.

The formaldehyde present in the off-gassing smell of IKEA furniture can irritate skin, nose, eyes, throat, and cause other health complications, etc – depending upon the sensitivity of a person to formaldehyde.

Long-term exposure to formaldehyde can be bad for your health too so you can avoid that as a precautionary measure.

But normally, there’s nothing much to worry aboutas the smell will go away in a couple of days or a week.

How to get rid of the IKEA furniture smell?

If your IKEA furniture is giving out a strong smell and you want to get rid of it then here are some tips to follow:

Put it outdoors

The best option is to put your furniture outdoors on a bright sunny day.

In high temperatures, the off-gassing becomes extremely fast and all the smell will quickly leave your furniture item.

The sunlight and wind will refreshen your furniture and help you get rid of all the bad smells.

Use baking powder

Baking powder has amazing absorbing powers. You can sprinkle some of it over your furniture and then clean it later.

It may also help you get rid of the smell.

Or you can put some baking powder in a bowl near the furniture and it can absorb the pungent smell.

Use scents

You can also use different perfumes on your furniture to neutralize the bad smell.