Buying a lot of stuff makes me think of what's already in the house. What an accumulation. My mother, at some point, decided to buy a crinkle cutter and a glittery tin Santa. Her opinions still matter to me, so I was glad that she liked the secretary desk that I bought. It's still downstairs as I'm waiting for the shellac that I ordered.
The desk still smells like it belongs to someone else. I tried the preliminary things: dish soap, Lysol, vinegar, and Glade. All I've managed to do is make it smell like vinegar and someone else's house, but at least I didn't ruin the wood. It's been raining a lot too, so I haven't had much luck with airing it out under the sun.
The shellac is supposed to seal the smells in, which makes me slightly uncomfortable. It's still all going to be there, just covered, and I'll know.