Sealant to Block Smell of Wood
August 1, 2012 by Debra Lynn Dadd
Question from Chris
Hi Debra! I recently purchased a wool bed from Shepherd's Dream and am waiting for it's arrival. I have an ash platform bed from Bedworks of Maine. The slats are unfinished but I find the natural odor of wood bothersome. I have already put them in the sun and it helped some, but not enough. Can they be finished or sealed with the shellac you recommend or something else so I can't smell the wood or would this compromise the mattress? (I also have a wool underpad to go on top of the slats so the mattress will not be directly against them). I cannot have any latex so those cushy strips are not an option either. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Debra's Answer
Yes you can seal the wood to block the odor.
The most natural sealant is Zinsser Bull's Eye Shellac. It is a natural product, liquified with volatile solvents. Once they evaporate all that's left is the natural material. This is used as a sealant to block odors by many people with MCS.
These are archives of Q&A asked by readers and answered by Debra Lynn Dadd (from 2005-2019) or Lisa Powers (from 2019-2020). Answers have been edited and updated as of December, 2020.