"Curious if anyone's tried sealing or refinishing cabinets afterward...worth the hassle or nah?"
Honestly, refinishing cabinets might be overkill unless you're dealing with persistent odors or visible damage. I had a similar issue in my kitchen—tried airing out and vinegar bowls too—but ended up just using activated charcoal bags inside the cabinets. Worked great without the hassle of sanding and sealing. Refinishing can be messy and time-consuming, so I'd only go that route if odors linger after simpler methods fail.
I refinished some cabinets a couple years back, and honestly, I wouldn't jump into it again unless absolutely necessary. It wasn't just messy—though sanding dust everywhere definitely wasn't fun—but the drying time and lingering smell of even low-VOC sealers was pretty noticeable. Took weeks before it felt like the kitchen was truly back to normal.
If you're mainly worried about VOC issues, activated charcoal bags are a solid suggestion. I've also had luck with baking soda boxes and even coffee grounds (sounds weird but works surprisingly well). Still, if you're noticing visible damage or discoloration that's bothering you, refinishing could be worth the effort. Just make sure you have good ventilation and pick the lowest VOC product you can find.
Also, if you're leaning toward resealing, maybe test it out on one small cabinet first? That way you'll get a feel for how much hassle it'll really be before diving into the whole project.
Did you find the activated charcoal bags noticeably better than baking soda or coffee grounds? I've tried baking soda before and it was... okay, but didn't feel like a huge improvement. Curious if charcoal makes a bigger difference.
I've tried both baking soda and activated charcoal bags, and honestly, charcoal was noticeably better for me. Baking soda is decent at absorbing odors temporarily, but it seems to max out pretty quickly—especially in spaces with stronger smells or VOCs. Charcoal bags, on the other hand, seem to have a longer lifespan and handle tougher odors more effectively. I had a freshly painted room that just wouldn't air out properly, even after weeks of ventilation. Tossed in a couple of charcoal bags and within a few days the difference was noticeable.
But here's something else to think about... have you considered adding some air-purifying plants into the mix? Plants like snake plants or peace lilies can help tackle VOCs naturally and add some greenery too. Might be worth trying alongside charcoal bags if you're serious about improving indoor air quality.
Interesting points about charcoal bags—I haven't tried them myself, but now I'm curious. Plants are nice aesthetically, sure, but I'm skeptical about how much they actually help with VOCs in real-world conditions. From what I've read, you'd need a jungle's worth of plants to make a noticeable dent in air quality. Has anyone here actually measured indoor air quality before and after adding plants? Would love to see some real data rather than just anecdotal evidence...