Mickey2

Cardboard boxes can be wiped off with a slighly damp cloth, some take the trouble to immerse them in baking soda (it works). Much the same for manuals, I carefully place them on a shelf (in a heated, clean room) leaving the pages half open and the worst airs off quickly. I once bought an old book on how to grow roses, it took several years before the mustly smell was completely gone (must have been laying around in a cellar for years). Oily manuals can be sprinkled with flour or potato starch and let work for a day or two, then brushed off, repeat the procedure if needed.

For dirty boxes straight out of storage; I clean them with microfiber cloths, well wringed up in soapy water. I use a mild natural soap. Lacquered wood I clean with furniture polish (spray can stuff), it's rather expensive, I go over several times using a few cloths, but it lifts up dirt, grime, smell and shines up. Any strong smell should be improved upon immediately, and air out within a couple of days. In stubborn cases it takes a while, but the trick is to leave the box open in a heated clean room. This time of year I can't leave things outside even for a short while (snow, rain, wind and very little sun anyway), in nice dry summer weather it can be done (not overnight).