Hunting Down and Eliminating the Smell in Your House

By Maid Brigade of Northern Connecticut

As much as we’d like our homes to be fresh and clean smelling at all times, it doesn’t always happen.

Between pets, mice in the walls, and mold and mildew, sometimes your house ends up pretty smelly.

But don’t worry, there are ways to remove those smells.

One of the most stubborn and difficult problems to get rid of in your home is an old musty smell.

Musty odors can be caused by a number of things in your home, but are usually caused by mold and mildew.

The bad smell is caused by the mold and mildew building up and releasing foul gasses. A combination of moisture, lack of air circulation, and darkness will allow mold, mildew, and odor to grow.

Humid air caused by leaky faucets or showers can cause small areas of water to build up. Moisture, warmth, and dark areas with little or no air circulation are perfect environments for the growth of mold and mildew.

Molds and mildew cause that “old” smell because they release a gas that gets into fabric, carpet, curtains, and furniture. Once the smell has permeated the area, it can be difficult to remove.

It can be very frustrating trying to pin down the source of the odor, mainly because of the numerous places that mold, mildew, and bacteria grow.

First, find the source of the odor and take action to remove the moisture problem.

If you have a water leak, cracked foundation, or leaky roof, you may need to call the professionals because if the moisture is not stopped, the odor will continue.

Once you have found the source of the problem and fixed it, you can then remove the smell that has permeated the area.

If you find that you have a part of your house that stays damp or dark after cleaning, using a dehumidifier to keep the moisture level down will help keep musty odors down too.

Simply drying out the area of the house that smells musty may not be enough to completely remove the smell. If any of the mold remains, it will continue to spread throughout the room, allowing the musty smell to come back.

The best way to remove all unpleasant smells from a house is to give the affected area a good scrubbing with a good cleaning agent that includes boric acid, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and water.

Scrub the walls, floors, furniture, and more with it. Just be sure not to saturate the items or area since too much moisture can aggravate the situation.

Always be sure to ventilate the rooms well with fans and open windows. Dry any wet or moist areas thoroughly. Keep the windows open for as long as possible to help get some fresh air flow through the house.

If you want to keep mold and mildew odors at bay, there are several ways to keep a room smelling fresh. One of the best ways to reduce odor is to open the windows and let the sun shine in. Fresh, or circulating, air will do a lot to remove the odor, although unless the source of the problem has been removed, the musty smell will continue.

You could also use Zeolite, a natural mineral that absorbs odor without a perfume or masking agent, in the problem area and it will start absorbing the musty smells right away.

Charcoal is also at the top of the list of heavy duty odor removers. Charcoal usually takes about a week to remove musty smells, but is cheap and lasts a long time.

Vinegar and baking soda don’t just hide bad smells, but will neutralize them. They are environmentally friendly and safe to use.

Vinegar is a safe, environmentally friendly alternative to cleaners that are marketed for musty odor removal. There are no harsh or dangerous chemicals in vinegar, so it is safe to use on your clothes and around your house.

If your clothes smell old and musty, vinegar is a wonderful solution. It is non-toxic, color-safe and doubles as an all-natural fabric softener. Don’t worry, the vinegar smell actually disappears along with the musty smell.

Baking soda is another safe, effective way to combat musty odors. Simply sprinkle baking soda over the problem area. This will soak up any moisture and defuse the smell. Leave on overnight and then vacuum up in the morning. It may take a couple applications to work, but it will work.

Baking soda is also a great choice when it comes to getting rid of unwanted smells in your refrigerator. Open a box of baking soda, place it in the back of your refrigerator, and you will find that the odor will soon dissipate.

Need a little help? Give Maid Brigade of Northern Connecticut a call at 860-645-6243 and see what we can do for you.