How To Remove Mold Smell From Home – If you have musty odors in your house or basement and want to get rid of them, the first thing you should do is ask a few questions. If my house is moldy, do I have mold? Does my house get moldy in the summer? Does my house smell musty only when it rains or after I’m on vacation?
Once you’ve reduced the symptoms, you can focus on eliminating the problem. One of the long-term ways to remove unpleasant odors from your home is to find the source. In this post, we will discuss the sources of musty odors in the home and how to deal with them.
How To Remove Mold Smell From Home
Note – I am not a fan of air fresheners. We want to eliminate musty odors, not just cover them up.
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Old and new buildings have problems with mold and mildew. Old buildings leak over time, allowing moisture to enter where it shouldn’t. New houses are built solidly and contain a lot of moisture.
As a homeowner or tenant, you need to take care of your indoor air quality. If you feel nauseous or watery at home but feel better when you leave, that’s a red flag.
So what is the difference between mold and mildew? Both are fungi, and both like moist conditions. They both have a weird, musty smell, but I’m usually the smellier one.
The mold is usually powdery mildew or downy mildew (think powdery mildew on plants). It forms a thin layer on the surface. It is usually white, gray or light brown.
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For example, we have a cat litter down in the basement. The box is made of plastic, so it does not allow the soil to breathe at the point of contact. We are getting mold under the crate. It’s easy to clean, but I know something I need to look at.
The same thing will happen with plastic storage bins. (See Prepared Storage for more information on bulk storage.) We tried putting a rug in the basement for a while, but found that it tended to cause mold under the rug.
The discharge is usually thick, black or green, appears cloudy, and may seep into tissues. If the infestation is severe enough, it can cause structural damage. Dark colors are associated with health problems and may require professional mold remediation.
Sometimes the house or basement is moldy from other sources. Pet odors, VOCs and other chemicals from carpets, furniture or other items can also contribute to a stuffy, musty home.
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In summer, the humidity level is usually higher. Winter air can’t hold much moisture, plus heat is added, which dries out the air even more. High levels of humidity feed mold and mildew. Higher temperatures also encourage their growth.
If the temperature is 65 to 75 degrees Celsius and the humidity is low – fresh air flowing through the house can help. If the air outside is humid or smells bad or is very dusty, close the windows.
In the basement, you may notice more of a musty smell as warm, moist air rises above the cold basement surfaces – which encourages mold growth. A whole house ventilation system can help circulate air from the basement throughout the house.
If you go on vacation and come home moldy, chances are it’s just a little moldy or a little stale. Open windows or push filters or fans to get fresh air moving and deodorizing.
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Moisture feeds mold and mildew. If your house smells musty after it rains, and that makes a big difference, the rain will go to the wrong place. The first places to check are the roof and attic, but rain can also enter basements and crawl spaces.
Check for roof leaks, especially around roof penetrations like chimneys. Check basement walls for leaks. Check all exterior walls for signs of water damage.
Inside the house – Watch out for plumbing leaks. Regularly inspect ducted air conditioning or heating units.
Even if the sewers don’t leak, buildings have in the past. This may have a musty smell. They can also trap and drink water, which develops all kinds of diseases.
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Many front loading washing machines have a small water tank at the bottom of the unit. Over time, bacteria grows in this water, leading to a musty smell in your laundry area. We had problems with this in our first front loader. The new unit has a small drain hose and I clean out the stagnant water every few weeks.
An improperly installed drain line can freeze water in the line or allow waste gases to escape into the home. (This can also result in a frozen drain line.) Make sure drain lines are properly installed.
Windows can be problematic in two different ways. First, a cold window in a warm room is a magnet for condensation, which can lead to mold or mildew on the inside of the window. Second, if it is not installed, water can leak through the windows and seep into the walls of the building.
Mold and mildew like to grow in the cracks and holes of refrigerator and freezer seals. Always clean water jugs – especially if you have them in the fridge. See Best Negative Ions for Refrigerators for more information on refrigerator maintenance.
Mold Remediation Cost
Real plants improve indoor air quality, but plants can also be a source of unpleasant odors. Be careful not to overwater the plants and let the plants dry out between waterings. Remove dead leaves and debris from your houseplants and add them. Give the plant leaves and soil sprayed with a microbial inoculant or compost tea to seed the good bacteria in places and cause plant mold.
Not surprisingly, dirt can make your home smell musty. We have a weekly garbage collection, even though we are in the country, but smelly things can ripen in six days.
I try to dry the dirt before it goes into the wastebasket. If there are any leftovers (and they don’t end up as chicken treats), I store them in a sealed bag in the freezer until garbage day.
Usually when food and beverage containers go into the recycling bin, some food residue will remain in the container. If it dries up or recycling goes your way, no problem. If you stay in your house too long, it will stink.
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The same goes for baby bottles wrapped under the seat, or cups with a little milk left at the bottom. Do you prefer to eat on the couch instead of at the table? Over time, all the food crumbs accumulate, adding to the “smell” of your home. Old food spoils and smells musty or smoky.
I can’t walk down the bakery aisle at the grocery store without smelling years of stale bread. (That’s why I always bake my own bread.)
Sometimes items that have been frozen in the past can still contain mold and mildew. If you’ve had a flood or other water damage, be sure to check everything that’s included. Carpets are one of the worst offenders, but mold can hide in books, furniture, walls, and more.
An electric fan can help dry out the space and circulate air in a cold, musty situation. An oscillating fan is even better because it can draw air into the corners.
Household Mold Appearance And Smell
See “The Best Odor Removers from Refrigerators, Freezers, Carpets and More” for tips on how to deal with moldy carpets.
I think most of us have walked into a house where all you can smell are the pets. When you share your home with animals, cleaning is always necessary.
Try using washable pet bedding or bed covers so you can just throw them in the washing machine every now and then. Use covers on sofas and chairs for easier washing. Always vacuum.
Clean up what you can, then use cat litter and/or baking soda for accidents (pet poop/urine) as soon as possible.
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Consider an air purifier for the rooms where your pets hang out the most, to get pet dander out of the air.
Once you’ve identified the source of the musty smell, it’s time to remove it. For point sources like plants, trash cans, and laundry, clean them up. If you find leaks, fix them and clean/remove/replace damaged plumbing.
Moisture is the root cause of most unpleasant odors in the home. If you have unpleasant odors in the kitchen, laundry room or bathroom, turn on the air. In the bathrooms, we use fan ventilation with a timer. Turn it on when the shower starts and it turns off automatically.
If possible, furnace vents and all household vacuums should be vented rather than circulated through a filter.
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If you have a finished basement, add ceiling fans – and use them. Breathing helps prevent breathing.
Consider an air purifier like the Enviroklenz Mobile. We took one unit for a test drive this winter after dealing with fire smoke levels, and it made a huge difference in basement air quality.
Before we got it, the mold lingered long after the wood burned. Once
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