How to Get Rid of a Musty Smell in Your Basement

Table Of Content

• Bicarbonate of soda
• The best ways to get rid of musty smells
• Water Leaks and Drain Hoses
• Filtrete 16x25x1 Air Filter, MPR 300, MERV 5, Clean Living Basic Dust 3-Month Pleated 1-Inch Air Filters, 6 Filters
• Common Sources of Musty Smells in Homes and Basements
• Honeywell Energy Star 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Washable Filter
• Steam upholstery and carpeting.

You may have mold on a hard surface like drywall or your bathroom ceiling, or a soft surface such as laundry or carpet. According to the EPA, it’s safe to DIY mold removal as long as the affected area is 10 square feet or less. Homes can suffer from high humidity levels in the summer, especially in basements. When a room builds up too much humidity, it can cause mold issues on soft, porous surfaces and drywall. Whether or not a musty smell can make you sick depends on the cause of the odor.

Bicarbonate of soda

For instance, we have a litter box for the cats down in the basement. The box is plastic, so it doesn't allow the floor to breathe where the two make contact. It's easy to clean up, but something I know I need to watch. If you’re unsure of how large your problem is, hire a mold professional to inspect your home.

The best ways to get rid of musty smells

Rub vinegar onto the mold and then wash away with very hot water. Once you've narrowed down the symptoms, you can focus on eliminating the problem. The only lasting way to get rid of musty smells in the house is to find the source. In this post, we'll discuss sources of musty smells in the home and how to deal with them. After cleaning areas with mold or mildew, see what you can do to prevent future moisture problems. Hiring a professional may be a smart move, especially if you don’t know the cause of the moisture problem.

Water Leaks and Drain Hoses

Starting your HVAC system can also help draw out odors and capture mold spores in the filters. Be sure that the system has clean filters and replace them often to help remove musty smells. It may also be a smart investment to purchase an air purifier if this is an ongoing issue or if anyone in your house struggles with allergies and stronger sensitivity to mold. Air purifiers can make a big difference in reducing the smell and the spread of spores. Washing machines are big germ-harbouring havens – and bacteria leads to nasty household smells (find out more about banishing germs from your home in our dedicated feature).

If you have musty odors in the kitchen, laundry room or bathrooms, improve ventilation. Switch it on when a shower starts, and it shuts off automatically. If your house smells musty after a rain, and it's a significant difference, rain is probably going where it shouldn't. The first spots to check are the roof and attic, but rain can seep into basements and crawlspaces, too. The musty smell in your house will likely go away if you thoroughly clean the space. Run an air purifier and dehumidifier to ensure you have healthy air quality in your house.

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To be safe, you should still open a window and run ventilation fans. Increasing airflow can assist in reducing condensation and enhancing the quality of the air in your house.

"There is a risk that if cats dislike the smell of the scented cat litter or fresheners they may start to avoid using their litter tray," says PDSA Vet Nurse Gemma Renwick. "This can lead to toileting outside of the litter tray, which can be a difficult habit to solve. If you’re not a fan of the appearance of disposable air fresheners, refillable designs are also available, such as Glade Automatic Spray.

Honeywell Energy Star 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Washable Filter

With a bit of effort, you can eliminate funky smells from your below-grade spaces for good. The smell of burnt food can hang about, but boiling cut lemons in water on the hob will remove the smell. You can even add herbs and spices to the mix to create a unique air freshener.

Steam upholstery and carpeting.

Also, the next time you redo the paint on the walls in the bathroom or kitchen, use mold-inhibiting paints to keep the spores away. If the mold area is larger than 10 square feet, you may need professional mold abatement. For small colonies of mildew on fabrics or walls, you can follow these tips to get the source of the musty smells under control.

Use baking soda to deodorize these surfaces to improve the scent. Scrubbing the walls and floors isn’t necessarily going to cut it, though. It’s not uncommon for the smell of mildew to emanate from fabrics, such as towels, and from other personal belongings (e.g., sneakers). If so, soak it in all-fabric bleach for about 30 minutes. After rinsing it off, run it through the washer as you would a normal load of laundry.

Opt for scented bin bags to help cover up any future smells. A cup of bi-carb soda strateically places is the perfect way absorb bad smells and excess moisture. The old stack of magazines or the pile of clothes you've meant to sort out. You can remove mold from damp drywall, concrete, and wood, but soaked drywall or insulation is easier to remove than repair.

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If there are specks of mould on the curtain, scrub them away with a bleach solution – just make sure to rinse the curtain thoroughly afterwards. For everyday cleaning, you can dilute lemon juice (a few tablespoons to a cup of water) in a spray bottle and spray directly on the glass shower door to remove watermarks. If you’re dealing with heavy limescale deposits, you can apply pure lemon juice straight from a sponge. We’ve rounded up 10 tips to keep this space smelling fresher for longer. So what can you do to get rid of that familiar musty smell?

And while you might be tempted to cover up bad odors with air fresheners or plug-in devices, Murphy warns against this. “These can mask odors temporarily and contribute to indoor air pollution,” she says. What’s more, high humidity can lead to the development of mold and mildew, adding to the smell and creating a health hazard too. Try to use washable pet bedding or bedding covers so you can simply throw them in the laundry from time to time. The same goes for baby bottles that roll under the couch, or glasses with a dab of milk left in the bottom. Over time, all those food crumbs build up, adding to the “unique aroma” of your home.

In a 1 gallon bucket of water, dilute 1 cup of chlorine bleach. This solution effectively kills mildew on surfaces like ceramic tile and grout, cement walls, and washable fabrics. When you see evidence of mildew, it's essential to get rid of it before or after you solve the problem causing the issue. For a minor spot or two of mold, you don't have to use bleach, and you can use a bucket of warm water and a couple of squirts of dish detergent to wipe away the mold spores.