I keep a bowl of white vinegar on my stove to keep cooking odors down. When a closet or room starts to smell musty or stale, I put a bowl of white vinegar on a shelf for a few days. This usually takes care of just about any smell. It was especially good when my son was a teenager.
(You won't smell the vinegar except when you first pour it.)
Source: Personal experience
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Tips and ideas for eliminating musty smells. Post your ideas.
A quick solution to a musty basement is to cut an onion in half and leave it on a plate down there. No, your basement won't smell like a sandwich shop. The onion actually absorbs musty odors.
By Roberta
Mama taught me this one, my Daddy smoked but our house never smelled like it - here's why. Pour white vinegar into a dish and set it out. She always "hid" the little bowls in various places.
Put glass bowls of white vinegar around the house to eliminate odors. Put something underneath them as not to discolor anything.
You can also boil white vinegar in a pan on the stove. Add oil scents if you'd like; drops of perfume oils or perfume mixed with oil (before putting in.) Use your favorite herbs mixed with oil also. Just make sure to keep an eye on it. Add cinnamon, vanilla etc. Be careful what you use some may ignite. Turn the pan down to very low once it has come to a boil.
By Sandi G
just wondering if the cats or dogs will try to drink the vinegar? gail2656 I like the idea i am going to try it i brought some pictures and picture frames up from the basement and they smell musty,,,i'll let you know
just wondering if the cats or dogs will try to drink the vinegar? gail2656 I like the idea i am going to try it i brought some pictures and picture frames up from the basement and they smell musty,,,i'll let you know
I read and tried the tips about vinegar it worked so I took it a step further. I filled my steam cleaner with vinegar tested it to make sure it wouldn't ruin carpet and cleaned entire room with it.
Hello,
I would try an air purification unit that uses NASA developed RCI technology. I have several of these and they work great for neutralizing smoke smells or any other offensive odor in the home. I guarantee after a couple hours with one of these units on - doesn't matter which brand - there are several out there - there will be no traces of smoke smell and the apartment will smell fresh like after a thunderstorm outside. Contact me for information on the most effective units.
Best Regards,
Josiah
JosiahKuenzi @ gmail.com (remove spaces)
We had a dog that had kidney disease and kept peeing on the same spot on the carpet. I called a carpet cleaner in, he cleaned them and said vinegar and water are the best for pet stains and odors!
We placed antique maple wood flooring in our renovated home. Some of the tongue and grooves were not cleaned that well, the floor is now 10 years old and needs refinishing. Until we can do this, how do we get this very strong musty smell out, even our clothes smell this way. Gross help!
Could be a plumbing issue. I had a musty smell in a bedroom, and found that there was a leak in the cold water supply pipe under the bathroom sink. Had to rip out the sheet rock and have a plumber fix the leak. I bought Damp Rid at the hardware store, and the smell is now gone!
I moved into my home a year ago and got the chimneys taken out the living and dining room and the room between the two rooms. We got everything plastered and have gotten new furniture and carpet. However, I have noticed a smell in the room. When you enter the room you notice it more.
It's not foul like sewage; it just smells odd and not fresh. My husband put two vents in the room to improve the air flow, but the smell is still there. It only goes away when the windows are opened and then comes back when we close the windows. What could it be?Did you close up or cover the chimneys, outside? If they're still open to the elements you may have birds' or squirrels' nests.
An animal may have decided to build a home somewhere in your walls or under the house. It is also possible that an animal has died in the walls, floor, underneath, etc. A pest control specialist can check the entire area, remove the home or dead animal and recommend what you can do to prevent future problems.
An animal may have decided to build a home somewhere in your walls or under the house. It is also possible that an animal has died in the walls, floor, underneath, etc. A pest control specialist can check the entire area, remove the home or dead animal and recommend what you can do to prevent future problems. If there is a dead animal in the house structure or underneath, the decay process can leak into the wood structures. If so, you may need to replace the affected area as the smell will last a very long time.
How to get rid of a smell out of the room that's been closed up with no ventilation that snail is like mold
You might just have some old critters trying to stay warm, or buildig nests in the walls. I know it's expensive, but you'll need to check and see what's inside your walls. Sorry.
I just bought an entertainment center at Circuit City's liquidation sale that is non-returnable. When we got it home, I noticed the awful mildew smell and now my allergies are out of control.
Any suggestions on how to get rid of this smell? There is no visible mildew and I've cleaned the whole thing with furniture polish, which made the smell worse. Help!i would try using just warm water with a teaspoon of bleach mixed using a wet rag to wipe it down real good, that would kill the mold and mildew growth and the smell i would think.
They say that vinegar is a natural cleaning agent/deodorizer. Try putting equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spraying it down, then wiping it. It will initially smell like vinegar but should dissipate within a few hours. Good luck!
Try charcoal briquettes(like Kingsford)
I had an old freezer with mold and an old dresser that was musty and it worked for both. Just put some briquettes in a bowl or a small box and set in the entertainment center. The charcoal will absorb the odor.
Good luck.
You probablly need to combine the above solutions. You need both to kill the growth, and to deodorize. (Furniture polish doesn't clean or disinfect, it only shines)
The bleach solution or a Pinesol like product to kill the mold/mildew -- when you are cleaning, be sure that you don't just wipe down the surfaces, do the undersides and the backs, inside any drawers or cabinets etc. The mold/mildew could be anywhere. Don't forget the underside of the entire piece, as the entertainment center might have gotten wet from sitting in water.
After you have used these to kill the mildew and clean, then you might want to put in the charcoal to absorb any left over odors, especially inside of drawers or cabinets. Good luck!!!
Take the entertainment center back regardless of the fact there were no returns allowed. What they did to you is wrong and the mildew might be mold that's poisioness. Your health is to important to take a chance .
I have a musty ceiling smell when I turn off the central air conditioning. It just smells awful. We can't get up into the "attic", there is only 2 feet of space from the ceiling to the roof.
I suspect it's leaking or something. It gets way worse when I turn on the central air conditioning or if I turn "up" the thermostat. It's a new roof. I can smell it in the rooms of the house, not just "up there". Would a dehumidifier help?
By Bella Swan from Miami, FL
If it's leaking, the leak must be discovered and repaired or redirected. Central A/C units usually have a condensation tube which directs the water into a drain. That may have been disturbed. Not sure what you mean by a musty ceiling smell but it sounds like you need a repairman. Good luck.
If you hired someone to put on that new roof it's time to call them AND call around for a second, third and fourth opinion of the cause. If it's because of bad workmanship and you can back that up with facts the company who caused the problem is responsible to repair. You might want to also test for mold 'just in case' because that is a major health hazard and spreads even in to dry areas :-( The roofing company is also responsible for that if it turns out to be because of their work.
I live in a mobile home. This back room is starting to smell so musty. There are no leaks so it isn't the water heater. I can't afford a dehumidifier but need to get rid of this smell.
Any help would be appreciated.
By Lorraine from Bristol, CT
We have a similar problem with a room that is little used. If the weather is nice, I open the window a bit, and leave it that way for a few days. I also put out a cardboard shoe box with charcoal bits in it, and leave it as well, until we have reason to use the room. If it is carpeted, sprinkle a good bit of baking soda all over, leave for 24 hours, then vac it up. As long as you know it is not a moisture problem, these should help a lot.
Best of luck to you!
Place a small glass or small container filled with apple cidar vinegar on a table or shelf out of the way so that you don't have to worry about it spilling. After a day or two the smell will be gone. You can leave it in the room to keep it from smelling again. Once it empty, you can fill it back up again.
We have recently begun to smell a very bad odor in one room of the house. Fortunately, it's a spare room so no one has to sleep in the stink. But we can't find the source of the smell in order to get rid of it. We've moved everything and looked in and under (and over) every item in the room, but still can't find it. We checked the attic above it and the basement below. Also the heater vent.
Nothing. My husband thinks it could be in the wall, but it's not a dead animal (shudder) smell. It's more like laundry that's been left in the washer for a week (admit it, you know that smell). Or maybe a stagnant pond. I know it's a long shot, but does anyone have an idea for locating the smell? In the meantime, we can't even open the door to that room, the reek hits you in the face.By ~gloria from w. NY
I live with my family in a rented house that is very damp, and it smells really strong and musty. Does anyone know how I can get rid of the smell? I live in England, so I wouldn't be able to get any American products if you recommended them. Thanks.
