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Even if you don’t live with (or have access to) a basement somewhere, you probably know the smell of the “basement”. It almost always has a musty, moldy scent in it, but you won’t find the same exact aroma in every basement.
Aside from the smell of moisture, the rest of the smell of a particular basement usually comes from the laundry products (if the washer / dryer is in the basement), what’s stored down there and the general “house odor”.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. in the an article on the This Old House websiteTom Scalisi will guide you through identifying and eliminating this recognizable aroma.
Find out what is causing the smell
Most often, the musty smell is caused by powdery mildew and / or mold that grows easily in basements due to its moisture. To get rid of this smell, you need to find out the source first. Scalisi suggests Check the following areas for leaks or cracks:
- Basement window (do the fountains direct the water away from the house rather than the right way?)
- Outside entrances in the basement
- Window from the floor above
- Exterior doors from the floor above
- Bathroom and kitchen plumbing from the floor above
But those aren’t the only potential problem areas, Scalisi says. Others could be your groundwater, a dry floor drain, or a P-trap under a sink, or upholstered furniture or carpeting that is down there.
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Fix what’s broken
Once you find the source of the odor, make any necessary repairs to eliminate it and prevent it from occurring in the future. These could be things like fixing leaky windows, removing musty carpets, removing wet basement materials, or dealing with cracked pipes, Scalisi says.
Get your humidity under control
After the source of moisture and / or odor has been addressed, there are additional steps you should take to ensure your basement stays dry. The easiest way to do this is by using a dehumidifier. Here is Scalisi to guide you through the process:
[Dehumidifiers] Draw moisture from the air and condense it in a removable tank that you can remove and empty. In some cases, you can run a drain hose to a floor or a drain so that the tank no longer needs to be emptied. Dehumidifiers are great for basement settings.
Shoot around 50 percent humidity to keep the room comfortable without encouraging mold growth (which occurs above 60 percent). You can also use a box or window fan to improve ventilation and air movement for faster drying.
Deal with the smell
At this point, you are ready to tackle the actual smell. To do that, Scalisi suggests the following methods:
- Place bowls of baking soda around different parts of your basement for a few days.
- Other options include placing bowls of clean cat litter, white vinegar, or products specifically designed to remove musty smells like DampRid (separately – not all mixed together).
- Clean the entire basement as thoroughly as possible.
- If you’re storing one of your musty smelling carpets or furniture, consider renting a professional steamer for a few days to give it a thorough cleaning.
And it should go without saying that the goal of this whole process is to find the source of the odor and eliminate it, rather than just masking it with a scented spray or air freshener. That doesn’t help solve the general problem and will make your basement smell like musty lavender.