If your home has a stale, musty scent, there could be a handful of explanations, including a plumbing leak, high humidity, poor airflow, dirty HVAC equipment, or soiled carpet.
If your home or clothing smells musty, chances are you have mold or mildew hiding out. While other things — like a lack of ventilation or high levels of humidity — can make a musty odor more noticeable, they typically are not the primary cause of the smell.
Locate the Source of the Musty Smell
Check for mildew growth in the shower, on the shower curtain, and leaks around sinks, tubs, and toilets. In the kitchen, look for leaks around the sink and dishwasher. Check under and in the refrigerator and small appliances that use water, like coffee makers and tea kettles.
Invest in an air purifier, which may help to reduce odor issues by killing the bacteria and fungi in the air. Simmer vinegar or some lemon peels in water on your stove for twenty minutes or so to neutralize the surrounding air.
There's a musty smell in your home
When you walk into your home, you want it to smell clean and fresh. Moisture in the air tends to hold and trap odor, Bautista says. A dehumidifier will dry out the air and take away this moldy scent.
If you've noticed a musty smell in your home, it could be due to mold growth in hidden areas. Having an air purifier running in places that smell musty can not only remove the smell but can also improve the health of the air in the space.
If the house is older and has been closed for a long time, musty smells should go away after you let fresh in and deep clean the place. A wet towel trapped behind a piece of furniture can leach out musty smells, polluting a whole room.
Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin.
Vinegar. You can use vinegar to get rid of musty odors in your home and laundry. When combined with baking soda, it also creates a fizzy cleaner that will spruce up surfaces while eliminating odors.
Musty smells in homes can be caused by a range of issues, from improperly dried linens to dampness and mold. No matter the cause, a musty smell is often worrisome and should always be investigated. The good news is that most musty smells are not a sign of serious issue, and are often quick to rectify.
You might notice a musty smell, but not be able to see any mold growing. In this case, you should look for areas that might be exposed to water. Mold needs moisture to grow. If you're smelling mold in a usually dry area, you might have water damage or a leaking pipe.
Damp, mould and mildew are the most common causes of a musty or stale smell in houses, creating this smell by emitting gases known as microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) as they grow.
The primary difference between moldy and musty odors is in the strength of the smell; musty odors are usually not as strong as moldy odors.
A moldy or musty smell is frequently associated with the growth of mold or mildew. These smells are due to microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) being released into the air. The mVOCs are produced by mold and as it grows, they can produce strong smells alerting you of mold or mildew growth.
Stale air occurs when indoor air hasn't had enough fresh air circulating through it, and—you guessed it—this is typically caused by a lack of ventilation. Unpleasant as it is, when we start to smell stale air, what we're actually smelling is an accumulation of airborne contaminants.
How long will a bowl of vinegar absorb odors for? You can leave a bowl of vinegar out in the kitchen for several hours and it will help to get rid of smells.
When mold, bacteria, biofilm, and other biological growths decay, they emit mVOCs — the gases we identify as old house smell. We associate the smell of mVOCs with older homes since older buildings are often more likely to have decaying biological growths.
Use the word musty to describe an unclean, stale, and possibly moldy smell. If something smells musty that means it's probably been sitting in a damp corner without any air for a little too long. Musty smells take time to develop: they're caused by dampness and mold, and signal some amount of decay.
A quick test for mold can be done when you dip a swab in diluted bleach (1 part bleach, 16 parts water) and dab it on the wall. If the spot quickly lightens (or keeps coming back after cleaning), assume it's mold.
Chloroanisoles and Chlorophenols Explain Mold Odor but Their Impact on the Swedish Population Is Attributed to Dampness and Mold.
Hair is another place where bacteria like to hide. If you still smell a strong body odor after a shower, consider shaving the hair in your armpits, groin, and chest. The hair's surface is a perfect place for bacteria to call home, and it's harder to eliminate them from the hair than your bare skin.
A dirty air filter can make your home smell musty and stale. A weaker airflow prevents air from adequately circulating through your home, letting bad smells from cooking or other activities linger longer.
Some of the best odor eliminators are coffee grounds, tea, vinegar, oats, and baking soda. Leaving a bowl of any of these odor absorbers out in a room that's due for a little freshening up will help clear out the less-than-pleasant smells from the air.