How to get the musty smell out your basement?

Penny_Donoghue
by Penny_Donoghue
  11 answers
  • Dee Dee on Oct 22, 2020

    ou can place bowls of white vinegar, cat litter in open containers, or baking soda throughout your basement in order to absorb the stench. You should notice a more pleasant smelling basement in a couple of days

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Oct 22, 2020

    Dehumidifier would top the list. You could also use products that pull moisture like Damp Rid. It would be a good idea to have it checked to make sure there isn't any type of leak causing excessive moisture as well.

    • See 1 previous
    • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Oct 23, 2020

      You can have humidity without leaking. We have the house my husband grew up in and it was vacant for a while. All above ground, no water standing, but we went in after 2 weeks and there was a terribly musty smell and a bit of mildew on the cabinets. I wiped everything down with white vinegar and hung Damp Rid bags in a few places. After another 2 weeks, they were full! So we invested in a dehumidifier and problem solved.

  • The smell is coming from moisture and probably mold. You need to find the source - leak in the basement wall? and repair it. Set up a dehumidifier to take the moisture out of the space and spray vinegar on the walls/floor.

    • See 1 previous
    • It sounds like it's just 'being a basement'! A dehumidifier will go a long way to helping. Once the humidity is gone, the smell is gone too.

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Oct 22, 2020

    You can place bowls of white vinegar, cat litter in open containers, or baking soda throughout your basement in order to absorb the stench. You should notice a more pleasant smelling basement in a couple of days. Here are 10 tips for dealing with water damage, mold and mildew.

    • Penny_Donoghue Penny_Donoghue on Oct 22, 2020

      My husband just wiped down some of the wooden shelves down there with bleach & water this weekend too.

  • Dehumidifiers that have automatic sensors and drain to the outside so you don't have to empty them are the way to go...

    • Penny_Donoghue Penny_Donoghue on Oct 22, 2020

      Thanks we do have a hose hooked up to the back. It doesn't seem to be pulling much moisture out of the air which is really surprising me.

  • Janice Janice on Oct 22, 2020

    When there's not much air flow in any area of a home it can begin to smell stale. If you have windows in the area, open them wide and leave open as long as possible. Also, you can buy a sack of bbq briquettes (not the ones enhanced with lighter fluid) and place them in open bowls or containers around various areas of the baement. They do a great job of absorbing any type of odors.

  • Peggy L Burnette Peggy L Burnette on Oct 23, 2020

    Hi Penny, hope this helps you with your musty smell in your basement.

    How To Get Rid Of Musty Smell In Basement (& Keep Away)

    www.isoldmyhouse.com › Articles › Home Cleaning


    How To Remove Mold and Mildew Completely. Preventing water from entering the basement and fixing all possible leaks is one thing. But removing mold and ...

  • Maura White Maura White on Oct 25, 2020

    get a dehumidifier! The musty smell is from mold growing. Mold can't grow though without moisture, so you need to get rid of the moisture in the basement.

  • Sharon Sharon on Oct 28, 2020

    You need to remove the moisture. This can be any of the following, seal the walls with Drylock, seal the concrete floor with a concrete sealer, add a dehumidifier, add a fan to one of the small vent windows to keep the air moving and exhaust fumes and moisture out.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR-mkF-DvZQ&t=45s be sure to get the type of fan with one exhaust fan

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7xvbYbG5Ww