How to Get Rid of Damp Mould Smell in your House?

Is your home suffering from a funky, damp, and musty odour? 

Don’t worry, for Star Domestic Cleaners is here to help!

As a professional cleaning company, we know how to eradicate the damp smell once and for all. If you need help, check our cleaning deals and contact us today!

Mildew scent is unpleasant, potentially harmful to your health, that of your close ones, especially when moving in a new property with children and family! Also, it’s easy to get used to a musty odour due to air conditioning in a property. 

AC systems can dry the air in a property to cover the smell of mould.

You might think you don’t have a problem with damp and cannot detect mould or cannot take immediate actions. You could be sorry! Although diminished, the slight odour of fungi is a serious health hazard!  

It’s tricky to determine if there are harmful microorganisms that flourish in your home. Therefore, always pay attention to mouldy aromas in any premise of the property.

Without further ado, to answer a frequently asked question, we’ll teach you how!

What’s the Difference Between Mould & Mildew?

Both terms refer to fungi growing in your property and releasing a nasty smell. Here’s what the team of professional cleaners advice on how to differentiate the source of the problem:

• What is Mildew?
  A thin layer of fungi usually appearing on old vegetables, fruits or potted plants in your home.
• What is Mould?
  A concentrated layer of fungi that infiltrates multiple materials. Mould has the ability to invade plants, wooden furniture, drywall, books, shoes, clothes, and various other household items. Mould can lead to expensive property damage and health issues.

How to Determine if Smell is Mouldy or Musty?

The fundamental difference between these two is the strength of the odour.

The team of professional one-off domestic cleaners says: Follow these steps to locate the source:

1. Examine hidden or hard-to-reach places.
2. Notice any unusual spots that may be fungi.
3. Inspect areas with high humidity levels: laundry room, bathroom, cellar, AC system, the back of big pieces of furniture, underneath carpets, rugs, and more.
4. Check every space that doesn’t get enough sunlight and fresh air.
5. Trust your sense of smell to determine which room has a funky odour. If you can feel damp in your entire house, then you might deal with a massive structural problem.

You can easily get familiar with the damp smell and ignore it. But trust us – it’s highly important to find its source and take immediate actions to get rid of it. At worts, if you want to sell an apartment or house, a damp smell could be the cause for inaccurate property valuation and severe financial loss.

Have in mind that mould prefers high humidity and low illumination but can develop in various conditions.

How to Get Rid of the Damp Smell?

Fungi odours are persistant and difficult to remove.

Gather All Items Affected by Damp

Unfortunately, some of your belongings may suffer damage beyond repair.

Moist and mouldy clothes or fabrics easily become the home of spores. The unpleasant smell will continue to spread unless you clean the fabrics professionally, especially carpets and rugs.

• DIY: How To Get Dog Smell Out Of Your Carpet Naturally.
• Dirty Drapes: Can I Wash “Dry Clean Only” Curtains?

Books, photos, magazines, and other possessions are hard to recover from mould infestation. Your only option could be to throw all away.

Learn: How To Make Your Home More Comfortable?

Pinpoint the Source of Damp

Your top priority task is to find the origin of the problem. Here’s a list of areas to inspect:

• Pipe system;
• Taps and faucets;
• Showers and bathtubs;
• Window sills;
• Insulation;
• Gutters;
• Areas with a high level of condensation;

People often neglect to check the gutters of a house.

During autumn and winter, gutters can easily get clogged and release an awful smell as organic matter decays. So your gutters need regular inspection and cleaning too!

Have the Following Facts in Mind when Dealing with Damp:

• Plasterboard and drywall bloat because of high humidity and become the ideal host for a fungi infestation.
• Common wooden building materials like MDF & solid wood will deform when exposed to constant moisture.
• Upholstered pieces of furniture along other household fabrics absorb dampness to become a source of awful odours. Carpets, curtains, cushions, and sheets are potential victims of moisture. Often the damage is irreversible.

We advise you to part with all mouldy items, eliminate the source of the damp smell, renovate, and continue your life without dangerous fungi.

How to Get Rid of The Damp Smell & Protect Your Home From Mould For Good:

• Ensure a constant flow of fresh air.
• Regularly ventilate all premises, especially the ones with high humidity.
• Clean closed spaces such as drawers, wardrobes, and cupboards.
• Combine one part bleach with one part water and wipe areas exposed to moisture.
• Be extremely thorough in the bathroom and around the sinks (especially cleaning white composite sinks and kitchen splashbacks).
• Invest in air dehumidifiers to minimise condensation in your property.

Also, remember to clean and disinfect your home on a weekly basis! This is the best prevention against mould and stale smells.

If you’re up to the task, tackle the problem with your own DIY fungi cleaner!

Here’s the recipe:

• 1 part boric acid;
• 2 parts white vinegar;
• 2 parts hydrogen peroxide;
• 4 parts of water.

Mix all ingredients and put the solution in a spray bottle for easy application. Have in mind that you should use this mixture with caution when applying on fabrics.

How to Remove Mouldy Smells the DIY Way?

• Place charcoal inside a mason jar. Get a regular jar and stuff it with charcoal. Put it next to the damp source overnight. It will absorb the unpleasant smell. Unfortunately, charcoal works only for odour removal. It doesn’t affect moisture levels. Repeat the treatment to for a long-lasting result.
• Heat lemons or just their peels. Boil lemons. Use the fresh aroma to overtake musty odours in your apartment or house. Leave the pot in the problematic room until it cools off. Then fill up a spray bottle and use the liquid as a homemade air freshener.
• Experiment with cat litter. It lasts for a few weeks and its main function by default is to absorb funky smells. 
• Join forces with ground coffee. It also works great for getting rid of a mild damp smell. However, if the stench is unbearable, don’t rely just on coffee. It’s only a short-term solution.

Can Air Purifiers Deal with a Damp Smell?

Air purifiers are designed to battle mould and they also do miracles for asthma, allergies, smoke smell, musty odours, dust mites, and other tiny particles.

Some devices also include the HEPA feature and ionising function. HEPA means High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting and is a method that uses ultraviolet filters.

HEPA filters are efficient even for heavier particles that float inside your home. You can rely on an air purifier to help you get rid of fungi and mould.

If your property doesn’t have proper ventilation, you might also need to add fans to your arsenal.

How to Eliminate Musty Odours in Your Room?

For starters, you’ll need the following items:

• A spray bottle with a mixture of one part white vinegar and one part water;
• Plenty of baking soda;
• A washing machine;
• A bottle of basic household detergent;
• A washcloth;
• A wooden brush;
• Bleach.

Use the following tips to remove mouldy smell in your property:

• Inspect all clothes stored in wardrobes or other closed compartments. If you find anything smelly, put it in the washing machine together with a mixture of vinegar and your favourite laundry detergent.
• Repeat the same action for your bed sheets, curtains, blankets, pillows, and so forth.
• Combine baking soda and water to clean mould stains of walls.
• If there is any mould on the windowsills, remove it with a brush dunked in a mixture of water and bleach.
• Examine the grout in the bathroom, especially around the sink, and notice if there is a sign for mould. If you find any spots, scrub them off with a brush.
• To remove the smell inside big appliances such as dirty AGA range cookers, regular, cookers, fridges, or microwave ovens, leave a cup filled with baking soda in the machine for one night. Alternatively, get professional oven valeting.
• If the odour problem comes from your washing machine or the dishwasher, run an empty cycle with baking soda added.

Book professional window cleaning for outstanding results.

Final Thoughts on Musty Odours

Hopefully, these tips will help you achieve victory in the battle against the damp smell. And your home will regain its fresh aroma!

Contact us for professional help.