If your home has been smelling musty, what could be the causes of this and which areas in the house should you look and tips to remove the smell?
Have you recently noticed that your home has accumulated a rather musty unpleasant smell? There could be a number of causes for this. It can be particularly unpleasant to have your home smelling some type of way, especially if the smell is not a tolerable one and does not usually come about.
There are some tips to preventing your home from smelling musty, so you will be able to get rid of the smell and possibly prevent it from coming back and making you uncomfortable.
What are the possible reasons for your home smelling musty?
The culprits could be the development of mould and mildew hiding somewhere in your home, or a build-up of too much moisture somewhere. A mould and mildew smell is particularly musty and strong. You will find that places where mould can develop rapidly, such as basements and closets, is where it will smell like this.
If you find that your house is smelling like this, it is likely that you have some mould or mildew growing somewhere and can be exacerbated by a lack of proper ventilation, especially if there are high levels of humidity, making the smell more potent and noticeable.
It is important to not rule out the chances of mould or mildew growth, as it can develop anywhere, even in a contemporary home or apartment. All mould needs to grow rapidly are mould spores, a place to grow on, humidity, some oxygen to breath, a dark area and moisture.
Moisture in this case can be one of the biggest contributors to a worsening musty smell. This is because when all other elements of nature such as condensation, moisture from humidity or leaking water come together, mould will most definitely grow.
When mould grows, it releases gases into the air called microbial volatile organic compounds. So, the musty smell is not just the mould growth, but a combination of the mould and the chemical compounds released as the mould grows.
These chemical compounds can lead to some health risks from exposure, and these can include the development of headaches, feelings of dizziness, irritable nasal symptoms, fatigue as well as nausea.
What places should you check for musty smells in the home?
Finding the source of the musty smell in your home will be the most important assignment to be able to tackle the issue and get rid of the odour. There are areas in your home that will likely be breeding grounds for the development of mould and mildew and these can be the bathroom.
Bathrooms are possibly the moistest rooms in a home. They can be warm and moist and are the perfect playground for mould spores to develop.
Places to check in the bathroom include inside the shower, like the floor tiles as well as under the sinks, on or near the toilet as well as in the walls should water possibly be leaking in the pipes that run in the wall.
The kitchen is another hotspot for mould to build-up and hide. Always inspect the fridge, as it can be the biggest culprit. Look inside, under and around it. The kitchen sink could be another place, a microwave and stove can also develop mould.
Be sure to check the trash bin for items that might have moulded while sitting in the bin. Other areas may include bedrooms, the living area or basement, attic or garage.
What are other tips to getting rid of a musty smell in your home?
If you find that there are water leaks anywhere, the best thing would be to attend to them as soon as possible, as mould will continue to grow as long as there is moisture. You will need to clean the mouldy mildew area properly, by either using bleach to kill clean the mildew.
In the case of mould, depending on how much mould there is and the type, cleaning it might be more complex and even require the help of a mould cleanup specialist.
This is in the case where the mouldy area is big, your air conditioning unit is mouldy, or if it has developed on walls, floors or the ceiling. If you have heath issues that could be worsened by being exposed to the mould, a specialist will be required.
So, to be able to get rid of a musty smell in your home, you would need to thoroughly investigate where the smell might be coming from by knowing which rooms in the home might trigger musty smell build-up.