Any good air freshner ideas to get rid of a stale basement odor? Basement is used as living space, but smells.
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You could try wiping the walls down with a white vinegar and water mixture. Vinegar is a great, inexpensive deodorizer. Then as others have mentioned, use discreetly placed charcol (Fridge It is great) or bowls of vinegar to absorb any more odor or try a dehumidifier.
Best thing to do is soak cotton balls with vinager and place them around the basement. You can also try wiping the walls down with bleach and water.
it could be Mold & that can kill you & the pets!!
Is it a musty smell? If so you might want to invest in a deep humidifier. My family lives in the basement too far as watching TV and so on I put out charcoal in places where the charcoal cannot be seen. They are good oder asborbers.
Reading the first answer you probably need to clean the walls and floors too.
I would recommend using a dehumidifier. The cause of the 'stale odor' is likely moisture. Also it is important to keep the air moving, so using a fan or two on a low setting will assist and wont interfere with the enjoyment of the living space. Cedar blocks which people place in closets or drawers will cover up just about any odor, if you don't like a cedar smell, try melon scented candles.
Put a few cups of ammonia out - this sucks out all the odors and makes the basement smell fresh. My Mom gave me this advice and it sure does work!
I don't know how many rooms you have but could you fit extractor fans?
You probably need to remove the moisture and humidity from the basement. We use a product, I think it's called Damp Rid or something like that. Little crystals in a plastic tub that collect the moisture from the air. You can get it at Wal-Mart or Home Depot. A de-humidifier would be even better, if you can afford one.
Charcoal, the kind that you use in pool filters, is also great at removing musty odors. Buy some at the pool supply store and place it in bowls around the room.
Remove anything from the basement that holds musty odors - books, magazines, that kind of thing. Keep everything up off the floor if you can.
If you can, open the windows and let the fresh air flow through.
Get a de-humidifier and keep a10lb bag of arm & hammer behind the couch.
A vase full of fresh rosemary or sage will add a nice smell.
Those synthetic air fresheners all smell like a catbox to me, especially since they don't remove them (but rather just mix new smells with the old smell- yuck).
Spray and wipe down the walls with vinegar,that will do the job.Then turn on a fan and let it dry for you.I have used it for fire odor and cigarette, so I know it works.
1. Check for any body ordours ie Sneaker or shoes! you know how bad yours get. Get ordour eater and feet freshner from the chemist or store and use it. Store your footware in the open near a window! A box will retain the smell 2. Check for damp in the wall near the floor if there is stain on the wall or it is damp get the landlord to sort it out that damp is dangerous for your health. 3. Clean all the furnature . Basic cleaning like soap and water does well, just clean the surface don't soak it. Dry well before using as they say. 4. If the basement has windows open one on oneside of the room and one on the other on a fine day get a blow through.5. Use a rug doctor or similar piece of equipment to clean the carpet. Its a long process but on a fine day a few hours will do the job.6.Don't forget to launder the curtains. Keep on top of the cleaning and most of the realy bad smells will disapear. 7.Use an extractor fan in the cooking area it keeps the cooking from spreading to the whole room 8.Put a bar of Grannies type soap, you know Lavender or Rosemary, in the wardrobes and drawers it will help to knock back the smells from the furnature every time you open the drawer.9. Daily use, I would not use a perchased deoderiser as I am a Green but I would use things like bowl of fresh fruit on the table, fresh scented flowers on the sideboard or shelf. I also use scented wax furnature polish for wood not the spray one as the wax fragrance lasts longer. If you balance the fragrances so they don't compete you will get a better smell but that underground smell of a basement will always be in the background.
Someone else also mentioned charcoal. I found the perfect product for this that I've used for years and know dozens of other people that use it. It is a natural activated carbon product called FRIDGE IT carbon odor absorbers. It is a little purple cube with an incredible carbon filter inside that is really, really, great and eliminates the odors and for a long time. It works so much better than baking soda all those sprays, and fragrances that just cover up smells and doesn't get rid of them. Also, alot of sprays have warning statements about being eye irritant. and gels and oils that say keep away from fabric, pets,etc. and just don't eliminate odors. Just hang a few of these in the basement. Each only costs a couple of dollars. I use this product everywhere including car(smoke and pet smells), storage, closets, my fridge and also under sinks, near trash and have friends that use it on cat litter box and also diaper pails - it's that good. I really recommend it. You can buy it in kitchen gadget sections in stores like walmart and linens and things. I also think camping world sells it and internet. Definitely worth trying
Clean and spray almost everything with Odo Ban.
Use it as a fabric refresher.
You may need to have the carpet and furniture professionally cleaned? Or you can buy your own machine.
Don't forget some sort of dehumidifier. Even just those crystals.They work well.
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