How do I get the "musty" smell out of a basement that got wet?
Question:The basement's dry now, but it was really wet a couple of days ago. It SMELLS!!
What can I do to get rid of that musty smell? I've tried candles, air fresener, etc.
These just mask the odor, I want to get rid of it.
Thanks in advance!
Answers:
rosey hit the nail on the head, you need a de humidifier..this will extract all the dampness from downstairs, that has gotten into everything..did you know that concrete can take 1 month to dry out for every inch of it that takes in water?
a dehumidifier is inexpensive to hire out, and you will be surprised what amount of water will be taken out of the room within a day or two, then you should wipe everything down with a mix of warm water and fungicide.. and then re paint the room if you can
you won't have to worry about the smell again, but you need to address the cause of the problem, if it was a leak or a spill or whatever.. no point going through all the hassle in case it happens again
You need to get a dehumidifier. This will dry it up completely.Then the odor should go. Arm and hammer works in the fridge maybe it will help there also if you open up a couple of boxes. Baking soda..
You'll need to spray it down with a bleach mixture (or cleaner like clorox clean up). Spray it down and use an old mop to clean it up. :)
You can let a big fan, or a couple of small ones, run in there. Also leave a couple of boxes of Arm&Hammer Baking Soda in there. You will need to change those with fresh ones every couple of months. Also get a dehumidifier. You can get that at Home Depot or Lowe's or Ace Hardware. They have quite a variety. You should be able to find something decent no more than $250 or so. Good Luck!
Get a motorized fan that vents to the outside. This is what I did and it works!
If there is any widows then open them. But make sure a good strong wind is blowing. Carpet? remove it. Doors? open all closed areas that lead that to the basment. Use a big fan. Arm and harmer.
That worked for and it helped a friend's "musty" room.
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