6 Ways To Get Rid of Musty Indoor Smells

published 21 November 2018

6 Ways To Get Rid of Musty Indoor Smells

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Does your home smell stale, damp, or stuffy? If it smells like wet clothes left in a car for long periods of time, you may have mould growing in common areas of your home.

Mould can grow anywhere in your home. While wet and damp clothes contribute to dampy smells, they are rarely the main cause for the foul odour in your home. All that mould needs is a surface to grow on, warmth, darkness, oxygen and moisture.

Mould harms your family

High levels of moisture and humidity are the main factors to mould growth. They can grow and spread rapidly through common furniture such as cabinets and closets. As this happens, mould emits a gas called microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC’s for short). So what you’re smelling isn’t just bad odour; you’re breathing in bacterial compounds released from mould growth at different stages of its life.

Mould releases hundreds of different kinds of MVOC’s and many of them pose serious health risks to you and your family. ​ Breathing in MVOC’s for long periods of time may cause some common health symptoms:

• Headaches • Dizziness • Nasal irritation • Coughing and weezing • Eye and skin irritation • Fatigue • Nausea • Cause asthma attacks to those allergic to mould Even worse, left untreated for long periods of time, mould can cause structural damage to your precious furniture and home! ​

Common areas for mould growth Bedrooms Humidity from the outside and water leaks from your air conditioner encourages mould growth in your wardrobe, closet and cabinets. Remember, moulds love dark and damp areas in your home!

Bathrooms Possibly the wettest, dampest area in anyone’s home. Bathrooms are heaven to mould spores. They can grow between your tiles, under the sink, in the walls and buckets.

Kitchens The sink and refrigerator are the main sources of condensation and humidity. Check behind and under your refrigerator for mould growth. Sometimes the most obvious places are left unchecked and that’s your trash can. Check underneath it periodically.

Living room Window stills, carpets, book shelves (especially wooden ones) are common places for mould growth. 6 ways to get rid of mouldy smells:

1. Fix water leaks. Broken and faulty pipes and air conditioner leaks allow moulds to seep through your home. They can grow on roofs, windows, pipes and walls where water is constantly present.

2. Ventilate your home. Open your windows and doors to let the sunlight in – moulds only grow in dark and damp areas. Musty smells build up due to poor ventilation in your home. Turn on your bathroom ventilation whenever the doors are shut to prevent mould growth.

3. Use lemons as natural air fresheners. Boil lemon peels in a pot. This will release its natural fragrance into the water. Remove it from boil and set it in front of a fan. This will circulate the lemon essence around your musty room. Alternatively, you can also pour it into a spray bottle to better target odours around your home

4. Baking soda. Setting out a small plate of baking soda in small, enclosed areas for up to 24 hours can help absorb moisture and damp smells. Put them in closets, cabinets, and wet areas where the damp smell is coming from

5. Sweep and dust. Dust, dead-skin and bacteria contribute to mould growth. Moulds can grow in carpets and sofas. To properly clean them, try the HYLA EST water vacuum. It collects dirty moisture between your mattresses, carpets and sofas.

6. Get rid of wet items. Wet clothes, towels and sweaty socks and shoes are some of the main causes of mouldy smells. Never keep wet clothes bundled together for long periods and replace wet towels frequently.

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Breathing mould poses a serious health risk to you and your family. The HYLA EST is designed to clean your home and prevent mould growth. Find out more at https://www.hyla.my