This smell is caused by mold, mildew, potentially harmful black mold, and other related fungi. They all thrive where there’s condensation, leaks, or frequent steam.
Try this fix: In bathrooms, dispatch mildew on hard surfaces with a shower cleaner or an all-purpose cleaner, such as Clorox Free & Clear Multi-Surface Spray Cleaner (Home Depot, Target), and machine-wash discolored shower curtains and liners. Running your bathroom fan for about 20 minutes before and after you shower also subdues fungi growth, says Melissa Dilkes Pateras, author of A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home: Housekeeping Hacks You Can’t Live Without (The Dial Press, 2023).
If your washing machine has a mildewy odor—common in front-loaders—clean it well, following the manufacturer’s instructions. (GE, for instance, advises wiping down gaskets with a cloth and soapy water or going over them with a toothbrush dipped in white vinegar.) For mildewy or otherwise stinky clothes and towels, Pateras likes laundry boosters. These include EnviroKlenz Liquid Laundry Enhancer (Walmart, Amazon) and Zero Odor Laundry Odor Eliminator (Zero Odor, Target).
As for a musty basement, check for dampness on walls or soggy carpeting—water leaks you’re not aware of may have caused mold to grow. Start vanquishing it by opening windows and running fans in the area. Sprinkle baking soda on smelly floor coverings and then vacuum it up to help remove moisture and odors, says Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of communications, outreach, and membership at the American Cleaning Institute. Follow that by wiping down basement walls, shelves, and other hard surfaces with a clean cloth and a solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach diluted in a gallon of water. Also, run a dehumidifier and place several containers of a moisture removal product like DampRid (Home Depot) in the room to absorb airborne water. Don’t have a dehumidifier? See below for a few of the top models from CR’s tests.
Still stinky? In your bathroom, make sure the fan is working well—a square of toilet paper should cling when floated up to a running fan, Pateras says. If it doesn’t, clean the filter with soap and water or your vacuum. For your washer, CR recommends running a cleaning cycle; if your machine doesn’t have one, run it empty on the hottest water-temperature setting with chlorine bleach. Still sniffing a mildewy odor? Your washer may need a new pump filter; if it’s accessible (check the owner’s manual), you can try cleaning it before buying a replacement. If your basement remains musty, you may need a plumber or contractor to deal with the source of the moisture.
Don’t do it. If your home is unrelentingly musty or you have unexplained headaches or respiratory symptoms, see a doctor and call a mold remediation specialist. The Environmental Protection Agency also advises the latter if you find an area of black mold larger than 10 square feet.
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