Getting rid of and preventing bad and musty smells in the home

Mould and damp issues are one of the most commonly seen causes of bad and musty smells in the home. When the air around your home is too humid, mould may start to form. Mould thrives in humid conditions and is able to feed on organic materials such as wallpaper, wood and dust. The stench released as part of this can easily permeate into the things you're storing around the home. For that exact reason, we recommend that you resolve any damp issues in the home as quickly as possible to prevent the problem from getting out of hand. Proper ventilation is an essential part of this.

We don't need to tell you that cooking releases a lot of smells — and if you're whipping up something delicious, these smells will of course be irresistible. Even so, cooking odours can cause a musty and bad smell in the air over time. This happens because these smells can settle on furniture, curtains and carpets, meaning it is harder to get rid of them. An extractor hood can offer a solution in this situation. When you use an extractor hood while cooking, any vapours released are extracted outside, keeping the air inside of your home much fresher. One thing to remember is that it is important to regularly clean the extractor hood to prevent any blockages and make sure it can continue to operate effectively.

Pets can cause musty and bad smells around the home due to a range of factors. First of all, their dander and hair can accumulate on furniture, floors and carpets, causing a strong odour. On top of that, pets may occasionally forego their usual toilet spots and go indoors instead, which will of course leave an unpleasant stench. Dirt and bacteria may also build up on their food and drink bowls and toys, again causing a strong smell. Regular cleaning and letting fresh air into the home, plus taking good care of your pets and keeping them clean, can help reduce these smells.

Bringing new furniture into the home may also occasionally cause a musty and intrusive smell. This is because new furniture often contains chemicals that spread a strange odour. For that reason, it's important to air furniture properly before you start using it. If the smell doesn't vanish over time, it may lead to headaches and irritation of the airways. Should the odour persist, it might be a good idea to return the furniture in question and start looking for an alternative.

Dust and dirt can easily pile up around the home on surfaces such as lamps and radiators. Over time, this accumulation of dust and dirt may lead to a musty and bad smell in the home, as dust and dirt have a tendency to trap any odours. When you then turn a lamp or radiator back on after a long time, for example, the dust and dirt that have built up on it can cause an unpleasant smell to spread. To prevent this, it is important to clean regularly, and to properly dust down these surfaces.

Regularly vacuuming the house can of course help any dust and dirt from building up. Even so, a musty and bad smell may linger in the home once you've finished vacuuming. This is because vacuum cleaners often pick up dust, hair and other dirt, which then gets trapped in the vacuum bag. This dirt can start to fester in the bag, which is how the unpleasant smell comes about. Fortunately, a simple solution is available to prevent these nasty smells. By spreading a little washing powder on the floor before vacuuming and then picking it up, the delightful smell of fresh laundry will fill your home via the airflow generated by the vacuum cleaner. Replacing the bag in your vacuum cleaner and cleaning the filter can also help.

Blocked drains or not having enough water in your U-bend can also cause musty and bad smells around the home. These problems cause standing water and waste piling up in your drains, allowing bacteria and mould to grow. These microorganisms then start producing gaseous substances, which can cause an unpleasant smell to spread. Not having enough water in a U-bend can also cause problems. The U-bend is the bend in the drainage pipework below a sink or shower that is filled with water. When the level of water in that U-bend is too low, sewer gases can creep back into the home and cause a nasty smell.

A bin full of food waste is another common cause of unpleasant and musty smells in the home. This is because the food waste starts to rot, causing bacteria to multiply. These bacteria then produce certain gases and odours, including ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, which start to spread into the air around the bin. These smells can quickly make their way into every corner of your home, and can be tricky to get rid of. As such, it is important to regularly empty and clean your bin to stop the spread of these unpleasant smells.