May 25, 2020 •Reid Geiler
Will I get sick from a musty smell in my house? It depends on what's causing the smell.
Most musty smells come from household mold, which grows in dark places with little ventilation and high humidity. That's why houses that have been shut up for a long time end up smelling musty.
The mold you can smell is harmless in most cases, but if it's particularly strong, it's a good idea to get it tested by an HVAC professional. The Geiler Company can help.
If the mold is just annoying instead of harmful, here's a plan of attack to get back to fresh-smelling air.
Dry things out
Take away the heat and moisture that feeds mold by opening windows and doors. Increase ventilation and let the sunshine in. Check to make sure you don't have any leaks contributing to the humidity and just let things air out. Even a small leak in a closed off cabinet will provide plenty of moisture for mold to grow. Make sure that your plumbing system is sound and not contributing to the problem. Still smelling mold?
Clean your furniture and carpet
Clean the furniture, especially those pieces with soft cloth upholstery. Soft surfaces tend to retain pet and cigarette smoke odors and also absorb moisture from the air. If the carpet hasn't been cleaned in a while, give it a good scrubbing as well. If the odor persists, use your nose to see if you can figure out where it's coming from. The furniture or the carpet may need to go if you can't get the smell out with another cleaning. If the smell is still there then
Wash your walls
Smells can linger in stains on the walls because of grease, dust and mildew. Give them a good cleaning and let them air dry. If the smell is still there,
Deep clean your HVAC system
Use your nose around the vents when the heat or air conditioning come on. Is the smell coming from there? If so, you will have to have your furnace, air conditioner and duct work cleaned by a professional.
The Geiler Company offers this service as well.
Call us at 513-574-0025 or Send a TEXT to get a fast, professional estimate on a cleaning that can finally get rid of that musty smell.