Methods of struggle, or how to remove the smell of dampness in the house

An unpleasant musty smell is a signal that a source of dampness has appeared in the house, which must be urgently eliminated. After all, the smell of dampness does not just disturb the comfortable living in the house.

They multiply very quickly in dampness mold and a fungus, causing great harm to human health. We will tell you how to remove the smell of dampness in the house in the article.

The reasons for the unpleasant odor in the apartment

The main reason for the smell of dampness in the house is high humidity, which can be provoked by the following factors:

1. Clogged ventilation ducts, lack of fresh air flow. It is especially important to monitor the ventilation in the bathroom, where a sharp temperature drop and hot water vapor provoke the appearance of condensation on the walls.
2. Lack of waterproofing of the roof and foundation, freezing of insufficiently insulated building walls. As a result, warm air in the room, in contact with cold walls, drops out with drops of condensation, which leads to increased humidity, an unpleasant smell of dampness.
3. Flooding. It does not matter whether the flood in the house was the result of leaks of sewer, water pipes, or the apartment was flooded by neighbors, it is important to eliminate the traces of flooding as soon as possible so that they do not cause an unpleasant smell of dampness.

Also, the reasons for the appearance of a musty smell in the house can be:

• drying damp laundry in the room,
• constantly dripping taps,
• a huge number of flowers in flowerpots (frequent watering provokes increased humidity in the room).

What's the first thing to do?

The first thing to do if the house smells damp is thoroughly ventilate all rooms... In the autumn-winter period - warm up the air in the rooms (add heating devices).

Only after eliminating the cause of dampness, you can begin to fight against its consequence - a musty smell in the house.

How to eliminate folk remedies?

After the cause of the dampness has been removed, you can begin to combat the damp smell. First of all, they use affordable and safe folk remedies:

1. Baking soda solution (4 tsp soda is dissolved in a liter of warm water). A soft sponge is moistened in the resulting solution and wiped on all surfaces in the room (walls, floor, furniture).
2. Salt and activated carbon... The tablets are ground into powder and mixed with salt (1: 1 ratio). The resulting mixture is poured into a glass container, which is left on open cabinet shelves, shelves or simply on a table.
3. Pomander Is the fruit of an orange, lemon or grapefruit, decorated with carnation seeds. Small spicy stars are simply pricked onto citrus in a chaotic manner. Pomander not only perfectly neutralizes the smell of dampness, but also decorates the interior of the room. As it wilts, the citrus needs to be changed.
4. Lemon acid... Dissolve 1 tsp in 250 ml of water. citric acid, after which all surfaces in the room are treated with the resulting product.
5. Vinegar. It is fired through a spray bottle onto the floor, walls and furniture. After thirty minutes, wipe the treated surfaces with a soft, damp cloth.

After cleaning (especially with the use of strong-smelling compounds), the room must be well ventilated.

Special drugs

If folk remedies have not helped to achieve complete elimination of the unpleasant odor of dampness, re-treatment is carried out using special antiseptic compositions.

Dali universal antiseptic

Destroys foci:

• fungus,
• mold,
• moss,
• dampness from any type of surface (brick, plaster, wood, cardboard, ceramic tiles).

It is not necessary to dilute the antiseptic before applying. Liquid without color. Economical consumption allows you to treat large areas of affected surfaces. The average cost is 600 rubles. (canister 5 l).

Eskaro Biotol Spray

Designed for the treatment of various surfaces in rooms of increased importance... Spray Biotol is effective as a prophylactic agent, as well as a composition destroying breeding grounds of mold, moss (sources of damp odor). The average cost is 300 rubles. (500 ml bottle).

Protective composition Belinka

A drug that quickly destroys mold and mildew spores, the smell of dampness in the room. Does not contain bleaching ingredients, retains the natural color of treated surfaces.

Before use, the drug is diluted with water (concentration 1: 4). The average cost is 350 rubles. (bottle 1 l).

Before applying any chemical composition, you must carefully study the manufacturer's instructions.

How to remove from various surfaces?

In the process of removing the smell of dampness in the house, it is important to pay attention to what materials the sources of unpleasant amber are made of. For what type of surfaces there is a special approach to cleaning, which allows not only refreshing, but also preserving their original appearance.

Furniture

In order to permanently get rid of the musty smell of dampness from furniture, it is necessary to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Several activated carbon tablets or silica gel bags are placed in a wardrobe emptied of clothes. Also, salt, tea bags or baking soda placed on the shelves will help "pull" unpleasant odors and moisture from the cabinet.
2. The walls of the cabinet (on all sides), shelves and crossbars are wiped with a rag soaked in vinegar solution (2 tablespoons of water is enough per liter of water). After processing, the cabinet must be left open for several days to dissipate the slight vinegar aroma.
3. If the furniture has been standing in a damp room for a long time, and it is impossible to remove the musty smell by airing and cutting solution, a steam generator will come to the rescue. Hot steam treatment not only refreshes but also disinfects all surfaces.

Sofas, armchairs

Remove the smell of dampness from upholstered furniture processing the upholstery with lemon juice or a weak solution of potassium permanganate will help... It is important to check the effect of the solution on an inconspicuous area of ​​the upholstery before cleaning.

Leather sofas or armchairs are wiped with a sponge dipped in soapy water with the addition of a small amount of ammonia (for one liter of water, you need to take 1 tsp of ammonia and 50 ml of liquid soap).

After cleaning, wipe the leather upholstery with a clean damp cloththen dry with paper towels.

Clothes and other things

The first thing to do is to hang things out for airing. Fresh air and sun rays will do their job and there will be no trace of the damp smell.

If airing does not help and the musty smell has not completely disappeared, you can use the following methods:

• articles of fur and knitwear, wrapped in polyethylene, are placed in a freezer for twenty-four hours;
• clothes made of natural fabrics (cotton, linen) are ironed at the maximum temperature set. Additionally, perfumed water is poured into the iron;
• clothes made from expensive silk fabrics and wool products are treated with a steamer;
• white things are treated with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of alcohol and ascorbic acid (2-3 tablets are enough for 100 ml of alcohol).

Carpets

Eliminate the unpleasant odor of dampness from carpet in several ways:

1. We use baking soda (the powder not only absorbs unpleasant odors, but also moisture).

   Soda is carefully spread over the surface of the carpet in a thin layer and left for at least twelve hours. After using a vacuum cleaner, soda is collected from the fleecy coating.

2. A mild vinegar solution will help clean up not only damp odors but mold marks as well.

   Table vinegar is diluted with water (1 cup vinegar is enough for 500 ml of water). The resulting solution is sprayed onto the carpet. After the coating has dried, it is thoroughly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.

To enhance the cleaning effect, 1 tsp can be added to the vinegar solution. hydrogen peroxide. Before applying any product to the carpet, it should be tested in a small, unobtrusive area.

Neutralizing amber in the bathroom

The smell of dampness in the bathroom is a signal that it is necessary to check the operation of the hood... Perhaps the old fan does not cope and it is necessary to replace it with a more powerful device.

Then you should eliminate any leaks, wash the dirty laundry accumulated in the basket, refresh the shower curtains. After all the possible causes of an unpleasant odor in the bathroom have been diagnosed and all surfaces are wiped with water and borax (a glass of borax is enough for 2.5 liters).

Preventive measures

Forget about the smell of dampness in the house forever possible subject to the following recommendations:

1. Rooms must be ventilated at least twice a day. It is especially important to open windows after wet cleaning and in the kitchen when cooking.
2. It is important to monitor the condition of the water pipes, sewerage and ventilation in the bathroom. In the event of any malfunction, repairs must be carried out immediately.
3. Do not put wet clothes and shoes in the closet. Wet bath towels should be immediately washed or hung on a heated towel rail.

Advice

A few secrets will help get rid of the smell of dampness in the house as quickly as possible:

• essential oils added to water for cleaning floors will not only eliminate the smell of dampness, but will also fill the room with pleasant aromas;
• adding a few tablespoons of vinegar to the washing machine along with washing powder, you can quickly get rid of the unpleasant odor of dampness on the bedding;
• Treating books with tea tree essential oil will help remove the unpleasant odor of dampness from paper publications.

The pronounced smell of dampness is the result of damage to surfaces by spores of fungus and mold. To prevent pathogenic bacteria from entering the respiratory tract during cleaning, the nose and mouth must be protected with a respirator.

You will find a lot of useful and important information about removing various unpleasant odors from objects and surfaces in this section.

Conclusion

The fight against the smell of dampness in the house will not become an unbearable burden if you prevent the appearance of dampness in advance (do not forget about frequent ventilation) or take the necessary measures to eliminate the problem in time.