Cleaning > OdorsApril 26, 2011

Musty Smell in Basement

My aunt's basement has a very strong musty smell that is in the walls as well as the ceiling and beams. Is there anything that can be painted or sprayed on all the surfaces before regular painting so the smell is entirely covered?

By Lois from OH

Answers

Read answers for this post below.

By
04/29/2011

My basement always smells musty when it starts to get warm. That's when I know it's time to haul the dehumidifier out.

By
04/27/2011

I agree with the idea of using bleach, but also trying using the product KILZ. It's a primer you use before painting. In my experience, it gets rid of odor and if your going from a darker color to lighter, it works great. Hope this helps.

By
04/26/2011

If it's possible open the windows in the basement to ventilate it so fresh air comes in. If you are going to do the job of taking care of the musty smell in the basement, make sure that you wear a face mask before you tackle a cleaning job. Use a mixture of bleach and water and scrub the walls. The bleach and water combination will get rid of the musty smell and mold. I don't know what can be done with the ceiling. What your aunt's basement needs is a dehumidifier which will remove the dampness.

Maybe others will post some of their ideas.

Related

Archives

Here are archived discussions related to this page.

Our basement has a damp and musty smell and we were wondering if there is anything that we can do to get rid of the smell?


Could anyone tell me how to get a musty smell out of the basement? I run a dehumidifier daily and I have tried vinegar, baking soda and Lysol but it still smells.


The basement in our cottage became musty 2 summers ago when we were not available to dump the dehumidifier. Prior to that it was fresh and dry.


I have a very musty smelly basement. I may have someone staying with us who could live down there.


Answer this Question

Your thoughts are welcomed and appreciated. Enter your answer here!

Answer:

Image Upload:

Add an image to your post! Click the "Browse" button above and select an image from your hard drive. Please only select gifs or jpegs. If you have any problems, please contact us.

  

facebook like arrowLike ThriftyFun on Facebook

Browse Topics

Over 80,000 tips, recipes, questions & crafts.

Ask a Question

Submit a question to the TF community.

Subscribe to ThriftyFun Newsletters!

Email: