Musty Smell in Basement

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

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.

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.