Fighting Musty Smells: How to Air Out a House
June 22, 2023
Homes can build up a musty odor so gradually that you don’t even notice. At least, not until one day you leave your home for a few hours and return to the smell of noticeably stale, stuffy air.
While you’re most likely to suffer from musty smells while your home is shut up during the Muncie winter, closing your home to switch on the AC against summer highs can have the same effect. If your house has a musty smell, here’s where that smell might be coming from and what to do when you sniff out the cause.
What’s Causing the Musty Smell in My House?
Start by identifying the source. Just follow your nose! If your house is musty throughout, the windows have likely been shut too long and your HVAC has been pushing the same air through the system repeatedly.
Musty smells may also come from mildew and mold, a dirty garbage disposal or dishwasher, damp or old laundry, a buildup of pet dander, or dirty air ducts.
No matter the source, you’ll likely have to thoroughly clean the area to get rid of the smell.
What to Do When Your House Smells Stuffy
If it’s a comfortable temperature outside, open the windows! In the winter, even opening one window or door for a few minutes can improve your air quality and ventilation. Many parts of the Midwest experience a false spring or “January thaw” in the first few weeks of the year, so keep an eye on the Muncie weather throughout January for a good day to open the windows for a while. In the summer, open windows in the evening or early morning, while it’s still cool.
Other than opening a few windows, here’s what you can do to fight musty odors:
Dust and clean up pet hair regularly.
Ventilate using bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans.
Open doors to increase the airflow within your home.
Clean out garbage disposals and dishwasher filters.
Do any laundry that’s been sitting out for a while.
Change your sheets and freshen up any pet beds.
Change your HVAC air filter.
Add an air purifier to a bedroom or common room.
Schedule professional maintenance for your air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump.
How to Get Rid of a Mildew Smell or Mold Smell
If your house smells like mold or mildew, you’ll need to find the source before airing things out. Without getting rid of the cause, the smell (and the mold) will just keep coming back. You’ll likely recognize the lingering, stale, and damp scent from basements and crawl spaces with water seepage problems. Mold and mildew need moisture to grow.
The first thing you should do if your house smells mildewy is to look for the source of the moisture so it can be dried out. A plumber can perform leak detection and fix any leaking pipes or appliances. If there’s an area of your home that’s particularly humid, like the basement, a portable or whole-home dehumidifier can remove excess moisture. You’ll need to clean out the mold that’s already there, but lower humidity should prevent the problem from coming back. If the smell is coming from your vents, check your ducts; a thorough duct cleaning can take care of the problem.
Once you’ve found the mildew, scrub hard surfaces like bathroom tile with a mix of one part bleach to four parts water. Soak any mildewed fabrics in all-fabric bleach for 30 minutes, then run them through the washing machine. For more delicate surfaces, spray with cleaning vinegar and let sit for three to four hours. Scrub with a brush dipped in hot water and baking soda. Once the mildew is gone, the smell will dissipate when you open the windows.
The Benefits of Airing out Your House
Airing out your house eliminates smells like must or built-up odors from cooking or exercising at home. Plus, it offers other benefits:
Allows you to replenish the air in your HVAC system. Most HVAC systems recycle air. They pull air in through return vents to be heated or cooled, then blow it back into your home. This is why your home gets stuffy during winter, the time when most Muncie residents close all their windows and doors to turn up the heat.
Improves indoor air quality. Airing out your house allows any built-up impurities (VOCs from off-gassing furniture and building materials; carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and fluorocarbons from gas stoves; etc.) to disperse outside. Outdoor air quality is better than indoor air quality because toxins, allergens, and other impurities are at much lower concentrations outside.
Boosts your mood. Have you ever noticed increased energy or happiness after opening your windows for the first time in spring? That’s because fresh air boosts serotonin levels, leading to brighter moods in the house.
Reduces the chances of mold. When the outdoor humidity levels are low enough to have your windows open, the air is dry enough to evaporate damp indoor areas that could lead to mold or mildew.
Saves you money on heating and cooling. Turning off your furnace or AC to open the windows means you’re using less energy.