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11/09/11, 06:21 AM
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Mother,Artist, Author
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 3,532
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Eliminating Musty Odors
I kept getting a musty basement odor in our old house. I thought it was just the house. When we moved into our new house 2 1/2 weeks ago, the house smelled new and nice.
Now that we got pretty much everything moved in, I am smelling the musty odor again. Mainly in the master bedroom and a whole lot in our back bedroom which is used as a computer room, my sewing room, and my husbands extensive book collection. and then it dawned on me, we have a big bookcase of books in the master as well and it has to be the books!!
DH collects alot of old books and has some that are a 150 to 200 years old.
Any suggestions on getting rid of that musty smell? I stuck some dryer sheets in between the books and it helping a bit. Later I plan on using the attachment on the vacuum to vacuum the books.
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11/09/11, 06:23 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lake Station
Posts: 14,761
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maybe you can put a container of charcoal in there?
__________________
It's not that I don't like mankind, I just like nature a whole lot more.
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11/09/11, 06:34 AM
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Mother,Artist, Author
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 3,532
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oh that would be a good idea. I just stuck another dryer sheet in the air vent in the floor. Hoping that works for a bit.
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11/09/11, 07:20 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 4,752
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Might try a container of damprid too, seems to work well.
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11/09/11, 07:27 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 471
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If its the books themselves, you can try sealing them in a rubbermaid container with some activated charcoal or baking soda for a couple of weeks. Then air them out in the sun.
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11/09/11, 07:35 AM
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Mother,Artist, Author
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 3,532
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well dh has ALOT of books. Enough to fill at least four six to eight foot high bookcases. I am not sure putting them all in containers with charcoal or baking soda, it surely would be a long task to do. But may be worth a try!!
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11/09/11, 08:22 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Indiana
Posts: 295
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FiddleKat
well dh has ALOT of books. Enough to fill at least four six to eight foot high bookcases. I am not sure putting them all in containers with charcoal or baking soda, it surely would be a long task to do. But may be worth a try!!
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My goodness, that's a LOT of books. I would be in Library Heaven at your house! Here's a link to storage tips that would prevent the musty smells:
http://archives.alabama.gov/officials/cleanbooks04.pdf
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11/09/11, 09:52 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 72
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DH has a small plant in his library. I am not sure what kind but it doesn't need a lot of water so I'm sure it doesn't make it too humid. The little plant seems to make the air smell extra nice in that room. But then again DH books are mostly newer (1950's and up) paperbacks.
So you could try a little plant and perhaps a few boxes of baking soda to use as book ends?
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11/09/11, 11:59 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: West Tn
Posts: 1,104
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I agree with the baking soda. Put it in dishes, or small boxes and hide them behind the books, or other places around the room.
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11/09/11, 12:14 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Southern NY
Posts: 2,330
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I had some books in storage that had that smell. I put them out in the sun and it made a world of difference, but its still there .
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11/09/11, 02:56 PM
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: SW CO
Posts: 1,949
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I second the charcoal. Growing up our basement would sometimes get flooded and leave a musty smell. My mom used charcoal briquets and it worked 
__________________
By His Grace, For His Glory,
Sharon
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11/09/11, 07:39 PM
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Mother,Artist, Author
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 3,532
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tojo66
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And we purged enough books to fill one of those six to eight foot bookcases too!! My hubby has collected alot of period books and Civil War books
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11/09/11, 07:55 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 677
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My husband collects books, but to make it into the house they have to pass the smell test. My nose is very sensitive, don't know about yours. He has had some success putting individual books into a sealed bag with charcoal and cat litter, but if a book has mold, that smell will not go away. Could you possibly get the books out of your master bedroom at least? I wouldn't want to sleep in a room with musty books.
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11/10/11, 02:35 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: N E Washington State
Posts: 4,605
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Isn't your DD medically fragile? I would be concerned about anything moldy in the house. Could your DH put glass doors on the bookcases?
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11/10/11, 06:46 AM
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Mother,Artist, Author
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 3,532
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Molly I think bookcases with glass doors would be a great idea.
Yes, our DD is medically fragile, but fortunatly it doesn't seem to bother her. We also have our new HVAC system in our new house. The company actually came out and transfered our system into the new house for us, as when we got it back in the spring we got a Micro Power Guard with a UV Light in it. Its basically a HEPA filter system on steriods, and it has helped us tremendously with allergies!
But the musty smell Im the only one in the house who seems to smell it, so I must have a super sensitive sniffer.
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