How to get rid of the musty mould smell for good
Remove the source, then air out what absorbed it
To get rid of a musty smell for good, find the damp or mould producing it, deal with that, then clean, dry and air everything that has soaked up the odour. The order matters. Air the house first and the smell will be back the moment the windows close; fix the source but leave the curtains and cupboards as they are, and the smell will hang on in the fabrics.
This guide is the practical, room-by-room version. For what the smell can point to, read what a musty smell usually means, and for why sprays and plug-ins don't solve it, see whether air fresheners can remove mould smell.
Step 1: track it down
Your nose gets used to a smell within minutes, so search when you first come back into the house, or ask a visitor to walk round with you. Open each cupboard and wardrobe and sniff inside, low down and high up. The smell is usually strongest close to the source.
- Wardrobes and built-in cupboards on outside walls, and the clothes and bedding in them.
- Under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and around the washing machine.
- Behind beds, sofas and chests of drawers pushed against outside walls.
- Carpets, rugs and the underlay beneath them.
- Curtains, window reveals and the bottom of window frames.
- Air-conditioner indoor units, where mould around the unit can send the smell round the room each time it runs.
Step 2: deal with the damp behind it
A smell always has moisture behind it. If you find a dripping trap or a damp patch under the sink, repair the leak. If the source is condensation, air the room daily and give it steady warmth. Ground-floor rooms with a damp band low on the walls may have moisture coming up from below. If the smell seems to come from a wall itself, read the signs of mould inside a wall before you start opening anything up.
Step 3: clean or replace what's affected
On hard surfaces, open a window, put on gloves and a mask, and wipe the growth off with a damp cloth and a mould cleaner rather than brushing it dry. Don't mix cleaning products, and let everything dry fully. Empty affected cupboards completely, clean the inside, and leave the doors open until it's bone dry before you put anything back.
Wash clothes, towels, bedding and curtains as their labels allow and dry them right through, outdoors if you can. Anything with visible growth that won't wash out, and rugs or underlay that stay smelly after drying, are usually better replaced. Saving clothes from a mouldy wardrobe goes into more detail.
Step 4: air and dry the house
Once the source is gone, open windows on opposite sides of the house for a strong cross-draught, and repeat daily until the smell fades. Holiday homes that have been shut for months need this most: open every window, cupboard and wardrobe on the first day, and take bedding and cushions outside to air. In winter, avoid drying laundry indoors or relying on portable gas heaters, which both add moisture to the air.
Step 5: stop it coming back
Leave a gap between furniture and outside walls, don't hang clothes away damp, and open wardrobe doors now and then. Run the extractor in the kitchen and bathroom. For a home that sits empty for long spells, a monthly visit while the house is closed up keeps humidity down and catches regrowth early, from €45 a month.
When you can't find the source
If you've checked everywhere and the smell persists, the damp is probably out of sight. Our first job is to find where the moisture comes from, because clearing mould without that only lasts until the next damp spell. A search for the hidden source of the smell takes moisture readings in every affected room and ends with a room-by-room moisture map sent to your phone. If anyone at home has breathing symptoms, speak to your GP.
Musty smell you can't track down? book an inspection from €75 or call +357 99 759144.