Really stinky kitchen - help!

PeteCardiff

I'm new, and hope you can help. You all seem quite knowledgable!!

Have just bought and moved into a mid-terraced house, around 100 years old. The house is lovely, apart from one or two things we need to change, but since we moved in I have noticed quite a strange smell coming from the kitchen (which is at the back of the house and has two external walls).

When we moved in and did our first big clean, we noticed that the cupboards smelled musty and old, and presumed that it was just years of condensation behind the units and that there was a bit of mould or something. There doesn't seem to be any damp - certainly not when we looked outside the house. However, when we returned from weekend camping, the kitchen, especially the floor (old lino) smelled like old cheese/feet/damp horridness. I have swept and mopped many times, cleaned our shoes etc and still the smell comes back. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing it or what we can do to get rid? Might it be the lino?

Thanks in advance for all help!

char_student

Have you checked the sink? Quite often food etc go down the sink which gets stuck in the pipes and can stink! Might be woth taking out the u bend and cleaning it

PeteCardiff

Tried and not the cause. Any other tips? Thanks though.

Locknut

Hi pete we had the same problem with our kitchen, turned out the units were damp our house is 130 years old and was very cold before we put in the heating. the only way we solved it was by putting in a full new kitchen.

LilacPixie

Maybe lift the lino and have a look. do you have access to the basment/foundations?? Is it dry down there??

My parents bought a house with a similar issue and it turned out their was a cracked pipe in the founds leaking dirty musty water, cleaning out the ubend actually made it worse the jigglingwith the pipes made more water spill out

PeteCardiff

Jplocksmiths wrote: »

Hi pete we had the same problem with our kitchen, turned out the units were damp our house is 130 years old and was very cold before we put in the heating. the only way we solved it was by putting in a full new kitchen.

We've been thinking of getting an extension anyway - I guess ripping out everything is the best option. Did the smell literally just disappear when you did that?

loracan1

PeteCardiff wrote: »

We've been thinking of getting an extension anyway - I guess ripping out everything is the best option. Did the smell literally just disappear when you did that?

When I first moved in here (18 years ago) I had cupboards in the kitchen that seemed to emanate a smell from within. Replaced the kitchen a couple of years later and it's never happened since. (can't believe I've had this kitchen for 15 years:eek:)

ANGLICANPAT

We had that problem when we moved in without having a survey, and it turned out the previous occupants had plumbed in new stuff to the surface drains instead of deep, and smells were seeping back.

Locknut

PeteCardiff wrote: »

We've been thinking of getting an extension anyway - I guess ripping out everything is the best option. Did the smell literally just disappear when you did that?

Yeah went at the same time the old units went to the tip.

PeteCardiff

So should I call a plumber, Anglicanpat?

Have noticed today that small amounts of water seep through the lino when I use the washer. They smell stagnant and vile. Sound like your problem?

I need this fixing. Have called Hotpoint. They are coming to check the machine on Thursday. Maybe should have had the full survey we thought we didn't need before buying!! :eek: