Musty smell in cupboards

Austin_Allegro

First check the problem is not structural - ie, rising or penetrating damp.

If not, it's most likely caused by mildew, encouraged by condensation/lack of ventilation.

So...my advice would be:

1. Make sure the room/house is well aired.
2. Clean the cupboards well with a bleach solution (kills mildew, the cause of most musty smells)
3. Leave to dry
4. Restock the cupboards but leave them open a fraction to allow air circulation.

If you still get musty smells you can try something more radical like sanding and repainting, or use a granule-type damp asborber (available from Woolies).

10past6

Hello peeps :hello:

We have built in wardrobes, I've noticed just lately that every time I open the wardrobe doors, there's a funny kind of smell, I don't think it's damp, but it's like a musty kind of smell :mad: :mad: the smell seems to have got on some clothes :eek: although there in the wash at present, any suggestions what I can buy or use to keep this smell under control?

Pink.

Hi 10past6,

There's an earlier thread with some ideas that may help so I've added your thread to it to keep the suggestions together.

This thread may help too Wardrobe/drawer smelly things with sorting out the smell but I think you might have to get to the bottom of what's causing it in the first place.

Pink

oliveoyl

I had the same thing at a house some years ago... I think, if it's not caused by damp, that it can just happen because there's no movement of the air to keep it fresh.

I got rid of the smell by emptying everything, giving the wardrobe a clean with hot water and dettol, washed/aired all clothes before putting back, and then I got one of those silica boxes that absorb moisture and put that in there... it seemed to work, although I did move a couple of years after so don't know if it cured it for good.

HTH

[Deleted User]

excuse me asking but do suits etc go straight in there after wearing? It is always best to thoroughly air clothes before storing in a wardrobe

justin1972uk

I find that covering a bad musty smell with a nice musty smell usually works the best.

Buy some joss sticks from your local asian grocers; empty all your clothes out of the wardrobes; light the joss sticks inside each wardrobe - and make sure that they can't fall over. Leave each wardrobe door open just a crack.

I did this with my under-sink cupboards about a month ago.

10past6

Is there anything I can purchase from a shop, I recall whilst I was in America some years ago, a department store were selling some smelly gadget then went over a coat hanger to make the wardrobe and clothes smell nice.

10past6

*flutterby* wrote: »

My house is less than 20 years old, it's an internal wall and no signs of damp anywhere... Just this smell *Boohoo*

Were experiencing exactly the same problem :mad: :mad: :mad:

tattoed_bum

you could try some pot pouri in some old tights make little parcels then hang a few on the hangers .
sometimes if clothes have been hanging up for a while they seem to smell musty .try taking out all the clothes on hangers and airing them outside for a while it may just be something that you have hung up without being completely dry or some perfume on a piece of clothing that you havent worn for a bit

10past6

tattoed_bum wrote: »

you could try some pot pouri in some old tights make little pacels then hang a few on the hangers

That's a good idea thanks :A

*I like your screen name, gave me all kinds of images in my brain* :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: