Ways to deal with the damp smell?

NEH

We live in a rented house. When we moved in there was a damp smell coming from the bathroom but we assumed it was because it hadn't been lived in for a while. Anyway it seemed to get to a manageable level....There was a slight smell in the rest of the house but we assumed the same thing. Since then we have noticed that whenever we go away our clothes reak of damp and mustiness despite being careful about washing and drying them and coming back last night from being away the house smelt badly once again to the point of affecting my asthma slightly. When we are away the heating is left on albeit on a lower setting. My husband came back earlier than I did this week and the place has been well ventilated.

We just can't understand it, there is no obvious sign of damp so I am left wondering if it's the fact it's an old house and the renovation wasn't done very well??

I searched on other threads and the answer seems to be ventilate well and heat well which we are doing, we can't do anymore.

Is there anything we can do to at least alleviate the smell? Any air fresheners that are not too pongy and toxic? I know you used to be able to get some crystals type air freshener that would absorb smells do they still do them?

I know before humidifiers used to be used but we can't afford to get one for all the 3 floors of our house....

WestonDave

I wonder if there is a very slight leak somewhere in the bathroom which is slowly seeping into the floorboards. It is possible for this to happen over a long period of time without it becoming evident anywhere else. When we bought our current house, we had the electricians in to rewire the house, and when they took up the bathroom floor it quickly became evident that we had a leak like that which had been going on for some time - basically the pipe from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl was slightly loose so every time it was flushed a small amount of water ran down the back of the toilet into the floor.

Have a check around and maybe try one of those blue things in the toilet cistern as if there is a leak the blue will be easier to see. Also check that when it fills the tank its not spraying over the top.

NEH

WestonDave wrote: »

I wonder if there is a very slight leak somewhere in the bathroom which is slowly seeping into the floorboards. It is possible for this to happen over a long period of time without it becoming evident anywhere else. When we bought our current house, we had the electricians in to rewire the house, and when they took up the bathroom floor it quickly became evident that we had a leak like that which had been going on for some time - basically the pipe from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl was slightly loose so every time it was flushed a small amount of water ran down the back of the toilet into the floor.

Have a check around and maybe try one of those blue things in the toilet cistern as if there is a leak the blue will be easier to see. Also check that when it fills the tank its not spraying over the top.

Thanks, thing is it's not just confined to the bathroom, it's just worst there...i think that may be because there is no window...We did have mould on the laminate after the builder flooded our bathroom shortly after moving in but that was dealt with so there's no recurrence of the mould and it started before that anyway...

caela_2

NEH wrote: »

We live in a rented house. When we moved in there was a damp smell coming from the bathroom but we assumed it was because it hadn't been lived in for a while. Anyway it seemed to get to a manageable level....There was a slight smell in the rest of the house but we assumed the same thing. Since then we have noticed that whenever we go away our clothes reak of damp and mustiness despite being careful about washing and drying them and coming back last night from being away the house smelt badly once again to the point of affecting my asthma slightly.

I feel your pain! We had a massive mold problem in our flat too. If you are renting, it is the landlord/ estate agent's responsibility to fix the problem. You can call evironmental heath to get a survey (free, they are part of the council) and they will send a report to your estate agent and recommend any work.

Not having a window in the bathroom is a big contributor to condensation in the air, which will lead to damp. A suitable extractor fan must be provided instead and you should check it works properly- hold a piece of paper under it and see if it moves.

There are many types of damp, such as condensation mold (black mold) and rising damp. You may not notice any signs of these until the weather gets colder and it may be that your estate agent has made attempts to cover the effected areas by re-decorating (especially with an old house and a quick paint job!). Sooner or later however, the damp will seep through and be visible again. It will be most noticable behind furniture and along window frames. You may also notice your windows panes are always wet or misty, especially if the double glazing seal has failed.

You can't be expected to keep the windows open and the heating on, as many people will advise, as this is costly and is beyond your duty as a tennant if there is a pre-existing damp problem. However you can reduce the problem by opening windows when cooking and closing doors so that condensation cannot spread (esp. bathrom and kitchen doors) and leaving extractor fans on. Drying your clothes outside or using a condenser drier will also help. This will ensure it is not your lifestyle which is causing the extra damp.

Chances are if you can smell damp, it's there somewhere, just not yet apparent. Also, the air will feel 'close' and heavy, because it's saturated with condensation. It will be worse in bathrooms where there is more water. Report the problem to your estate agent and get it checked out. Tell them you want it investigated and if they refuse, get a company to provide a free quote and forward it to them. After a year of arguing, I finally wrote to my estate agent saying that if they had not made efforts to fix the mold in a week, I would get three quotes, take the cheapest and invoice them the amount. They struggled and fought, but I stuck to my guns and the problem was solved by the end of the week! :T

Good luck!

poppysarah

Write to the landlord.

The correct way to get rid of the damp smell is to find the source of it and remove it.

NEH

caela wrote: »

I feel your pain! We had a massive mold problem in our flat too. If you are renting, it is the landlord/ estate agent's responsibility to fix the problem. You can call evironmental heath to get a survey (free, they are part of the council) and they will send a report to your estate agent and recommend any work.

Not having a window in the bathroom is a big contributor to condensation in the air, which will lead to damp. A suitable extractor fan must be provided instead and you should check it works properly- hold a piece of paper under it and see if it moves.

There are many types of damp, such as condensation mold (black mold) and rising damp. You may not notice any signs of these until the weather gets colder and it may be that your estate agent has made attempts to cover the effected areas by re-decorating (especially with an old house and a quick paint job!). Sooner or later however, the damp will seep through and be visible again. It will be most noticable behind furniture and along window frames. You may also notice your windows panes are always wet or misty, especially if the double glazing seal has failed.

You can't be expected to keep the windows open and the heating on, as many people will advise, as this is costly and is beyond your duty as a tennant if there is a pre-existing damp problem. However you can reduce the problem by opening windows when cooking and closing doors so that condensation cannot spread (esp. bathrom and kitchen doors) and leaving extractor fans on. Drying your clothes outside or using a condenser drier will also help. This will ensure it is not your lifestyle which is causing the extra damp.

Chances are if you can smell damp, it's there somewhere, just not yet apparent. Also, the air will feel 'close' and heavy, because it's saturated with condensation. It will be worse in bathrooms where there is more water. Report the problem to your estate agent and get it checked out. Tell them you want it investigated and if they refuse, get a company to provide a free quote and forward it to them. After a year of arguing, I finally wrote to my estate agent saying that if they had not made efforts to fix the mold in a week, I would get three quotes, take the cheapest and invoice them the amount. They struggled and fought, but I stuck to my guns and the problem was solved by the end of the week! :T

Good luck!

Thanks....Well we've been here 8 months and the place wasn't redecorated in between so nothing has shown through...

We can't dry outdoors as there is no outside space except for the drive so we have to dry our clothes inside but we do it in the spare bedroom with a window open and the heating still on in that room iyswim..

Windows look fine as well as we have both had problems with condensation in the past with both of us having single glazed windows in our childhood etc..

As for the extractor fan it works fine in the bathroom and the one in the utility room also works well...we leave the one on in the bathroom as long as we can after a shower.

So this is what is so mystifying....

Think we'll look into the environmental survey...knowing our luck they probably won't find anything :rotfl:

poppysarah wrote: »

Write to the landlord.

The correct way to get rid of the damp smell is to find the source of it and remove it.

Well yes that's what we have tried to do but nothing is obvious...

caela_2

NEH wrote: »

Thanks....Well we've been here 8 months and the place wasn't redecorated in between so nothing has shown through...

We can't dry outdoors as there is no outside space except for the drive so we have to dry our clothes inside but we do it in the spare bedroom with a window open and the heating still on in that room iyswim..

Windows look fine as well as we have both had problems with condensation in the past with both of us having single glazed windows in our childhood etc..

As for the extractor fan it works fine in the bathroom and the one in the utility room also works well...we leave the one on in the bathroom as long as we can after a shower.

So this is what is so mystifying....

Think we'll look into the environmental survey...knowing our luck they probably won't find anything :rotfl:

Hmm that is strange! :eek: Think you're right, environmental agency is probably the best bet to solve this mystery. You mentioned your clothes smell musty too and we had that problem but found a bottle of washing machine cleaner worked. Wash your machine once with the cleaner on empty, then once more to rinse it (or whatever the instructions are). This and putting less clothes in per wash really helped us get rid of the smell we were sure was caused by mold, but was actually the result of a clogged machine. It's a long-shot but might help some?

As far as removing the damp smell... maybe could call a professional and ask their friendly advice? Pot puri may help and as it's dry it may soak up some of the smells. It would just be covering one smell with another though. This link: http://www.thefrugallife.com/sourhouse.html says to put bowls of white vinegar around the house! Careful if you have pets though lol.

Let us know what you find!

NEH

caela wrote: »

Hmm that is strange! :eek: Think you're right, environmental agency is probably the best bet to solve this mystery. You mentioned your clothes smell musty too and we had that problem but found a bottle of washing machine cleaner worked. Wash your machine once with the cleaner on empty, then once more to rinse it (or whatever the instructions are). This and putting less clothes in per wash really helped us get rid of the smell we were sure was caused by mold, but was actually the result of a clogged machine. It's a long-shot but might help some?

As far as removing the damp smell... maybe could call a professional and ask their friendly advice? Pot puri may help and as it's dry it may soak up some of the smells. It would just be covering one smell with another though. This link: http://www.thefrugallife.com/sourhouse.html says to put bowls of white vinegar around the house! Careful if you have pets though lol.

Let us know what you find!

That's where it is another mystery, the clothes come out of the washer smelling fine and then once they are left out or put away they start to smell....

Thanks for that link, may try the vinegar then and no pets so not a worry...

David_Aldred

Hi - if the ground floors are suspended timber - suggest lifting a floorboard and looking at the sub floor conditions / placing a hygrometer down there and taking a reading. Dampness from poor sub floor conditions can permeate up into the property and compound any occupancy induced condensation issues. During summer months occupancy condensation should not be a major factor and if you still have the problems you describe look for other sources. In addition checks of the plumbing / drainage system - foul drain leakage usually really is an obvious horrible smell but surface wate leakage is often just a typical musty smell. Hope this helps - kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor.

NEH

David_Aldred wrote: »

Hi - if the ground floors are suspended timber - suggest lifting a floorboard and looking at the sub floor conditions / placing a hygrometer down there and taking a reading. Dampness from poor sub floor conditions can permeate up into the property and compound any occupancy induced condensation issues. During summer months occupancy condensation should not be a major factor and if you still have the problems you describe look for other sources. In addition checks of the plumbing / drainage system - foul drain leakage usually really is an obvious horrible smell but surface wate leakage is often just a typical musty smell. Hope this helps - kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor.

Thanks everyone....

David we can't even lift the carpet as they have glued it down (something i have never come across)

Anyway update is we had a few marks on the lounge carpet which we thought maybe we had spilt something so we used the carpet cleaner but they didn't come off...Last night we noticed there were even more "spots" and another patch developing (we haven't spilt anything as no food has been near the area for weeks) so we're going to contact the landlord and ask him to come and have a look so we're going to tackle the damp problem at the same time....

Caela we have contacted the council and they have suggested that they may be able to offer a free survey, i've got to get back in touch with them on Monday and I will ask the landlord if he is agreeable to it....

Wickedkitten

In the last rented flat we lived in we had this problem in the bedroom and it turned out to be caused by who knows how many years worth of leaves that had just been brushed against the house and forgotten about since the landlord didn't actually do any buildings maintenance.