Mould- anyone know how long smell takes to go?

lauralulu

This problem is stressing me out. My partner bought a property last year that had stood empty for a while. He had a survey done and no damp was found. However, whilst we had it plastered, he stored clothes in the garage which he brought back into the bungalow. It always had a bit of a 'funny smell' but I thought it was just because it had stood empty a while and needed warming and airing. However the smell got worse and worse, until the day came when we found some of the things he'd stored in the garage and brought back inside, had got mould on them!

We got rid of those things, washed everything, threw away anything that had absorbed the smell that it wouldn't wash out of, and have used white vinegar and bleach to clean all the surfaces we can, including inside cupboards and on his leather sofa.

The problem is, although it's not as bad, we cannot completely get rid of the smell. What's puzzling about it is that in the bungalow, it doesn't seem to smell (we keep burning aromatherapy and scented candles) BUT when I leave (I haven't yet moved in with him) my clothes smell musty and my hair smells really bad of mustyness! Even after washing it, the smell lingers. So I am worried, as it's a month now since we got rid of the mouldy stuff, I am worried why it still smells enough to make my clothes and hair smell!!!

Incidentally, it's like an ongoing battle in that we keep finding further smelly culprits, so I am HOPING that its just that the mould smell permeated a lot of things, and not due to there still being mould hidden somewhere. Like I say, the survey said no damp, we can't SEE any damp or mould, the property is ventilated well (but wasn't heated enough over the winter due to my partner trying to save money).

If the smell doesn't go I am thinking we might have to get someone in to do some proper checks, but I don't know the best way to go about this. My partner is convinced there's no mould or damp anywhere and that the smell is just what remains from the mouldy items he brought into the house. I guess he could be right as the smell has improved, but it is taking so long to go away completely.

Next steps I am taking are neutradol spray and pots around the place, and zeolite crystals and possibly even activated carbon as well! I just don't want to be fighting a losing battle trying to make things smell nice if there is still a problem hiding somewhere we can't see, and I don't know where to turn for help, so if anyone can advise, I'd be very grateful.

*miaomiao*

Wow, that is some mould/mildew problem. I don't know all the answers that you are looking for, but I do know that a significant improvement with mould/mildew and its smell was obtained with our regular use of a dehumidifier. I'd try one or even two proper dehimidifiers (try box stores, diy, ebay, freecycle) and see if that improves things. It should improve the air quality, but definitely keep the windows open as much as you can and/or on vent but locked.

When we have had very bad mildew we used Dettol's Mould and Mildew Remover when we could not shift it otherwise, but it has potential environmental impacts if used incorrectly and you really need to ventilate.

BTW, are you sure you do not have blocked/leaking gutters? And you really will have to heat the place properly when it is cold or rains until this problem is sorted.

lauralulu

I should add that the garage is housed below the property, and all fabrics that were stored there went mouldy or smelt dank, despite the fact my partner said every time he checked it was dry in there. It still smells like a cellar down there. We also had a new radiator fitted in the bedroom, which is above the garage, there is a hole where the pipe comes up which is surrounded with insultation, I checked the insulation in the garage around the central heating pipes and there's no sign of mould on that, but I do wonder if bad smells could be coming from the garage through this hole/gap into the whole property?

I feel like I am playing a guessing game wondering what is causing this smell and where it is! Would love to get to the bottom of it and eliminate it as it gets me down having all my clothes and hair smell, me and my partner are both business people too so it doesn't bode well visiting clients and smelling of musty dankness!

Gloomendoom

I think I'd start by ventilating the garage.

BTW For fire reasons, there shouldn't be any gap between the garage and the room above.

Hintza

Have you checked for rot? Wet or dry?

*miaomiao*

Yes, industrial dehumidifier for the garage and get it finished (the interior finishing done) if it isn't already. One to ring the specialists for.

lauralulu

How do you check for rot? When my partner first moved there, we had all the walls plastered and painted. They were just wallpapered before. There was no sign of anything wrong with them then, although I do remember one wall (underneath the bedroom window, which incidentally has small amounts of mould growing around the seal) was easy to remove as it was crumbly.

We are soon to be having new windows fitted, as they are draughty and get a lot of condensation. We even had ice on the inside of the double glazed windows over the winter! I don't know if this will help or not as at least with them being draughty it makes for good ventilation! But it's always concerned me how there are tiny mould spots round the seal of the windows.

lauralulu

oh, and about dehumidifiers. The neighbours all have the same layout of houses and don't have any mould or damp problems and don't use dehumidifiers, so would this be a temporary thing to use to air the garage out? I am concerned about the costs of running it as my partner hasn't been working and is trying to save money so I think he would poo-poo this idea

*miaomiao*

Dehumidifiers are pretty cheap to run and certainly save money on heating when the air is not so damp. Hope this helps. Give searching the forum a go as there is quite a lot on dehumidifiers. : )

iamcornholio

The smell is not going and will not go, because you are actually smelling the mould - so there must be mould still present somewhere and still sporing.

You need to identify where there may be mould present -under timber floors, condensation forming on concrete floors under carpets behind furniture etc, and treat this as you wont ever mask it with air freshners

lauralulu

That's what I feared... which is why I wondered, would it be better to get in an 'expert' as surely they would find this hidden stinky mould more successfully than I can? I mean I could start ripping carpets back and stuff but I might be looking in the wrong place! Where do you start with something like that?!