Getting rid of smells

Lovelyjoolz

Hi all
Before I give in entirely and resort to expensive, artificial smelling plug-ins everywhere, can I pick your brains for old-style deodorising techniques please?

Somehow a damp coat got put away in the wardrobe of our oft-neglected 'junk room' and when I went in there the other day, the whole room smells "fusty". The room needs to be used in a few weeks for a guest so I'm trying to get rid of the smell.

The offending coat (now covered in grey mould:eek:) has been binned and the window thrown wide open every day. I've wiped the insides of the wardrobe down with Zoflora and dried it thoroughly. I also bought some dehumidifying sachets and hung them up inside the wardrobe to dry out any residual dampness. The other coats that were in the wardrobe have been washed so they now smell fresh (there wasn't any mould on them thankfully!). The mould was only on the coat, nowhere else but the room still has a fustiness about it.

Short of redecorating the entire room (the horror!) what can I do to get rid of the smell?

Please help

babyshoes

Have you tried a bowl of bicarb in the cupboard? You could also use a vinegar spray, especially in corners. It smells vinegary for a while, but that goes as it dries and takes smells with it.

fairtrade

Now I know this will sound mad.
If it is a carpeted room - sprinkle salt on the carpet, leave for a couple of hours, then vacuum.
The salt will absorb any moisture trapped in the carpet fibres and once vacuumed can be disposed of. It may not be the culprit in this instance, but a carpet often traps odours.

HappyMJ

If you have a fan put it on low and get the air circulating around a bit more....with the windows open....as well as above tips.

-taff

Open the window. A bowl of vinegar in the room will help, as will a freshly struck match.
Dab some perfume or lemon oil or aromatherapy oil in the light bulb and switch that on.

Lovelyjoolz

Thanks for the tips! I'll try them all and report back

MrsAtobe

If the tips above don't work, try cutting up half an onion and putting it in the room, and bin it once you can smell onion rather than fustiness. This also works if you've spilt milk in the car, or you've had a leak, or if you've been painting, so I can see it working in this instance.

HTH.