Last Updated: February 26, 2024
There is nothing is less appealing than walking into a home with a strong unpleasant musty smell, especially in houses closed for a long time or located near water bodies. This musty odor is associated with an unpleasant smell of air sitting in a humid place for a long time. This smell often originates from wet bathrooms, decaying wood, or poorly ventilated basement.
There can be multiple factors causing this unpleasant odor that permeate the air and linger around from Pets, smoke, cooking, VOCs, water damage, and chemicals from carpets and furniture, but most of the time, the primary issue is mold and mildew growth.
Using a Dehumidifier for Water Damage
Water Damage Restoration Dehumidifiers
Mustiness is a sign of moisture or dampness—the more pungent the musty smell, the higher the moisture level, and inferior room air quality. A musty odor is also a calling card for the growth of mold and mildew. These ubiquitous fungi’ spores drift through the air until they find the damp, dark, and warm environment that allows them to grow and thrive—conditions common to poorly ventilated areas.
While most mold species found inside homes are not toxic, some people are allergic to these unwanted visitors. Prolonged exposure to mold and mildew may trigger respiratory problems, runny nose, headache, coughing or wheezing, itchy, watery eyes, and other health problems.
Musty smell, especially in the basement, from unfettered mold and mildew growth, also poses a danger to its structure. Mold and mildew feed on organic materials, including wood, many types of fabric, paper, and even some glues. Given enough time, these fungi can heavily stain ceilings, walls, floors, and may also damage wood studs’ carpets and eat away at the wallpaper. They could chew away at things you don’t want them to, such as your expensive rugs, carpets and linens, your precious furniture, and even your walls and floors.
Dehumidifiers with pump for basement
What Causes this Musty Smell
Moisture – It is the primary source of the musty odor. Mold and mildew thrive in warm, damp environments with higher humidity. Discovering the source of moisture is essential to remove the unpleasant musty sell. Factors that contribute to the foul stale stench:
Leaky faucets, drain pipes – Leaks are the primary source of moisture inside the house. Inspect your attic, kitchen, bathroom, and basement surrounded by different pipes. These areas usually have higher moisture levels. Check for leaks in the roof, pipes, plumbing system, and seepage in the basement. Examine exterior walls for signs of water damage. Many front load washers retain a little amount of water in the base. Over time, accumulated water grows bacteria, which causes a musty smell.
Poorly ventilated rooms – Popular spot includes the basement, garage, and storeroom, especially in newer city houses with smaller and fewer windows.
Dryer or heating system – After a hot steaming shower or indoor drying, excessive water will remain in the air, creating a high humidity environment. Bathrooms without efficient ventilation divert condensation and humidity to the outdoors, promoting mold and mildew growth on the ceiling, wall, ceiling, under or around the toilet, or shower.
Hidden mold growth – Sometimes, mold grows inside insulation wall, carpet, ceiling, or tiles and difficult to find until it becomes obvious
Weather and temperature – Outdoor climate can also cause some indoor moisture problems, such as heavy continuous rain, summertime, floods may lead to mold growth or where you live has a high humidity factor.
Condensation – Condensation on the interior glass, presence of fog or vapor on the glass are signs of extra humidity. This is primarily attributed to a humidifier that is larger than required and puts out too much moisture. Moisture build-up on windows may lead to mold growth and eventually rot wooden casings.
Another factor that can cause moisture build-up on windows is humidity present in the home’s construction materials, such as improper sealing of sheetrock walls or moisture present in cement.
Recurring Spring Water Run-Off Dampness: If spring groundwater dampness has become a recurring problem or you find white or greyish water level marks in the basement.
How to Prevent and Get Rid of Musty Smell
When the house starts to smell bad, identify the source of the musty stench. Locate and track which room has the most pungent odor.
You can use an air quality kit if required. If the scent is present all over the house, it might be caused by an air system issue. If it’s limited to a small area, it may be caused by a damp or a leak. Mold or mildew present in air systems is harmful as it gets circulated throughout the house, while leaks and dampness can impact the house’s structural integrity.
Ensure sufficient ventilation – Ventilation is crucial in getting rid of mold smell in houses and enclosed spaces and prevent mold and mildew growth. Proper ventilation can help remove the unpleasant damp odor by drying the air and replacing stale and smelly air with clean and fresh outdoor air. Ventilate the house as often as possible by opening windows or turning on the exhaust or ceiling fan and leave it running to improve airflow circulation. You can also keep the open cabinet, drawers, or wardrobe to let fresh air in and flush out all the bad smells.
Places with high humidity levels, such as the basement, garage, or bathroom, should have a window opened at all times to improve air circulation. Avoid cooking with windows closed to prevent increasing the air humidity and always ventilate after you shower or dry clothes indoors. You can also leave a baking soda container, dehumidifier crystals, or cat litter to suck the atmosphere’s excess moisture.
Let the sunshine in – sunlight comprises of UV light that is an excellent natural disinfectant. Many studies had shown fungus and bacteria would be killed or inactive when they are exposed to enough sunlight. Opening windows will bring UV light inside the house to eliminate germs, mold, and mildew.
Use natural air freshener – Natural air fresheners such as zeolite, charcoal, and citrus peels can absorb impurities and foul odors. However, these air fresheners are not very effective and will not remove settled mold or mildew.
Fix leaky pipes – Leaky pipes are habitual of mold infestation. If you notice a strong, musty odor underneath the basin, look for dripping pipes or mold patches and fix them. If the smell persists, a clogged pipe might be the reason, and unclogging them can flush down the impure water.
Protect your wall – Wall, particleboard, and wood are porous materials and are prone to mold and mildew infestation. Spray your wall with mold prevention spray from spreading inside. If fungus is already growing in the wall, it can be wiped with a mixture of water and baking soda/ vinegar. If the musty smell still lingers, then the fungus growth may be inside the wall. Hiring the specialist will help in eradicating the issue. However, removing the odor through artificial measures will only stop the problem temporarily. Mold and mildew spores can compound quickly, sometimes in as little as 24 hours in conducive environments; hence it is essential to find a permanent solution.
Get a standalone dehumidifier – It will help reduce humidity to an ideal level. Without the high moisture environment, there will be less mold, mildew in the air.
How Dehumidifier Helps in Removing Musty Smells
High humidity in the home makes it the ideal breeding ground for mold to grow. When the air becomes moist, mold spores start to develop and proliferate, and the air begins to smell bad due to the fungi.
Mold and mildew thrive in humidity levels above 60%, and as per experts, the ideal humidity level in the house should be between 30-50%. A dehumidifier is an excellent tool for monitoring and maintaining indoor humidity. Dehumidifiers draw in warm, moist air condensing it and replacing it with fresh air. The dehumidifier helps eliminate mold, mildew, and dust mites that can trigger allergies, aggravate asthma, and filter the air and retain odor particles.
Dehumidifiers are available for the whole house, and even specific units, such as a basement or a bathroom, can handle a particular area.
A compressor dehumidifier is suitable for basements. It draws the moist air and passes it over chilled coils, causing the moisture to condense into a storage tank.
A dehumidifier will effectively remove the moisture from home and restore proper indoor levels. When there is less airborne fungus spreading, the air quality will improve, and the mustiness smell will slowly go away. You will also breathe much more comfortably and have fewer allergies to deal with.
Dehumidifiers that can help your room get rid of musty smell
1. Honeywell TP70WKN 70 Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier
The Honeywell TP70WKN is a powerful dehumidifier capable of removing 70 pints of moisture per day (50 Pint 2019 DOE Standard), protecting your home from allergy and odor-causing mold & mildew. The dehumidifier is ideal for large basements, living rooms, cellars & storage rooms. The compact unit is ENERGY STAR qualified means it removes moisture with less energy than conventional dehumidifiers, saving money.
The Honeywell TP70WKN comes with a durable air filter that helps reduce dust and is easily washable. The device features a clean filter alert that enables you to maintain a filter for optimal operation. It is also equipped with a detachable water tank with a comfort-grip handle and patent-pending anti-spill tank guards, making it easier to drain. It can also be connected to a drain tube for automatic continuous drainage.
The Honeywell TP70WKN comes with a smart digital humidistat control that automatically activates dehumidification based on pre-set room conditions. It also includes an energy-saving timer, sleep mode, low-temperature operation, and auto-restart. The device comes with smooth-gliding wheels making it convenient to place around any moisture-ridden room.
The Honeywell TP70WKN is backed by a 5-Year manufacturer’s warranty, and also comes with a washable air filter that helps catch unwanted dust from the air. The continuous drain option increases flexibility by allowing you to continuously drain the condensate water for long unattended operation.
Pros
- Front humidity display
- Included gravity drain hose is another welcome bonus
- High performing but energy efficient
- Highly accurate built-in hygrometer
- Long manufacture warranty
Cons
- Louder compressor buzzing noise
- Dated design
- Average Capacity bucket size
- No built-in pump
Why Buy this: The Honeywell TP70WKN is a powerful and efficient dehumidifier that will come handy to keep the house clean of mold and mildew and odor-free.
2. Kesnos PD253D 70-pint dehumidifier for Spaces up to 4500 Sq. Ft
The KESNOS PD253D dehumidifier comes with a powerful compressor and 112 CFM system. It can remove up to 70 pints (50 Pint per DOE 2019) of moisture per 24 hours. This dehumidifier is capable of dehumidifying areas up to 4,500 Sq. Ft. and is ideal for home, basements, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living room, laundry room, cellars, crawlspace.
The sleek and modern looking Kesnos PD253D comes equipped with 360° easy-roll hidden wheels and ergonomically recessed handles to move around seamlessly. The dehumidifier comes with laundry-drying settings, which helps your dry clothes naturally.
The KESNOS PD253D comes with two drainage options. It includes 6.56 feet drain hose to continuously auto-drain the machine without emptying the water bucket and manual drain with a 1.18-gallon water tank and also comes with a bucket full indicator that alerts when the bucket is full.
The Kesnos PD253D comes with a digital display that is easy to operate and displays an accurate humidity level. The device comes with Humidity Auto Control that smartly senses room humidity and a 24-hour timer that allows you to set the machine for a specific time and automatic Shut off/on; it shuts off automatically when the bucket is full and restarts again after the bucket is drained.
Auto Drain: The dehumidifier has a drain hose outlet where you can attach the 6.56 ft hose use for continuously draining. When the 1.18 gallons / 4.5 L water tank is full, the “Full Tank” indicator will light up, the dehumidifier will automatically switch off and will start to turn on automatically when the tank is emptied and placed back on the unit.
The auto defrost function keeps the machine from freezing and provides continuous operation even at 41°F. Auto Error-Detection: Code indicator to show you when and why the machine stops working and how to deal with it. The device comes with a child-lock setting that allows you to lock the control panel, preventing someone from changing the settings by pressing the “LOCK” button for 2 seconds to lock the dehumidifier.
User-Friendly Design: Full Tank Alert and auto shut off; Safety standby mode prevents overheating; Internal components are made of thermally resistant materials.
The Kesnos PD253D comes with a 30-days money-back guarantee, a one-year warranty, and a second-year warranty extension if the product is registered and lifetime expert tech support. The manufacture recommends occasional cleaning for the dehumidifier. Wipe down the water tank about every two weeks and wash the air filter once a month using a soft cloth and water.
Pros
- Well packaged and easy to set-up
- Easy to operate
- Energy Star certified
Cons
- The Control Panel is not tactile
- Some consumers found the dehumidification capacity to be on the lower side
Why Buy: The sleekly designed Kesnos PD253D comes loaded with features. The energy star certified dehumidifier effective dehumidification in a seamless manner.
For extensive list, check out the Best Dehumidifiers for Mold Prevention
Tips- Features to consider while Buying a Dehumidifier for musty smell issue
Humidistat – A humidistat monitors and adjusts the humidity level automatically.
Continuous drainage – This feature enables continuous drainage, which can help flooded basement or high humidity areas.
Auto Defrost – This function automatically shuts down the compressor when it detects frost build-up while the fan continues to melt the ice. The dehumidifier unit resumes operation once the ice melts.
Portability – A dehumidifier equipped with caster wheels can be easily moved around the house as per requirement. Some models are also equipped with handles for improved portability.
Automatic Restart – This feature comes handy in case of a power outage, as it automatically starts the dehumidifier. It comes handy when you need around the clock dehumidification.
Advanced Air Filtration – Advanced air filters can capture fine particles and debris and protect sensitive compressors from damage.
Noise level – It would be best to read the dehumidifier’s decibel level specs and test before making a purchase, as devices above 50 dB can become disruptive to sleep.
Warranty – Warranty is essential in case the dehumidifier breaks down or a faulty piece is shipped.
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