Tired of Old House Smell? Here’s How to Send the Stench Packing
A musty odor is caused by growths like mold and bacteria. Here’s how to get rid of old house smell and make your home feel fresh and inviting again.
Your house smells… old. There’s just no other way to describe the musty odor that lingers in the air no matter how many times you deep clean your home. So you wonder, how to get rid of old house smell for good?
Old house smell is real — and it’s a huge turn-off for homeowners and guests alike. Thankfully, there are several steps you can take to eliminate the odor. Stick with us, and we’ll teach you how to get rid of old house smell and prevent it from coming back.
Step one: Talk to an expert!
Selling your house soon? Connect with a top agent near you to get an expert opinion on how much your house will sell for, what to fix before listing, and the latest local housing market trends.
mVOCs are the number one culprit of old house smell
Enemy number one when fighting old house smell? Microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). When mold, bacteria, biofilm, and other biological growths decay, they emit mVOCs — the gases we identify as old house smell.
We associate the smell of mVOCs with older homes since older buildings are often more likely to have decaying biological growths. Older homes tend to be darker with less ventilation than modern buildings. Mold and other bacterial growths thrive in dark, damp areas and will begin to emit the old house smell once they begin to decay.
Many homes were built several decades ago, and if you live in one of these homes, there’s a good chance your property has decaying bacterial growth. Even if your home is newer, you may have decaying bacterial growth in damp areas like the crawl space, attic, and basement.
