Eliminating Musty Smells

When your home is damaged by water, the odors resulting from the damage can linger for days, weeks, and even months. The bad news is that it isn’t always as easy for homeowners to deal with the smells associated with a water intrusion or mold, if it develops as a result of the water loss. The good news is that Water Mold Fire Restoration, 800-905-0277, knows exactly how to eliminate these aggravating musty smells.

The odors of water damage can and will show up quickly, usually within 24 hours of the damage event. The type of water alone is not the only thing that influences strength of the odors, it is also determined by what got wet and how long those things have remained wet. If you were gone for a few days and return to a flooded house, the odor can be over-powering. Even water that was considered clean and drinkable, water from a broken water line in your home, will cause smells when it is mixed with carpets and things like personal items stored in cardboard boxes. Within 24-48 hours of a water loss, mold can begin to grow, bringing with it an even more musty smell.

Eliminate Smells By Eliminating Their Source

The number one rule for getting rid of odor, any odor, or offensive smell is to remove what is causing the odor. If the smell is coming from rotten food in your pantry or refrigerator, you must throw out that food before the smell goes away. In the case of a water damage, you must get rid of the water and dry out the affected areas.

Wet carpet can be a major source of foul odor when it is wet for any amount of time. Many people will say, “But I have my carpet professionally cleaned a couple times a year and I vacuum it on a regular basis. It was clean before the water affected it. How could it possibly smell that bad?” That may be true, but we like to give this as an example:

Get a clean washcloth and use it to soak up some of the water in your carpet. Then wring the washcloth out into a glass and drink the water. Most people stop right there and say no way! Why, because the water is not “clean” any more no matter how “clean” their carpet and home was before the water intrusion occurred.

Removing The Water

Many people will start the removal of the water on their own. If they don’t already own a wet vacuum, they will rush down to the local hardware store and buy one. Then they will use it to begin sucking up the water. They quickly come to the conclusion that this is overwhelming and that they are going to need some professional help. And here’s an example of why:

• Basement size = 1000 square feet
• The water is 1 inch deep in the basement
• 1000 sq. ft. x 1” of water (1 ÷ 12 = 0.083) = 83 cubic feet of water
• 83 cubic feet x 7.48 (gallons per cu. ft.) = 620.84 gallons of water
• 621 gal. ÷ 5 gal. (wet-vac capacity) = 125 trips to empty the wet-vac
• 5 gal of water x 8.35 lbs per gal = 41.75 lbs per 5-gal. trip
• 41.75 lbs x 125 trips (up the stairs maybe?) = 5,219 lbs of water to be carried out

Are you sure you wouldn’t want some professional help removing that water?

Structural Drying to Remove Odors

Then there’s the necessity drying. If you don’t dry things out quickly, mold could develop and odors will only get worse. And if mold starts growing it will cause even more bad smells.

Even a professional remediation company can’t remove 100% of the water using physical extraction alone. There is going to be a small amount of moisture remaining in the carpets and other affected items. That’s why Water Mold Fire Restoration uses our commercial-grade dehumidifiers and high-powered air movers (these air movers can blow around 3500 cubic feet of air per minute). Any water remaining after physical extraction must be evaporated utilizing these specialized pieces of equipment.

Depending on calculations concerning the sizes of the affected rooms, the layout of walls, and number of offsets and doors, among other things, our technicians will design a plan to evaporate any remaining moisture. We always inform our homeowners that the odors that you smell will probably seem to get worse as they begin to be eliminated. This is because our fans are moving the moisture out of your carpet and walls and into the air where, at first, the odors are more noticeable. Have faith, the smells will improve!

If you have dried out your carpet on your own, you may still notice a lingering odor. One thing you might want to try is using baking soda (Warning: Do Not Use Baking Soda on Wet Carpet). Liberally sprinkle the baking soda onto your dry carpet and let is set overnight. The next day you can vacuum the carpet and hopefully the smells will be gone.

Additional Odor Removal Tools

Besides just dehumidifiers and fans, Water Mold Fire Restoration can employ additional resources as may be needed. These resources may include:

• Antimicrobial cleaners
• Ozone generators
• Biocides
• Air scrubbers
• Deodorizers
• Thermal foggers

How We Can Help

If water or mold odors are affecting your home, you need to call Water Mold Fire Restoration at 800-905-0277 as soon as possible. Taking quick action is the key to stopping mold and minimizing the development of odors. Our nationally certified water damage and mold remediation specialists can handle any job, both small and large. We answer our phones 24/7 and we are able respond by having our team of specialists at your home in one hour or less. If you would rather contact us by email you can do so at help@watermoldfire.net. Our initial inspection and remediation estimate will cost you absolutely nothing.