In addition to visible attackers, your house is vulnerable when it comes to mold and mildew. They lead to unpleasant smell in your house, which might destroy your comfort completely inside.
However, it is not an easy task to eliminate mildew smell in house. Find out more about how to get rid of mildew smell right now, so that you can be comfortable in your cozy place.
Get Rid of Mildew Smell
Mildew smell, or you might refer it to musty odors, exists in various parts of your house. Sometimes, you even smell it in your clothes.
In general, it results from the concentration of mold and mildew, which emits foul gasses.
The ideal environment that enables mold and mildew to grow is dark and usually, lacks air circulation.
Following are some crucial tips on how to get rid of mildew smell in house. However, they are also very useful for removing mildew smells in other things, such as your towels or clothes.
You can try some of these methods to remove mildew smells in books, cars, carpets and so on.
Mildew Smell in House
1. Scrub
One of the most common and effective ways to get rid of mildew smell in any corner of your house is to scrub it. If you know how to scrub it well and use the right cleaning agent, the chance is that you will be successful right for the first time.
If you decide to make your cleaning scrub, you should prepare white vinegar (2 parts), boric acid (1 part), hydrogen peroxide (2 parts) and lastly, water (4 parts).
Follow this recommended ratio strictly, and you will have the best cleaning agent to scrub every area affected by mildew inside your house.
Remember that excess solution might worsen the problem because it raises the level of moisture. So, make sure that you mix everything on point.
2. Tea Tree Oil
The nasty smell will no longer disturb you if you try using tea tree oil for cleaning purposes. It has wonderful antibacterial as well as antifungal qualities that prevent any concentration of mold and mildew.
You need only one teaspoon to mix with water. This essential oil is quite strong, so make sure you use minimal amounts to avoid side effects.
Then, the mixture needs spraying in any place affected by mildew in your house. You have to do nothing next because the nasty smell will be gone on its own.
3. Vodka
Yes, you do not hear wrong! Vodka can become such a powerful eradicator regarding mildew smell removal. You do not need expensive vodka for this.
Choose a type that fits your budget and then, pours it into a spray bottle. Then, use it as a spray inside your house. 15 minutes after spraying, you start scrubbing this area with a toothbrush.
It is such a quick way to get rid of the mildew smell, even in the smallest corner of your house.
4. Bleach solution
Bleach solution is such a highly suggested method to help you get rid of the mildew smell, especially when it appears in your basement. It would quickly eliminate the bad odor, which makes you uncomfortable whenever you enter your basement.
You need to combine just half a cup of this solution with hot water (about a gallon). Then, spray the mixture over various places, including your basement, balcony or even laundry areas. These places have a high risk of the mildew smell.
Nevertheless, you have to avoid mixing bleach with other products as they might reduce the effectiveness of each other.
5. Shampoo & sunlight
Mildew smell in-house is not the only concern that you have to deal with. In many cases, mildew smell appears even in the most unexpected place, such as your car. And you never want to smell unpleasant inside your automobile.
To deal with it, you need to begin with taking out everything inside your car. They include your covers or mats, anything removable. Then, take all of them through a washing process with water and mild shampoo.
This not only removes nasty smell quickly but also kills the mildew and bacteria inside these things.
After washing, you need to put all of them under the direct sunlight. Thanks to the UV rays, the mildew cannot develop and cause bad smell anymore.
In case shampoo is not your favorite choice, it is also acceptable to think of car cleaners.
6. Temperature, ventilation and humidity control
Controlling these three factors plays an essential role in keeping your house free of the mildew smell. They have direct impacts on the development of mildew and mold; therefore, if you can control them well, the likelihood is that you do not have to worry much about mildew smell.
First, warm temperature provides mildew with an opportunity to grow. Therefore, you want your house to be as dry and clean as possible.
Secondly, humidity is necessary for mildew as well. They will grow even faster when the environment is humid. Therefore, you should have a proper dehumidifier, which allows you to control the humidity better.
Last but not least, ventilation is a vital factor. You need to have many windows inside your house. They will provide not only wind but also sunlight. All of these natural factors will limit the development of mildew.
Besides, you can use exhaust fan regularly to eliminate foul odor inside your room.
Overall, if you pay much attention to these three contributors, it is worth your attempt to get rid of mildew smell in the house.
Another concern that you might be seriously worried about is waterproof. If water can leak into your walls and floor, the organisms, like mildew and mold, will find their ideal environment to increase and cause terrible damage.
So, it is a good idea to turn your house waterproof with some high-quality paint.
Related: Gel Foam Mattress vs Memory Foam Mattress
How to Get Rid of Mildew Smell in Your Clothing
Many people had to sacrifice their favorite clothes and do nothing but throw them away because of the mildew smell. But you do not need such a waste. Mildew smell from your clothes can be easily treated if you know how to do it.
1. Check the washer
Believe or not, your washer is likely to be the most common source of mold and mildew. The risk of mildew growth is even higher if you have front-load washing machines. The reason is that the moisture is trapped throughout time.
How to deal with it? Simple! You need to add percarbonate solution into your detergent slot. Meanwhile, vinegar should be added in the slot for fabric softener.
Let your washer run on its sanitary cycle. Next, a little bit percarbonate solution can be tossed into the gasket.
Once the washer stops, you can use a dry towel to wipe it out. The door of your washer should be left open, which allows the air to circulate better.
2. Too much detergent is harmful
To add more detergent is a reasonable reaction when people notice mildew smells. They hope that it will eliminate the smells instantly. However, it can lead to the opposite results.
When you use excess detergent, it might not be washed out completely. As a consequence, it might be trapped with moisture on your clothes. This is an ideal environment for mildew to grow and cause worse smells.
The recommendation is to use an appropriate amount of detergent. If you notice mildew smell, you will have better reduce the amount. It not only saves your money but also saves your clothes from being ruined.
3. Heavy detergent
You are assuming that you are using strong detergent, but the truth is that many types are specially designed for washing dirty or smelly clothes only.
Thus, to cope with mildew smell in your clothes, you should switch to use detergents for construction workers or mechanics.
These detergents contain more powerful odor-fighting ingredients. Thus, your mildew smell will be eliminated quickly. Follow the directions on the label and do your washing regularly.
Likewise, you had better use it appropriately only. Do not overuse it at one time!
4. Air-out
Leaving your clothes outside is one of the easiest ways to get rid of the mildew smell. Once your clothes contact with fresh air, they will become free of mildew stench thanks to the constant breeze and natural scents.
You can try some other methods and then, combine them with air-out way.
5. Some vinegar might be useful
Vinegar is considered as a natural disinfectant and deodorizer at the same time. It is extremely efficient to wipe away mold and mildew smell. You can use it for various purposes, including treating smelly clothes.
All you need is to pour vinegar (about one cup) into the gasket. Then, the washer will do the rest to make your clothes smell good. You can add vinegar one more time in the rinse cycle. It will remove mildew stench completely.
6. Baking Soda
In addition to vinegar, baking soda is another popular natural cleaning solution. As a result, you can make use of it for cleaning and remove mildew smells on your clothes.
Before you wash the clothes, pour a little baking soda. If mildew smell is deep in your clothes, you can reapply this process many times to make sure that it is completely gone.
Then, get fabric softener to make your clothes dry. It will give you the final result of fresh and clean clothes.
7. Borax
Among natural mildew killers, borax is one of the most powerful. You should use it only when you want to deal with long mildew smells.
Combine half a cup of borax and hot water. Give it some time to dissolve completely. Then, pour this mixture into your washer. Your clothes will be free of unpleasant smell immediately.
8. Oxiclean
Last but not least, OxiClean might be a good investment if you wish to get rid of mildew smells in your clothes.
You should follow what is written on the product’s label and mix it with detergent in your washer. It can be used regularly to make your clothes smell good all the time. Besides, your clothes look new as well.
Tips to Avoid Mildew Smell
Mildew smell is an annoying problem, and nobody wants to smell it, no matter where they are. Thus, it is a good idea to learn how to prevent it before it happens to disturb you.
- The doors of your washing machine should be left open after you use it so that the inside can be dry naturally
- It is better to dry the clothes directly under the sun so that bacteria cannot develop on them
- Storage container should be selected carefully to keep books
- Once you notice mildew smell in mats, carpet or books, let them be exposed to the sunlight immediately
- If you notice the uncontrollable development of mildew, get help from professionals
- Scented candles and room sprayers are great options when it comes to necessary times
On the other hand, there are things that you had better not to do. It will reduce the risk of mildew smell in house significantly.
- Although the direct exposure to sunlight is good for removing mildew smells, you should not leave things there too long
- Bleach on books should be avoided, or your books will be damaged
- Chemical products are not recommended for treating fabrics and carpets. They have negative impacts by discoloring these items
- Never leave your wet clothes in cupboards. Otherwise, bacteria and mold will find their way to develop quickly
Conclusion
In general, it is not too challenging and expensive to remove mildew smell in the house. You can easily manage to keep it far away with my tips on how to get rid of mildew smell.
You must make this smell disappear as soon as possible because it not only destroys your comfort but also is a big catalyst for coming health problems.
If you are satisfied with these useful tips, do not hesitate to share the information with other people.
Reference
https://www.homeremedyhacks.com/38-home-remedies-remove-mildew-smell/
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Mildew-Smell-from-Clothing
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-mildew-smell/
