“One of the best methods to tell if your home stinks is to leave it. Go away for a day or two, or even a week,” says Bryan Stoddard, handyman and interior designer. “Close all windows and doors, shut the blinds, and seal the place up air-tight.
Musty and Dusty
A musty or dusty smell is often a sign of mold or mildew, especially in humid or moisture-prone environments like the basement, laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom. Mold and mildew can create severe respiratory problems and can exacerbate allergies and asthma in sensitive individuals.
If it is outdoors, or if the windows are open, then the smell is stronger near the source. Moving your nose from place to place is a way to determine the gradient of concentration of smelly molecules. Follow the direction of the gradient to locate the source.
Common culprits to watch out for include mold and mildew, dust, dirty laundry, stains and spills, pet accidents and leftover food.
It's called olfactory adaptation. Olfactory adaptation, alternatively known as olfactory fatigue and nose blindness, is just a temporary inability to identify certain smells after prolonged exposure to it.
The first field olfactometer, called scentometer, is a hand-held device that allows one to evaluate odours on site. A field olfactometer creates a series of dilutions by mixing the odorous ambient air with odour-free (carbon-filtered) air.
It's often described as musty and earthy, and may even smell like rotting vegetables or plants. You might notice a musty smell, but not be able to see any mold growing. In this case, you should look for areas that might be exposed to water.
Generally, odor sensors are designed to detect some specific odor in an electrical appliance such as an air purifier or a breathylzer. Each of the odor sensors, such as MOS or QCM sensors, has characteristics that respond to different odors.
Apparently there is something called “Occupant Odor.” These odors come from the detergents you use, cooking smells, cleaning supplies, and room fresheners. These scents then occupy spaces like curtains, carpets, cushions and pillows. Combined together, the meshing of these scents creates your distinct home smell.
Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but I wanted to let you know that there is an unusually strong odor that has been bothering my nose. It is always charitable to at least let the owner or host of the house know such a thing for the sake of other's and their own. Anything that smells bad is usually not good.
It's most common smelled in either places where mold spores can colonize undisturbed like basements and closets, or in places where there is plenty of moisture like bathrooms. If your home or clothing smells musty, chances are you have mold or mildew hiding out.
Even Martha Stewart's abode has a distinctive odor. But not one of you could pick your own home's aroma out of a scent lineup. We adapt to smells very quickly. Within the space of just a few breaths, we can lose our ability to detect new odors.
Most people describe the smell of mold as musty, stale, and earthy — somewhat similar the odor of wet socks or decaying wood. Although mold smells can vary, here are some of the most common characteristics: Musty and Stale — like old socks or a stuffy attic that hasn't been aired out in months.
Mold will smell musty and stale. But if the mold has been growing in your home for a long time, the smell will be stronger like how sweaty socks or rotten meat smell.
Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions.
A moldy odor suggests that mold is growing in the building and should be investigated. The health effects of inhaling mVOCs are largely unknown, although exposure to mVOCs has been linked to symptoms such as headaches, nasal irritation, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea.
Exposure to odors could result in health effects ranging from none, to mild discomfort, to more serious symptoms. Some chemicals with strong odors may cause eye, nose, throat or lung irritation. Strong odors may cause some people to feel a burning sensation that leads to coughing, wheezing or other breathing problems.
call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
Mold and mildew
The most common cause of a sudden musty smell in a house, especially in winter, is the development of mold and mildew, often caused by humid conditions and condensation. A musty smell, accompanied by dark discoloration on walls, furnishings, ceilings, or carpets can be the first sign of spores.
A bedroom can smell in the morning as a result of body odour, dust, moisture in the room, dirty bedding and a messy room. Poor air circulation at night makes unpleasant odours linger until morning. These smells can be avoided by regularly cleaning the bedroom and making sure to air it out every day.
If the smell is particularly strong, don't stay in the house; instead, treat the situation like an emergency (which it is) and leave the home. Call 911 from a safe distance for emergency services, then let trained professionals handle the issue.
Air purifiers work by filtering and removing particles that may cause bad smells. However, the EPA states that no air cleaner or filter will be able to eliminate all the particles that can cause foul odors.