Stinky shoes, dirty laundry, pets, and last night's takeaway are some of the most common culprits, as well as poor air circulation. However, as long as you can get to the root of the problem and figure out why your house smells bad, then you can do something about it.
A weird smell in a house can come from numerous sources, including appliances, furniture, carpets, fabrics or issues like mold or mildew. Occasionally, odors may be caused by sewer gas, natural gas leaks or animals that have died between walls, in attics or under decks.
Stagnant air — Stagnant air traps airborne particles like dust, mold spores, and even tobacco smoke from your clothes. This is especially true on hot humid days. If you don't have proper ventilation in your room, the air holds on to these pollutants.
Common culprits to watch out for include mold and mildew, dust, dirty laundry, stains and spills, pet accidents and leftover food. Once you determine the source of the smell, dispose of it and clean the area as needed.
Your bedroom can also smell bad in the morning if you have spilt food or drink in the room. Forgotten food in containers left in your bedroom can also make your room smell bad in the morning. Rubbish, dust, mould, and mildew all have bacteria that can cause bad odours in your room too.
Deodorize your stinkiest rooms by placing a mixture of 3-parts water, 10 drops of citrus oil, and 1-part vodka in a decorative bowl. This is especially effective in rooms with strong foot or body odors like mudrooms and laundry rooms.
A smelly room isn't always because of dirty clothes or bed sheets. If you notice your child sneaks off with snacks or smuggles in sugary drinks, the smelly culprit could be food. Make sure to check under beds, behind desks, and in dark spaces like closets where food could get stuck and forgotten about.
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. Mold needs moisture to grow.
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. Earthy — like a dense forest, rotting wood, or the dirt underneath decaying leaves. Damp — like wet dog fur or a dank locker room.
Bad breath, body odors from sweating, and infrequent change of sheets, pillowcases, or rugs can all contribute to a stale scent in the morning. For those of you who live in apartments with small bedrooms and poor air ventilation, stagnant air is quite common.
If your home has a stale, musty scent, there could be a handful of explanations, including a plumbing leak, high humidity, poor airflow, dirty HVAC equipment, or soiled carpet.
Sweating during sleep is normal, even if you don't usually sweat while awake. Bacteria on the skin that generally remains undetectable with regular washing may begin to break down sweat overnight—resulting in an odor in the bedroom.
Our favorite deodorizer, bicarbonate of soda can be used to remove bad smells in any room, can also be used on furniture and upholstery, and is a great way to clean a mattress to remove unwanted odors. Once you have a neutral base, you can add candles and diffusers made with essential oils to make your home smell nice.
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.
While a musty smell in a home is more often than not a symptom of mold and mildew, sometimes a musty smell is the result of a lack of ventilation and a build up of dust and grime.
Is sleeping in a bedroom with mould bad for you? The short answer is YES. Even having a small amount of it in your bedroom is bad for your health. You might think that this sort of problem can wait a few days until the weekend, but that's a risk that isn't worth taking.
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.
Black mold can look menacing, but generally is benign. The primary symptoms that could occur would be from inhaling mold, including nasal stuffiness, nasal mucus drainage, cough, and occasionally shortness of breath or wheezing in the chest.
Black mold does not affect everyone in the same way, but those with an allergy or sensitivity to the spores may experience symptoms such as congestion, red eyes, respiratory problems, skin rashes and so on. In some cases, an infection may occur.
In some cases, mold in your home can make you sick, especially if you have allergies or asthma. Whether or not you're allergic to molds, mold exposure can irritate your eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs.
“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.
It's best to talk to your child's pediatrician to make sure there isn't something underlying going on. Some diseases and illnesses can cause a distinct smell, such as diabetes, kidney or liver disease, or hyperhidrosis, which is an issue that causes excessive sweating.
Most kid smells are caused by the buildup of bacteria and sweat. To keep those smells from compounding on themselves, you need to air out your child's bedroom regularly. Opening their bedroom door will help, but it will also drag those bad smells into the rest of your home.