How to remove the unpleasant smell of mold? Unpleasant smell in the apartment: causes and simple ways to combat it

The main reason for increased dampness in a living space is excess humidity, when it exceeds the normal level - 60%. This provides the basis for the formation of a suitable environment in which moldy fungi thrive. Excess humidity in an apartment is easy to determine - it condenses in the morning on window glass, things in the closet become damp, and dampness begins to be felt in the air. If you take timely measures to dry things and premises, you can prevent the spread of fungal mold. Also, a room temperature above 20 degrees is suitable for fungus; this allows spores to multiply faster, creating significant pockets of mold.

High humidity is one of the main causes of mold.

Before you begin to eliminate the unpleasant damp smell, it is necessary to carry out a set of procedures to identify mold and destroy it. Once the source of the dampness has been identified, the smell can be removed using simple methods. Where can moldy fungi come from if the atmosphere in the house has been good for many years? This can happen due to various factors - both due to the fault of the owners, and due to completely extraneous influence.

Some causes of mold:

when installing walls and foundations, the waterproofing was not done well enough, and the roof leaks and the basement is flooded;
V multi-storey building a fairly common occurrence is when an apartment is flooded by neighbors on the floor above;
disruption of the water or heat supply pipe system, breakthrough or leakage;
improperly planned heating system;
dampness can spread from bathrooms and kitchen areas to all other rooms;
After washing, things are often dried in the house. If possible, this should be done on the balcony, but if this is not an option, it is necessary to ventilate the rooms well afterwards;
sometimes the culprit of dampness can be a large number of indoor flowers, which, when watered abundantly, create excess humidity;
accidentally forgotten wet or damp items, such as rags after spring cleaning, can also cause increased humidity.

Besides that appearance surfaces and things affected by mold cause discomfort, this type of fungus is very difficult to remove. Sometimes dealing with it becomes an exhausting long-term process. In addition to the aroma of dampness in the air, things gradually become moldy and become unusable. But besides aesthetic aspects, there are also health-related danger factors.

It is necessary to combat mold; it not only spoils the aesthetic appearance, but is also harmful to health.

It has been noticed that most often mold affects surfaces that contain carbon substances - these are fabric, paper, wood, leather and building materials. mineral based. The growth rate of the fungus sometimes reaches fantastic values - under favorable conditions (ratio of humidity and temperature), the mass of the fungus can increase almost 10 times per day. Due to the fact that there is not one, but about 20 types of mold fungi that settle in residential buildings, sometimes it’s difficult to choose exactly the way to deal with each of them that will actually be effective.

The fungus has active enzymes, the action of which is aimed at the gradual decomposition of any organic substances. Once on any surface, the fungus begins to gradually destroy it. As a result of its activity, harmful chemical substances, hazardous to human health. When fungal spores enter the body, with the help of enzymes, they disrupt metabolic processes, destroy the protective system of cells and open access to harmful microorganisms - viruses, bacteria. In addition, the most dangerous effect of mold is its ability to disrupt the genetic structure of DNA, which contains hereditary information.

Large colonies of mold produce toxic substances in such quantities that their accumulation in the body can even lead to the development of cancer. Once in the liver, toxins are usually processed by the body, but their excess gradually leads to slow poisoning. When you inhale air in which spores are floating, they begin to accumulate in the bronchi and lungs, causing respiratory diseases.

Mold negatively affects human health

Mold spores cause many diseases:

allergies (rhinitis, asthma);
dermatosis;
cough;
tonsillitis;
toxic poisoning of the body;
mycosis (candidiasis, aspergillosis);
colds (due to reduced immunity);
increased exposure to viruses and pathological bacteria;
malignant tumors, leukemia (carcinogenic effect);
headaches and dizziness.

Almost every home has a bathroom, kitchen and flower pots with indoor flowers. What unites these three places is that almost ideal conditions for fungus. These are the places you should pay attention to first.

The greatest likelihood of mold is in the bathroom, where it is always warm, high humidity and poor ventilation. The fungus affects the seams between the tiles, the tiles themselves, the sink, washcloths and seams near the bathtub.
In the kitchen you can see mold on cutting boards, wooden knife handles, bread bin, refrigerator and other places. The danger is that in the kitchen there is a high probability that fungal spores will enter the digestive tract along with food.
Surprisingly, the presence of indoor flowers in the apartment significantly increases the risk of mold. When watering plants, an excess amount of moisture can form, which, together with a suitable temperature, leads to increased growth of the fungus.

How to remove the smell of dampness in the house

By ensuring the area is thoroughly dried out while eliminating the underlying cause of mold in the home, in some cases the odor may go away on its own over time. However, more often the use of special means to reduce humidity is required. For example, you can find portable room dehumidifiers on the market that effectively reduce excess humidity. A good home remedy is a wide container filled with a thin layer of salt, which perfectly absorbs moisture in the room.

How to get rid of the smell of mold in an apartment with large affected areas? You can use professional products such as Antifungal or Antimold. Whitening, alcohol or ordinary vinegar also have a good effect. By wiping contaminated surfaces with these liquids, you can achieve a good effect. When the fungus has already reached the ceiling and upper sections of the walls, the only solution to the problem is good repair. In this case, you cannot do without peeling off the wallpaper and removing the plaster, otherwise mold will appear again and again.

At the same time, you need to check for mold under the linoleum, wallpaper or carpet. You should also take care to dry clothes, shoes, upholstered furniture and carpets on the balcony, or even better outside in direct sunlight. Those surfaces that can be treated are wiped with vinegar - it does an excellent job of removing musty and unpleasant odor. Upholstered furniture needs to be treated especially carefully, as it can absorb odors and retain fungal spores inside for a long time. For deep cleaning disinfectant solutions are used and detergents.

What to do if the carpet is damaged? The best solution There will, of course, be washing - in a dry cleaner or on your own. It will be much cheaper to do it yourself. You can usually find it in household chemical stores good remedy, designed for cleaning carpet or rugs. Following the instructions, you need to dilute the liquid in the required ratio and make a thick foam. After treatment, just let the carpet dry thoroughly and the unpleasant smell will go away forever.

You can clean the carpet at a dry cleaner or on your own.

What can you do in the bathroom

The most common target for fungal growth in the bathroom is the seams between tiles. This often happens due to poor exhaust hood. What you can do:

do minor repairs and install a new exhaust system;
spare no expense in purchasing a powerful exhaust fan;
take care of the towel dryer;
Ventilate the bathroom frequently.

If there are affected areas, they can be treated with a solution containing bleach. It copes well with mold, which is why it is added to many antifungal products. A steam cleaner, which is usually used to clean various household surfaces, also has an excellent effect. In the same way, you can use this device for tiles, walls, seams and joints in the bathroom.

If the one in the bathroom is unpleasant, you can use citric acid. You only need to take 100 grams of it and add it to the compartment for washing powder. The acid will remove deposits that have formed on the elements of the machine and eliminate the cause musty smell.

The bathroom is one of the first to be affected by mold.

If mold has entered the closet

The first step is to get all the things, even those that, at first glance, are untouched by the fungus. Clothes made from lightweight fabrics can be dried in the sun for a few hours, but heavy outerwear may require several days in the open sun. Only completely dry items can be put back into the closet.

The cabinet itself is treated with a solution of water and vinegar, or diluted bleach. Furniture should be dried with the doors open to provide access. clean air. To make your laundry usable again, you can iron it through a damp cloth with a hot iron. The action of steam kills fungal spores and eliminates unpleasant odors. Delicate items can be dry cleaned for professional treatment.

If unpleasant the smell is coming from the basement

With increased dampness in basement it will take a lot of effort and patience, as this requires big job. And this can be the elimination of the main cause, since you can only get rid of the smell of dampness in the house by starting from the basement. First of all, the pipes are checked, and if they leak or break, they need to be replaced. It is also important to waterproof the walls and ceiling in your basement. For these purposes, special liquids are produced that protect against moisture penetration.

The result of the impact of fumes from the basement on the first floor apartment

You can ask for help from special repair organizations or do this work yourself. At self-repair In the basement, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the recommendations and instructions so that the putty and plaster are done efficiently and reliably. When everything is ready, you can periodically use a dehumidifier in the basement, which will rid the basement of excess humidity.

Preventive measures

To prevent reappearance moldy fungus in the house, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate when wet cleaning the apartment. By wiping dust from surfaces in the house, you can not only protect them from mold, but also refresh the smell.

You can put linen bags with coffee beans inside cabinets or chests of drawers.

When cleaning a room with high humidity, you can periodically leave salt in it, which also not only absorbs moisture, but also contributes to the aroma of freshness in the house. If you have any essential oils, you can use a few drops to create a wonderful scent for your apartment. Oils with coriander, citrus or mint scents will be especially pleasant.

Dampness in the house is the best environment for the spread of fungi and mold, which are very dangerous to health. Not only can mold cause severe allergies or much more serious problems, but the apartment also begins to smell very unpleasant. How to get rid of mold smell in safe and effective ways?

How to deal with mold?

Perhaps the fungus appeared due to poorly dried building materials or roof leaks. In any case, to get rid of the smell of mold, you must first remove it. If the cause of dampness is in the house, you need to do the following:

Dry the room by opening the windows for several hours.
Remove the fungus with a scraper.
Apply anti-mold agent to the cleaned area.
If possible, eliminate all causes of dampness in the room.

Anti-mold products

You can fight fungus in the house with the help of antiseptics. These are chemical solutions that are made on the basis of white spirit or creosote. They also contain antifungal components and antibacterial substances.

Antiseptics should be applied only to a well-cleaned and dried surface. After treatment, it is necessary to dry the room thoroughly. Home improvement stores also sell antiseptic primer, which is great for removing household mold and black stains afterwards.

Folk remedies against mold

Meanwhile, along with specialized household chemicals against mold, there are also traditional methods how to eliminate the smell of fungus and black spots after removing mold.

The first thing you can try is to treat the surfaces with bleach, which contains chlorine. Usually housewives use ordinary Whiteness. Chlorine destroys spores and deeply cleans surfaces. But the disadvantage of this method is that the bleach can leave yellowish stains on the ceiling or wall. After drying, you will have to carry out cosmetic repairs.

Expert opinion

Lyubov Korshunova

Experienced housewife.

Ask a question to an expert

We must not forget about precautions, since chlorine emits toxic fumes. You should wear gloves and a respirator when working.

An indispensable assistant Every housewife knows how to remove mold - ammonia. Alcohol is diluted half and half with water and the solution is sprayed over the affected area. After 2 hours, wipe the treated surface with a cloth and dry.

When the moldy area is cleaned, it is necessary to spray it with table vinegar. After a couple of hours, you will need to wipe the surface with a rag or brush and dry. Using this method, it is necessary to re-treat after 10 days.

IN pure form Hydrogen peroxide is also used to treat mold stains. Peroxide is applied to the affected areas with a sponge. After a couple of hours, the peroxide will need to be washed off with water, dried the surface, and then wiped with a dry cloth. When using peroxide to remove fungus, you need to be prepared for the material to change color. The surface may need to be re-whitened or repainted.

To remove very old traces of peroxide, many people use ordinary baking soda. Requires 200 ml hot water dissolve 1 tbsp. l. soda The affected areas are wiped with a sponge soaked in the solution. After an hour, wipe the surface with a damp cloth and dry it. To prevent mold from occurring again, the surface can be coated again with soda solution.

Damp smell from upholstered furniture

If you get rid of mold on the walls and ceiling, the damp smell in the room will disappear. But it happens that upholstered furniture begins to smell bad in a damp room. What to do in this case?

It is very difficult to remove a heavy smell from upholstered furniture, because a thick layer of foam rubber and fabric is difficult to dry thoroughly. The best way- This is to take such damp furniture outside and leave it in the sun for at least a few hours. But if this is not possible, then next to the sofa or mattress you should put heating device and turn it on at full power. Another radical way is to replace the upholstery and foam rubber.

Damp smell from closet

It happens that a damp smell begins to emanate from clothes in the closet. In this case, you should wash the cabinet and dry it well, leaving the doors open and the windows in the room open. It is advisable to stock up on special bags against dampness, which are sold in hardware stores. You can put a couple of cups of salt on different shelves in the closet so that it absorbs the dampness.

Activated carbon gives good results against dampness in cabinets and chests of drawers. You can crush a package of coal and mix it with table salt; this mixture is placed in cups in a closet or chest of drawers.

All clothes and shoes, as well as textiles that will need to be washed and dried thoroughly in the closet. When the closet is dry, all things are ironed and hung back. Shoes should be treated with deodorant.

Mold on wooden objects

High humidity affects not only furniture or clothes - wooden items may also get hurt. Mold penetrates deeply into the porous structure of natural wood, and sometimes it can be very difficult to remove.

The first thing you need to do to get rid of fungi on natural wood- this is to treat the surface with pure ammonia. A cloth is soaked in alcohol and all elements are wiped with it.

You can also remove mold from porous wood with steam. All moldy areas are treated with a steam generator, and then the items are wiped well with a cloth and dried thoroughly.

Mold is not only unsightly, but also dangerous to your health. It is not enough to simply fight the damp smell; you need to find its source.

The disgusting smell of dampness in an apartment is not only unpleasant for its inhabitants, but often causes irritation. To answer the question of how to get rid of the smell of dampness in an apartment, you need to understand why the living space became damp.

If the apartment is located on the lower floors of a residential building, then the cause may be permanently damp basements in which the heating and water supply pipes have not been replaced for a long time. Through the floor slabs, steam and moisture pass into the residential area, and there it settles on all kinds of interior items and walls.

The last floors of a residential building are also susceptible to dampness in the apartment. The reason for this is leaking roofs, due to which precipitation (snow, rain) flows not through the drain pipe, but directly into the apartment.

Important! The cause of dampness may be neighbors who live on the floor above.

In summer you can dry furniture without special labor, but in winter, excessive dampness leads to very disastrous consequences.

Poor ventilation in living spaces also leads to dampness.

The last floors of a residential building are susceptible to dampness in the apartment

Removing the smell of dampness consists of several stages.

Replace old pipes in the basement of the house.
Cover the roof.
Sewing the distance between the floor slabs with construction foam will not only make the apartment completely dry, but will also provide warmth during the cold season.
Agree with residents who live on higher floors to replace all pipes and risers to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Check all ventilation in the apartment, if necessary, clean all passages or replace old equipment with new ones.

Fresh air

When the issue of eliminating the cause has been resolved, you can begin to get rid of the unpleasant smell of dampness. This smell easily takes root not only in walls, but also in cabinets, clothes and furniture. The fight against this disease will not be easy, but it is quite doable. First, you need to ventilate your living space as often as possible.

Getting rid of damp smell from living rooms

Attention! Because of higher level humidity in the living room, mold appears in the corners, on the walls, under the wallpaper, which instantly spreads throughout the entire living area.

Bleach. It helps destroy almost any type of mold and also leaves the surface clean.
Ammonia. Capable of destroying any type of mold from glass coverings (windows, countertops).
Baking soda.
Hydrogen peroxide.
Vinegar.

Hydrogen peroxide will help get rid of dampness in the apartment

All of the above products are absolutely harmless.

Experts in this field also recommend purchasing and installing dehumidifiers in rooms, as well as an automatic air freshener. Aroma lamps with essential oils of lemon, orange and other citrus fruits also have a beneficial effect on eliminating the smell of dampness in the apartment.

Getting rid of damp smell in cabinets

Wood and materials such as chipboard perfectly absorb moisture and various aromas. Therefore, in order to rid cabinets, bedside tables, and chests of drawers of unwanted odors, you should do the following:

completely rid the shelves of contents;
carefully inspect all surfaces of interior items for the presence mold fungus, if available, then treat with the above means (except for ammonia, which is not suitable for wood);
thoroughly dry the entire cabinet;
place ready-made furniture scents or special bags with fragrant herbs in a dried cabinet; lavender is most often used, which also helps kill moths.

It is necessary to carefully inspect all surfaces of interior items for the presence of mold.

Getting rid of the smell of dampness in upholstered furniture

Eliminating the smell of dampness from upholstered furniture is problematic, because under the upholstery of sofas and armchairs there is a soft base that takes a long time to dry and continues to emit unpleasant odors. Ideal option The solution would be to take the upholstered furniture outside for a few days. The furniture will dry well under the influence of wind and sun. If this is not possible, then you can use another method.

Do wet cleaning regularly using detergents. They not only disinfect, but also distribute pleasant aroma. In the bathroom, toilet, or kitchen, to get rid of excess moisture, place a glass of coarse salt and place activated carbon tablets in inconspicuous places.

Hang bags filled with ground or whole coffee beans, flavored tea, citrus peels, vanilla, cinnamon, etc. in the cabinets.

Even if you create a salon-like atmosphere in the room and everything is chosen with taste, but there is some unpleasant smell in the air, for example, cat urine, your home will make a bad impression on guests. The aroma will be absorbed by curtains and upholstered furniture. It will saturate your clothes. Your hair will smell bad, and how to get rid of the unpleasant smell in the apartment?

The longer you have an unpleasant smell in your room, for example, cat urine, mold, the more difficult it is to remove it. Some wash all things, process household chemicals furniture. Nothing helps get rid of a specific aroma? Do major renovation. At a minimum, it needs to be changed.

Residents of an apartment where there is an unpleasant smell of cat urine or mold may not notice it themselves over time. It is obvious to others. As soon as you notice that your home smells unpleasant, immediately take measures to eliminate it using different means.

In each area of the apartment, the reasons for the unpleasant odor are slightly different. Let's consider what means you can use to improve the air, get rid of old odors, cat urine, etc.

In this area of the house, various smells often float around when we fry or steam something.

The smell of food permeates the curtains. Unfortunately, withdraw completely unpleasant aromas difficult.

If you don’t have a hood yet, install one immediately. Turn it on every time you cook something.

Ventilate the kitchen after each preparation. And just in the morning or evening it won’t hurt to ventilate the room. Especially if you will be heating something up overnight.

And if you didn’t fry anything, but the smell is as if you were cooking something delicious, then the curtains retained the smell of yesterday’s lunch or dinner. Wash them. When cooking on the stove, move them to the side so that the fabric absorbs less of these aromas.

Ventilate the kitchen. Now move the curtains back, covering the entire window.

Bathroom

Do you want a bad smell like cat urine to go away from your bathroom? Place a container with natural rock salt there. It will absorb moisture.

After all, in humid environment Microbes and viruses reproduce well. If it does, it gives off an unpleasant odor.

Activated carbon (40 pcs.) perfectly absorbs bad odors, for example, cat urine. Place it on shelves, in other inconspicuous places. Let it absorb odors. Change monthly.

Every week you can wipe the walls with a mixture of water and soda. Drop 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil there.

The smell of tobacco will very quickly be absorbed into the curtains, upholstery of your furniture, if any, carpets, etc. Do you think that your spouse or other family member will smoke, and then you will simply wipe the room and the smell will disappear?

You are wrong. You will soon see this at own experience. There are good folk methods.

When will you add 2-3 drops ammonia into the water.
In various places around the room you can lay out 2-4 or more wet towels.
If you want to remove tobacco aroma from upholstered furniture, buy special remedy , dilute it with water and apply it to the furniture with a brush.
Do you have guests who smoke? Light a candle on the table in the room with your favorite scent. It will absorb the smell of smoke in the house, and it will not disperse.
If someone smokes in the kitchen, keep the peel from oranges or tangerines, grapefruits. You can bring water to a boil in a saucepan, throw the peel into it, and the aroma that comes out will hide the smell of smoke.
Burnt coffee beans perfectly masks the smell of smoke. You can walk around the rooms with this smoking incense.
In the chest of drawers, in the cabinets lay out canvas bags. Add dry lemon + orange peels, coffee beans, a little cinnamon (or a stick), vanilla (without sugar) to them. A couple of drops will enhance the aroma of this collection at home. essential oil. Citrus or bergamot or another oil will do.
Black tea bags perfectly absorbs odors in the room. They need to be hung near doors and windows, on a chandelier. At the same time, ventilate the room for 15 to 20 minutes.
Do you want your clothes to not smell like tobacco at home? Turn it inside out, lay it out flat, for example, on a table, and place it on top wet towels, and they will absorb the smell of tobacco. When dry, your clothes will smell normal. Of course, you can wash your clothes, dry them on the balcony and put on fresh ones.
If set it on fire in the ashtray, put bay leaves on a plate and walk around the room with this smoking mixture, this smell will overcome the tobacco smell. But not everyone likes the aroma of bay leaves.

Buy home fragrances in a store or market. They are sold in the form of aerosols, aromatic balls and in solid form. Validity ranges from 1-2 hours to 1-2 days.

Choose the aroma to suit your taste. The main thing is to like it and not get bored quickly.

Getting rid of the musty smell of dampness in the house

The smell of dampness indicates that mold has appeared somewhere. Most often it occurs in the kitchen, bathroom, toilet and where water stands and can spill, for example, near a bowl of water for an animal, etc.

Let's consider traditional methods to combat the smell of dampness.

Excellent absorbent - Activated carbon. It even disinfects the air in the room. It is enough to place 20 tablets in the bathroom in inconspicuous places. The bathroom requires 40 pieces.
They are very effective against musty air. coffee beans. Place them in a stack and place them somewhere in the bathroom or toilet. After a week, throw these away and add fresh ones.
You can wipe the floor and walls weekly with water (1 liter) and vinegar (2 tablespoons). Add to the mixture essential oils. Choose your favorite scent. Smells of citrus, pine or lavender are good.
Pour into a glass rock salt and place it in the bathroom or toilet. It perfectly absorbs excess moisture. Change when necessary.

If you want to prevent the smell of damp in your home from appearing again, follow these recommendations.

In the bathroom can't dry for too long towels and hang out lots of laundry often.
Rags that you use to wash the floor or cloth napkins that you use to wipe away dust everywhere, carefully wash and dry. As soon as the wash is finished, leave it open for half a day so that the moisture from it evaporates. If you notice droplets of moisture somewhere, wipe the area dry.
Do you smell a bad odor from the drain in your bathroom or bathtub? Go to sleep add 0.5 cups or more of soda and pour in 2 liters of hot liquid.
Do you feel that there is a foul smell of mold from the washing machine? Fill in add 1 cup of bleach or vinegar and run in any washing mode without laundry.
Dirty laundry store in baskets, rather than throwing your sweaty tracksuit or used socks straight into the machine if you don't plan to wash it right away.
Do you shower daily or bathe every week? Straightaway ventilate bathroom. You can turn on the fan in the bathroom. It will drive away too humid air.
Place of water drainage in the bathroom, itself wipe regularly brush or sponge with chlorine-containing products. Mold will not form.
Make sure the bathroom is clean, open there is a window in it (if there is one) and ventilate it or leave the door open for a while.
Have you placed a cat litter box in the bathroom? Clean up from the device of uncleanness. Change the filler every 3 days.

A sexually mature, uncastrated male can mark territory. Do this:

Buy an aerosol at the supermarket or pet store that removes the smell of cat urine. Other products that eliminate the smell of cat urine are also sold;
remove stains on the floor with the mixture liquid soap and soda (1:1). Apply this mixture directly to the stain, on upholstered furniture, rugs and cover with a floor cloth. After 2 hours, the remaining product can be vacuumed or removed with a damp cloth;
the smell of marks (urine) is perfectly removed by a composition containing soda, lemon juice, and peroxide. Instead of juice, you can use 1 tsp. vinegar. Spray this area with citrus deodorant. Cats don't tolerate it well.

After the death of a pet, the smell may be unpleasant. Get rid of it in the same way.

Clean your cat's litter box on time;
Remove stains on other upholstered furniture with water and vinegar and cover with baking soda. When dry, you can vacuum it.

Getting rid of musty smell in the house

This smell will appear in the rooms if unwashed linen or old things are lying somewhere for a long time.

Take these measures.

Dilute 1 tsp in 1 liter of water. potassium permanganate and wipe the shelves in an old chest of drawers or closet with this solution.
If you don't know which of the things hanging in the closet may be stale, wash everything. Throw away stale anti-moth products from it.
For the chest of drawers where the laundry is, sew burlap bags and place coffee beans or tangerine and orange peels in them.
You should not put stale clothes in the closet. Wash everything, carefully iron and fold.
Do not always keep the cabinet closed. Ventilate.

Removing smell from furniture in the room

It happens that the smell comes from kitchen cabinets and bread bins. Mold may grow there. Wipe the shelves, walls, and bread bin with an aqueous solution of citric acid or vinegar. 1 tsp is enough. for 1 liter of water.

Grind 20-40 tablets of activated carbon, pour it into tea bags, remove the tea leaves, and secure it in cabinets.

Make bags of ground coffee in the same way. These products absorb odors perfectly.

Tidying up the oven

Proceed like this:

clean the oven;
place in it a bowl with water and a floating peel of an orange, tangerine or lemon;
let in the oven, for example, in cast iron cookware, boil the water for 10 minutes.

Cleaning the microwave

There are several tips.

Microwave cleans perfectly coffee grounds. Removes dried food and refreshes the microwave oven.
Rub all the walls and bottom of the microwave with mint toothpaste. Let it stay like this for 3 hours. Rinse and dry the unit.

Use proven recipes.

Slice Borodino bread and place it in the refrigerator. Leave for 2 or 3 days.
The lemon needs to be cut in half and placed on shelves (from 3 to 5 days).
Buy, open and place a pack of soda in the refrigerator. It will absorb odors. The soda powder is then thrown away.
Take a piece of cotton wool, soak it in vanilla mixed with water, and leave it in a jar on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Replace vanilla with ground coffee, aromatic cinnamon, etc.

Folk and modern ways to combat unpleasant odors

There are many flavors sold in supermarkets:

air fresheners;
incense sticks;
aroma oils.

These products, each in their own way, remove the causes of odor. Some last 1-2 hours, others last a day or more.

Remember that artificial fragrances only cover up unpleasant odors, such as urine or mold, but do not eradicate them.

Ventilate your apartment regularly. General cleaning arrange weekly using different means. Hang bags of ground coffee, regular coarse or flavored, in cabinets, shelves, etc. sea salt, citrus peels, etc.

The first thing a person notices when entering an apartment is the smell. It can be warm, soulful and appetizing if the house smells of fresh baked goods and cleanliness. But often, when we enter a house, we only feel the musty smell of dampness. Not only is this not very pleasant, it is also dangerous. Constant humidity in the air can lead to some diseases of the respiratory system. To prevent this from happening, you need to get rid of the smell of dampness in the apartment as soon as possible.

Where does dampness come from?

No matter how we fight dampness, first we need to determine the source of excess moisture.

One of common reasons appearance large quantity water in the house is a flood. Faulty tap, breakdown washing machine, a burst pipe - all of these can cause water to flow directly onto your floor. And this applies not only to your home - with varying degrees of success, your neighbors on the upper floors can drown you.
Humidity and dampness are often accompanied by large evaporations. This means that the hot water supply pipes have become faulty.
If you live on the top floor, you are not afraid of neighbors and floods. However, this does not protect you from precipitation - a bad roof cannot protect your home from rainwater.
Dampness on the first floors is most often caused by faulty pipes in the basement. You need to go down and check the condition of the entire plumbing system. Constant leaks are fraught with dampness and erosion of the foundation.
Poor hood or lack of it. When food is prepared in the house, it is accompanied by a huge amount steam and condensation that settles on windows and walls. Hence the constant humidity. It is very important to turn on the hood when cooking, especially in winter time years when all the windows are closed.
Poor ventilation. Often in old houses the ventilation shafts are clogged with debris and leaves. To get rid of dampness and restore air circulation, you need to put them in order.
End apartments often become damp because they have poor thermal insulation. This is especially noticeable in winter period years, when a clear temperature contrast is created between the air indoors and outdoors. As a result, condensation settles on the walls, forming increased humidity.
Dampness appears in the house if you dry clothes indoors. If possible, try to hang your laundry outside to excess moisture evaporated outside.
Increased humidity is observed in houses with poor heating.
High humidity may be a consequence of active floriculture. Water evaporates from wet ground and remains in the air. Often in rooms with a flower garden you can feel a persistent smell of dampness.

Once the source of dampness has been identified, it must be eliminated. But it often happens that even after eliminating the malfunction, a persistent smell of dampness remains in the apartment, which does not disappear.

How to get rid of dampness in an apartment

The first thing you need to do is ventilate the room. If it's summer, you can leave the windows open all the time to prevent moisture from collecting in the room. In winter, you need to turn on all the heaters to the maximum to dry the air and furniture. During drying, do not forget to periodically open the windows. If you have a special dehumidifier, the process will go much faster. After all, this device is designed specifically for collecting moisture and drying rooms.

If drops of condensation collect on the windows in winter, you need to periodically wipe the glass with a cloth and do not wait for the moisture to evaporate into the air.

Absorbent materials will help cope with high humidity. These are coarse salt, activated carbon, baking soda and similar bulk substances. You need to pour baking soda into a plate and place it in those places where the smell of dampness is most pronounced. Change the plate with the adsorbent as often as possible as it becomes damp.

After a long stay in the apartment in dampness, it is better to dry all textile items - clothes, pillows, bedspreads, blankets, curtains, drapes. Solid objects and coatings should be wiped with a weak solution of vinegar to prevent the development of mold.

How to get rid of musty smell

Sometimes even after thorough drying and treatment, an unpleasant odor remains in the apartment. To get rid of it, you can buy a room air freshener. It will create light, unobtrusive aromas in the house.

You can also ensure pleasant indoor air using improvised means. Roast coffee in a frying pan and get a pleasant coffee aroma in your home for the next few days. Drop a few drops of essential oil onto any piece of furniture, and your apartment will be filled with the fragrance of peach or almond flowers.

Dampness and mold are two friends that rarely appear separately in a house. Where there is dampness, mold will certainly appear soon. To get rid of it, you can use various household chemicals.

Bathroom tile joints can be cleaned of mold using chlorine bleach. Dilute it with ten parts of water and wipe all hard surfaces in the bathroom with this mixture. Be careful when doing this - wear gloves and a respiratory mask.
Mold can be under linoleum, under wallpaper, behind the sofa. Spray onto affected areas ammonia, table vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, and after a while, wipe off the remaining product with a dry cloth.
During wet cleaning add a little to the water baking soda. It kills small mold spores and suppresses the pungent musty smell.

Mold grows very quickly. To get rid of it, you need to frequently ventilate the room, eliminate humidity, and increase the air temperature in the room.

How to get rid of dampness in different places of the apartment

Often in an apartment, the first thing that gets damp is the closet and all its contents. To get rid of moisture, you need to remove absolutely everything from it. Dry your clothes thoroughly in the sun, especially winter clothes. This may take more than one day. If signs of mold appear on your wardrobe items, the clothes must be washed on a high temperature and then iron thoroughly. This is the only way to destroy tenacious mold spores.

You can get rid of dampness in the bathroom with the help of a good heated towel rail. In this case, you need to check the condition of the mine. Do not dry clothes in the bathroom, and immediately after taking a hot shower, thoroughly ventilate the room.

A good powerful hood will save you from dampness in the kitchen, which you should not forget to turn on while cooking. If moisture comes from the basement, it is necessary to eliminate the malfunction in the plumbing system and improve the waterproofing of the basement.

No matter how you create comfort in your home, if it’s damp, everything will go down the drain. You don’t even want to be in such an apartment – you feel like you’re in a basement or a train carriage. Get rid of high humidity It is possible if you put enough effort into it. The main thing is to eliminate the source of dampness itself, providing yourself with comfortable living conditions.