Garage Has A Musty Smell: How To Deodorize A Stinky Garage
If the smell of your garage is making it unbearable to spend more than a few minutes at a time in there, something must be done to eliminate the musty smell. A strong and unpleasant odor can make hobbies like carpentry and gardening difficult to pursue because we need our noses free from distractions while working on these tasks! Just a few easy changes will help rid your garage of any unwanted odors and leave your garage smelling fresh for good!
Why does my Garage have a musty smell? Mold and mildew thrive in damp, dark or humid locations. Mold can cause serious health problems if youre not careful. Most garages typically have poor ventilation. This makes the problem worse because it allows for more intense odors and stronger smells. If you store your garbage in the garage until trash day you could also be dealing with odors from rotten or moldy food.
How Do You Keep Garage Smells Out Of The House
Fumes and smells from your attached garage can seep into your house living areas Through open doors, gaps, and ducts.
A health study found measurable quantities of carbon monoxide and benzene inside houses with attached garages. In comparison, they saw little in those with a detached garage or without a garage.
How To Stop Mold Growth In Garage
Are you shocked to find mold in your garage? You shouldnt be, because there are several means by which these annoying funguses can get in.
Indeed, the garage doesnt have as much water activity as the kitchen or bathroom, but mold being what it is, can find its way into any space. As long as the conditions are right of course.
Dont panic, getting rid of them from your garage isnt as hard as you think. In fact, it is so easy, you can do it yourself!
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Watch Out For Signs Of Water Damage
Moisture is the major source of the musty odor. It is helpful to contact water damage specialists who will conduct a thorough inspection of your home. Leaks are the main source of moisture inside your home. Check for leaks in the roof, pipes, and plumbing system, as well as seepage in your basement. Inspect exterior walls for signs of water damage. Check the base of your washing machine too. Many front load washers retain a little amount of water in the base. Over time, accumulated water grows bacteria which causes a musty smell. Inspect your attic, bathroom, kitchen, and the garage. These areas usually have higher moisture levels than other parts of your home.
Clean The Smelly Garage Drain
Some garages have drains that connect to a sewer or septic system. The drain makes cleaning the floors easier, but it can also be the culprit when it comes to stinky smells. To clean the drain, sprinkle baking soda into the drain and then pour in a cup of vinegar. Afterward, rinse the drain and its pipes with water. To prevent the pipes from becoming smelly again, A1A Overhead Doors Company recommends coating the drain and trap with 3/4 cup of mineral oil.
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Can Mold From A Garage Spread To The House
If the garage is attached to the home and there is mold growing inside the garage it can spread to other areas of the home by traveling on clothes, items brought into the home from the garage, and even on air currents as mold spores are extremely small and lightweight. They can travel far distances with just a person walking by and disrupting the air around the mold colony. If there is mold growing inside the garage the best thing to do is to have a Mold Busters professional visit and remediate the mold properly before it spreads into your home.
Why Does My Garage Smell Like Bo
Clean the Smelly Garage Drain To clean the drain, sprinkle baking soda into the drain and then pour in a cup of vinegar. Afterward, rinse the drain and its pipes with water. To prevent the pipes from becoming smelly again, A1A Overhead Doors Company recommends coating the drain and trap with 3/4 cup of mineral oil.
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Why Does My Garage Smell Like Sewage
Suppose you have a drain in your garage. It may be lacking a P-trap. Get an expert to install a P-trap to keep the sewer smell out.
If you have a drain with a P-trap. Its common for them to dry out after months of non-usage. So the sewer smell gets to the air. The same thing can happen in your house shower and sink too. Running water monthly to drains keeps the p-traps from drying out.
You can pour some cheap food oil into the drain with a P-trap. The oil makes the water evaporate much slower.
If your garage drain doesnt have P-trap and you never need or rarely need to use the drain. You can just cover it with some plastic and tape. You can also tape down three of the four sides in case of a water hazard so the water can escape to the drain.
If you cant find the source of the sewer smell leak in the plumbing. The problem might be a vent pipe, which releases sewer gasses through your homes roof. Call an expert to investigate.
The smell of sewage can also be a dead animal somewhere in your plumbing or duct system.
Trust your instincts with this one: if you smell a dead animal, it probably is one. The smell is a noxious sickly smell.
How To Get Rid Of Musty Basement Smells
I am a serious DIY addict and frugal-living master. I have practiced green and frugal living my entire life and love sharing my tips.
Use household products, like vinegar and baking soda, to get rid of musty basement smells.
Basements are the perfect environment for damp, musty smells caused by mold and mildew. Removing the musty smell from your basement begins with getting rid of the excess moisture from mold and mildew growing in the crevices of your dirt or concrete walls or your drywall . Below are tried-and-true natural ways to get rid of that musty basement smell, plus some tips on how to prevent musty smells caused by moisture.
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Deep Clean The Carpets
If you feel like you need to get a bit more involved, then you need to deep clean the carpets. If you are unsure exactly where the odor is coming from, there is a good chance the culprit is the carpets. Carpets have a lot of fibers that make it easier for them to trap a bunch of dust, debris, and odors.
Take a large object and whack the carpet. If you see a bunch of dust flying out from the carpets, you have probably found the issue.
There are a few ways you can deep clean your carpets, but one of the easiest ways to do so is to use baking soda. Take some baking soda and pour it on top of the carpet. You will probably need a lot of baking soda if you want to cover the entire room. Then, you should let the baking soda sit on top of the carpet for between 30 minutes and an hour. After this, clean up the baking soda with a vacuum.
This is one of the quickest ways to remove odors from the carpet, but you may need to leave a few containers of baking soda behind in the room to clean up anything that is left. When you are done, the carpet should smell fresh however, you need to keep a close eye on the area for several days.
Why Does My Garage Smell Musty
Cardboard and paper soak up moisture and starts to grow mold fast. Throw the old cardboard boxes and papers out and buy plastic or metal containers.
You can also try to clean the garage with bleach. Combine one cup of chlorine bleach with a gallon of water in a bucketmop and sweep all the areas that can be washed and handle a little moisture.
Keep the garage door open when you are using the bleach to ventilate properly. Rinse one more time areas with just water. Allow the garage to dry at least 24-48 hours before using the area normally.
White vinegar can be used to clean the mold.
If your garage is insulated, There may be water leakage from the roof or pipes, and maybe some of the insulation has gotten wet.
Get an expert to assess the damage and take moisture readings from the walls and ceiling. The odor may be throughout your home, in your basement, laundry, bathroom areas, or closets.
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Leaky Pipes And Wall Cracks
That earthy mildew smell might be coming from a broken seal on a basement window or a crack in the foundation wall.
Other things like clogged rain gutters, french drains, or sewer backups can also bring water in contact with the basement walls where water can pool and be absorbed by concrete walls. Leaky pipes are another potential cause of moisture in the basement.
Why Do Garages Smell So Bad
People usually keep things in the garage that smell terrible. Cars with oil and other fluid leaks. Paints, all sorts of chemicals, garbage, cardboard and paper, cleaning products, litter boxes.
Your garage may also have mold and mildew problems, or the sewer smell comes up the drains. Maybe somebody smoked cigarettes or housed pets a long time ago, and the scent is still there.
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How To Remove Mold From Garage Wall
Removing mold from your garage walls requires the same process as cleaning it off the ceiling. Though in this case, you wouldnt be needing a ladder.
The steps you should follow to remove mold from your garage walls are as follows
- Make the bleach solution
- Pour the solution into a spray bottle
- Apply on the areas of the walls that have been infested by mold
- Leave the solution for about 10 minutes to break down the mold
- Scrub with a hard-bristled brush
- Pour some water on the walls to rinse down the debris
- Wipe walls with a clean and dry towel
- Apply the bleach solution again as a preventive measure
Target The Floor Drains
If you have drains in the garage, you need to think about them as well. Take a look at your drain, and see if you are noticing multiple colors. If that is what you see, there is a chance you may have mold and mildew growing underneath the floor drain. You may want to see if you can unscrew the floor drain itself.
Then, make sure you clean the drain thoroughly with strong cleaning products. That way, you can kill anything that might be growing on it. You may want to do the same thing inside the floor drain after you remove the top. Make sure you take your time with these drains, as mold and mildew can spread from this location to the rest of your garage.
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What Causes Musty Smell In Garage
Before you can eliminate the musty odor from your garage, youll need to know what causes it. A musty smell is almost always due to mold or mildew growing somewhere in the garage. But what circumstances are causing the mold and mildew growth? And are there other potential sources of the odor? Here are the most common causes of a musty smell in the garage.
Why Do Garages Smell So Good
New buildings usually smell good. The materials are fresh, and they havent had time to absorb any bad smells to themselves. Garages are made of fresh concrete, lumber, and drywall. And they can smell nice many months after construction.
Fresh paint gives that new smell but releases VOCs that are harmful to health. But they dissipate fast after the paint is dried.
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Tackle Mould Right Away
Mould spreads, so if you notice it in your garage, you should eliminate right away. Use bleach, distilled white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or a commercial mould remover to kill the mould. Next, scrub the area with a stiff-bristled brush. Finish by rinsing the area with water. Repeat until no mould remains.
Be sure to take the proper safety precautions when using chemical products to clean mould. Work in a well-ventilated space and wear gloves, goggles, and a face mask. If you have a serious mould problem, you should call a mould remediation company.
Keep The Garage Air Clean
Avoid running any gasoline-powered equipment like your car, lawnmower, chainsaw, or motorcycle any longer than you have to.
Always open the garage door first before starting up any vehicles or equipment and move them fast out of the garage. Shut the engines quickly, too, when you move them inside the garage and keep the garage door open for a couple of minutes, so the air changes before closing the door.
Install self-closing door for the garage-house door. That way, the door wont be left open when you enter with the groceries, or kids accidentally left it open.
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Be Smart About Storage
Think about ditching your cardboard boxes and replacing them with plastic storage bins. Or, keep materials such as wood, cardboard and fabric in drier areas. Keeping them off the floor is a good start. If youre thinking of installing shelving or implementing other garage storage solutions, be sure to check out our tips for organizing your garage.
Damp Poorly Ventilated Garage
Garages are highly susceptible to mold and mildew growth. This is because unlike other rooms in your home, garages are fully open to the outside elements. Every time you open and close them, humidity, snow, and rain can enter the space. Snow and rain boots, bicycles, and car tires can also track in water. Even when the garage doors are closed, heavy rain or melting snow can leak through the loose seal.
When a space like a garage is dark, damp, and infrequently ventilated, it attracts mold fast. Within 24 hours, mildew will start growing on damp spots, especially on fabrics, woods, and cardboard. A good way to prevent this bacteria growth is to absorb any large puddles of water you see.
Leave the garage doors open for an hour once a month to allow ventilation. This is especially useful after heavy rainfall or snow melt. You may also want to lean items out of your garage. An overpacked space can contribute to poor ventilation.
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Comprehensive Garage Door Services In Western Canada
If worn weatherproofing, a damaged garage door panel, or a stuck garage door is allowing excessive moisture to penetrate your garage, turn to the team at Creative Door Services to resolve the problem. And if youre on the market for a new garage door, count on our team of experts to set you up with a weather-sealed door that keeps the elements out.
Contact our team to find more about our selection of garage doors or to ask about our garage door installation, maintenance, and repair services.
Can I Use Air Fresheners
One might think spray or solid air fresheners would be beneficial to combat the nasty smell of mold and mildew, but its essential to find the odors origin and remove it entirely before considering a quick fix like room fresheners and deodorizer.
One exception would be if your carpet has a slight musty smell you can use powdered carpet freshener or baking soda to help neutralize the odor and sweeten the room. Sprinkle generously and leave on for at least an hour before vacuuming thoroughly.
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How To Make Your Garage Smell Fresh As New
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Did you go on a short holiday only to come back and find your garage stinking? Or does your garage smell musty all the time, anyway. On a more serious note, the bad smell is just a symptom of a deeper problem in your garage. So How Can You Make Your Garage Smell Fresh As New?
There can be many sources of bad smell in your garage. You have to identify the type and the source of the bad odor first. You can only eliminate the bad smell once you know the nature of the bad smell.
How do I get rid of the Smell in my Garage?
There are eight very common types of bad smells in a garage and eight top tips to get rid of them and make your garage smell fresh again:
Upgrade Your Construction Materials
Mould primarily feeds on organic products including wood. If you live in an older home, chances are your garage was built using wooden studs, which are a magnet for mould. Retrofitting your garage with mould-resistant materials such as metal and aluminum can help prevent spores from forming.
Other materials mould likes to grow on include drywall, fabric, and paint. If youre painting the walls or the concrete floor of your garage, make sure you choose a mildew-resistant product.
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