So our basement is just a basement... nothing too crazy or gross. It is finished but it still smells like an old house's basement... a little musty etc...
We put the baby swing, bouncy seat etc in the basement and I am trying to figure out how to get them to smell good again without trying to take everything off and wash them. I don't know if they can even come off for both of them (while I am sure that they may since they are baby things).
What about sitting them outside for a few days in the breeze? I like to do this with my coat after a night out. It seems to help get rid of the smokey smell.
A musty smell is the beginnings of mold.
TAKE EVERYTHING off and wash it - baking soda will also help get rid of the smell when washing.
You don't want mold spores growing anywhere else in the house and you DEFINITELY don't want your baby breathing in mold.
I would have hubby check the walls and such for mold. Put a "moisture capture" bucket in the basement - I don't remember what they are called - but they absorb moisture in the air and you check on it and dump it out.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Fresh air works wonders! I would spray something on them and then set them out. If you plan on saving them for more kids, I would try and cover them in garbage bags or something to keep them a bit cleaner. I found that helped with my stuff. You could also just do a "wash" with a cloth and some soap and rub it on the cloth, etc. If you set it outside it will dry and disinfect to some degree.
Leave them outside, a covered porch if you have one to air out. I know what you mean. I pulled my pack and play a couple months ago (I'm pregnant with #4) and the smell of the mattress pad for the pack and play was so bad that I felt that I had to wash it. It was truly disgusting. I aired it out but still the smell would not go away....so I washed the darn thing, not realizing that the pad had particle board in it and it ruined. I had to order another one. Try airing things out first and see what happens. And before you wash anything, make sure it's washable first.
You don't have to spray them with anything toxic, which would create an entirely different risk for a baby. Just drag them all outside on a sunny day. Turn them over once or twice.
Solar rays, specifically the ultraviolet ones, do a wonderful job of killing mildew spores, the warmth should drive out whatever superficial smells there are, and between sunshine and fresh air, you should be able to banish whatever nasties have settled onto your baby stuff.
Repeat a second or third time if necessary. But sunlight and fresh air will do the job safely.
I agree with sunshine and fresh air. That said, if they took on the smell of the basement then that means they were in storage for long enough for them to collect dust and stuff and nothing holds dust and yuck better than fabric so if you CAN wash it, I would, and let it line dry.
Side note, I had a mom bring a pack and play for a baby I was watching and that thing smelled SOO GROSS, I couldn't even be in the room with it. It honestly made me wretch. The stench, I think was from rotten milk and spew and whatever the heck else--poop?
I couldn't stomach putting the baby to sleep in that thing that had been passed down from her first child so I googled and told her about a replacement mattress you can buy for it.
But honestly, know that smells aren't just odors they are particles of -- ? near your new baby. Just make sure it's clean, and not just perfumed.
I don't know what kind of stuff you have, but all of my baby gear came apart pretty easily. The fabric stuff went into the washer and line-dried so it wouldn't shrink. All the plastic and metal bits were washed in a mild bleach solution, rinsed twice and dried outside in the sun.
Cover them (sprinkle) with baking soda and then vacuum them up after a day or so. The baking soda should neutralize the basement smell.
Good Luck
I would never use something without it being washed new used or just put away in storage,cleaned & disinfected.If you really don't want to wash these items that are able to be disassemled & washed I would set them outside for a few days,spary some Lysol on them & let them air out
I store all of the covers upstairs & plastic-wrap whatever's put in the basement. & with my daycare, I wash the covers regularly....but always airdry them.
Sooo, I would wash them 1st in a colorsafe bleach load....& then let them airdry in the sunshine. If you still notice an odor, put them into a trashbag filled with baking soda & let them sit there a couple of days. Wash again with baking soda in the load. Febreze as necessary!
