Smelly Basement

Do you have any windows in the basement? If we get a DRY hot day, leave them open for a while, but mostly I would recommend running a dehumidifier down there. It sounds like there is still damp somewhere, and the dehumidifier will help. Good luck!

Did you pull the carpet up? If there is padding underneath you need to pull the carpet up and let it dry from both sides. Usually the padding has to be cut out and tossed, it doesn't dry as well as the carpet, it's like a big sponge. I would pull the carpet up and see what's underneath now.

The padding will have to be replaced & the mold under the carpet needs to be treated. Call someone asap to get the pad out & take care of the mold. The longer you wait the more mold you'll get. It can also grow on drywall, so keep an eye out for that.

Hello

Try Damp Rid, you can get them at Menards. My dad uses them at his cottage. His basement had that musty cottage smell and that help greatly! It absorbs the moisture in the air and takes that smell out. You just need to replace them I think every 3 months, but maybe you will need to replace sooner if you have alot of dampness. Good Luck!

At a previous house we had a horrible smell in the basement...much worse than the basement smell you're experiencing I'm sure. We had a rodent problem and although extermination took care of the problem, one of the rodents died in the wall. The ppl were able to locate and remove the rodent, but it left a horrible odor. Just setting the stage. We went to Sam's Club and bought a consentrated disinfectant called O-dor-ban. It worked miracles! Not only does it smell great, but it truly eliminates ordors instead of masking them. This was years ago, but I'm assuming Sam's still carries it. Try that and see if it helps. Good luck.

I never had a leak but alsways hated the smell of my basement & my hubby didn't know what I was talking about.
I used "Damp Rid" in mine. they have informercials on late night ( you can google it or "as seen on tv" , & it works! I got mine at Menards for less than $5 each. ( I put 2 of them down there). its a little plastic cup with some special dust in it that absorbs water & melts & then fills the cup with the water, so you can actually see how much moisture you have in the air. Mine filled up in about a month & then you can by refill solvent. I was proud to show him the proof it wasn't just in my head! I noticed a difference after a few days. I also put a fragrance plug in down there.

you should definitely double check under the carpeting. I think that might be where the problem is. If you can lift it up, it might actually still be damp underneath, especially if it took over a week to "dry up". That is too long to let the rug stay wet/damp and plenty of time for a moldy smell. you might also try some of that carpet cleaner that you sprinkle on and vacuum up to refresh the carpeting.

The owner of the company that services our well and septic advised me years ago to leave the dehumidifier on all year long. It does take some time, but eventually any damp smells will disappear. There may be some moisture still in your furniture, or whatever is down there. You'll also notice a slight rise in your electric bill, but its worth it. I would also fill some dishes with baking soda around the basement, as this will also take away any odors. Patience. L.
www.funbeachcondos.com

Lots and lots of baking soda in bowls all over the place and patience.

Try using a dehumidifier in the basement, that will take out some of the dampness and make it feel warmer. We have a finished basement and even use a dehumidifier in ours, just to make it seem warmer. When the dampness is gone, maybe some of the smell will be too. If you have a very large basement, I would use 2 of them. Just make sure to check the water tray often to empty it because once it is full, it won't run until it is empty.

Just and FYI: It sounds like you have drywall in the basement........you might have mold growing in it, if you didn't replace it. Keep an eye out for black around the area. I know you painted it, so you could have painted over the problem. Mold starts growing in a very short time and could be behind the walls, ceiling, and the carpet. I'd call in a professional to have them check it out. Good luck!!

I agree with the previous poster. Friends of ours had to replace their basement carpeting after a clean-water leak situation (a washer hose broke). They just weren't able to keep the basement dry enough to get the pad dry before it began to mildew underneath.

If you don't have a freestanding dehumidifier in the basement, try that too - the weather has been not hot enough to use AC and not cold enough for using heat, so there's nothing else taking moisture out of the air.

Try Damp Rid....I believe you can get it at places like Home Depot or Menards. It is suppose to help take the dampness out, and it might help with the smell. We have it in our basement where we seem to get a small amount of water every time it rains, and the smell has almost disappeared. We also have a humidifier down there as well.

I had to replace the pad in my basement after getting the carpet too wet while shampooing. If you do replace it, sprinkle a bunch of baking soda on top of it before you put the carpet back down (clean it first if possible) then keep a dehumidifier down there at all times until the heat starts running. I know it's a pain to go through all that, but otherwise that smell will never go away. And if that doesn't take care of it I'm afraid the carpet will have to be replaced too.

Damp Rid has made our seepage-prone basement a livable space. My main closet is in the basement (we have an old house with minute closets and I always keep one going. You can buy it in refillable buckets that I wouldn't recommend around nosy cats or little kids or one use hanger packs. Both work well. I've bought damp rid at Lowes and Jewel.

You should try running a dehumidifier down there to really take the dampness out. You could also try Fresh Wave products www.fresh-wave.com. I use the crystal gel in our basement. I think it truly does "absorb" the smell vs. masking it with a perfume smell. You could also try Damp Rid www.damprid.com. Good luck.

We had water in our basement. See if your homeowners insurance covers this and get a new carpet installed at their expense. If anything like this happens again, turn on the heat to dry the rug faster. We also purchased a Honeywell air filter. Mold begins to form in less than a week. Our insurance covered it so that the basement would be in the same condition as previously. How old is the house? Pin hole leaks in pipes should not occur for years and years.

Here's some ideas: I have lived through flooding where it is a really bad smell.
Did you try a dehumifier?
I like Febreeze, that smells pretty good
Did you call a rug company and ask them what would take a smell out. Try a couple of them from the phonebook.
Is this wall to wall carpeting? Lift the pad and air out the under part also.
Good luck!

Hi!

Sounds like you have mold. Mold grows underneath carpet, in padding, behind drywall and baseboards, in the tiniest cracks in the walls and floor - nasty stuff. I recommend you call Air Quality Analysts. They are experts in this problem. ###-###-####. Good luck - R.

Hate to say it but you might have to get rid of the carpet, or at least the padding. My church's basement flooded last year. Even though it was clean water and they did the same as you did, and had it cleaned, the carpet had to be replaced.

if there was padding under the carpet it has to be removed. padding can never be dried properly. I do fire/flood restoration so if you have any others questions please feel free to call.....###-###-####
M. :)

Have you ever tried "damp rid"?

You have gotten some awesome responses. Water damage and all its complications is such a nightmare to deal with. We have had our share of run ins with water over the years.

You may want new carpet and padding if it got really wet, as mold can start to grow within 72hours and it loves padding and drywall. Also get a dehumidifier and run it from April to November set at 45% moisture or below as mold cannot grow in those conditions. Our dehumidifier pulls out 50 pints of water every three days and completely got rid of the "damp" smell in our basement.

Finally - we had a skunk living under our front walk this summer and it sprayed our house totally making our basement smell. We put out bowls of baking soda and also bowls of whole coffee beans. It could have been my imagination, but it got rid of all the smell in our basement after about a week. It might help the lingering smell you have.

Good luck,
H.

Run your dehumidifier 24/7. Even though you think you got all the moisture out, it's obviously still there. Our house is 30+ years old and it had "basement smell" the second you hit half way down the stairs. We purchased a dehumidifier and positioned it so the drian hose goes into the drain - no more empting the machine and the smell is gone. I never thought we'd get rid of it - but the dehumidifier works wonders. Again, it's on 24/7 - but doesn't run constantly, if that makes sense.