6 answers

Bad Smell

My husband and I just moved into a new flat and the passage cupboard smells like something has died in it. Please can you give me some advise as to how to get rid of the smell or even just make it a little better?

What can I do next?

More Answers

Hi, J.. Have you tried sprinkling baking soda in there? It really helps with absorbing odors. If that doesn't work I'd assume wood rot possibly from something being spilled without being cleaned up completely. In that case you may have to replace part of the cupboard. Good luck!

sounds like mold! try straight bleach, or call your local Servpro.

J. - we moved over the summer and had something similar. It was a mouse that died in the walls and we couldn't get to it. The smell was HORRID! I used those room deoderizer things that you twist and it absorbs the odor, I put a bowl of vinegar in the bottom of the closet, I put an open container of baking soda on a shelf and I often spray lysol. The smell has gone down quite a bit but from time to time still comes back. I continue to try new things and will let you know if I have better success. Good luck.

I have no idea what a passage cupboard is. However, for bad smells or organic origin here is what you do. Get a 1L spray bottle from a garden department and some hydrogen peroxide. It usually is sold at a 3% concentration. Fill half the bottle with hydrogen peroxide and half with water. Wash down the cupboard with soap and water and then dry it. Spray all the surfaces with the hydrogen peroxide and allow to air dry. The hydrogen peroxide kills everything completely and leaves nothing behind. The smell is probably a by-product of microbial growth. Unless you get any dirt off first the smell will come back with time.

We moved into a new place last summer and the previous tenants had left their dog pretty much closed off in one of the bedrooms. The urine smell was horrendous!! The only thing that worked for us was to place some activated charcoal (like for a fish tank filter) on a baking sheet in the middle of the room. The charcoal works similar to baking soda by absorbing the odor, but it's much better, a little more expensive; we ended up having to change the charcoal out a couple of times that first week, but in the end...no more yucky smell! The activated charcoal can be found at any pet store (even Walmart). Good luck!!

Is it possible something died in the walls like a mouse? We've had that happen before. If the cleaning suggestions don't work, it might be something like that. I'm hoping it's not.

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