Musty Smell in Basement

I would also recommend a dehumidifier. also, a table-top air purifier might help you out too! I have done this, in our partially finished basement and we have no basement smells!

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I also suggest the dehumidifier. We have an old house and the musty smell just seems to go with it. We tried all sorts of freshening ideas, but the only thing that works consistently and works well is to have the dehumidifier down there. It takes out the mustiness and makes the space feel a lot drier and nicer.

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In areas where people have basements, just about everyone has at least one demudifier. I know exactly the smell you are talking about. You will have to probably empty it once per day. I just walked up from emptying mine. This is totally normal and to be expected in a basement. You'll have to empty it far, far less in the winter.

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Some things to consider:

-mold/mildew-dehumidifier can help with that. If you have carpeting, consider replacing carpet pad because you can have the carpeting cleaned but the carpet pad will retain mold/mildew.

-mothballs-if you are aware of these obviously get rid of them. Mothballs disintegrate within about 6 months I believe but the scent can be retained for years. We had an exterminator use these outside our house and we found the smell to be absolutely obnoxious and removed them right away. You would probably know that smell if you have ever smelled a mothball before.

-Last but not least-MICE!! We had a mouse die in our basement and the smell was horrible.Unfortunately it was located in a wall where it could not be removed. We had to hire an exterminator to help us determine where we needed to patch up some openings in our exterior. That scent was extrememly musty and we didn't use our basement for quite awhile!!

Good luck!!

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Is there a crawl space? The smell could be coming from there, especially if it's a gravel crawl. Not sure how to eliminate the odor.

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Try using Fresh Wave Super Gel. It is an all natural product, it does NOT contain any harsh chemicals, is non toxic and biodegradable. I just put it in little dishes in our basement. It has a very fresh, somewhat pine odor. I bought mine at ACE Hardware. It is a little pricey, but well worth it. It will remove the smell. Enjoy your new home!

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I don't know if this makes you feel any better, but we just bought a house and have the same smell in our basement! We've done a few things... the gas meter was replaced as some of the smell was borderline gassy, and we also just had some cracks in the foundation repaired (they were moist, and I don't think that helped). We also just got a dehumidifier, as both my parents swear that that will work wonders to reduce the moisture and the musty smell. Our house is 90 years old, so I assumed this was just part of the house!
Good luck!
Jen

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Dehumidifiers make a huge difference. Also, if you have a crawl that has gravel, you may want to consider having concrete laid or resurfacing it. Check any sewer gas pipes to make sure that the standing water isn't the culprit either and you can go to your hardware store to find something to pour down there to remove the smell. Also, if your walls are exposed and unpainted, you may want to consider painting them.

My husband and I fixed up an old, scary basement in a 100 year old home. We did all of the above, minus the "crawl space" area because there wasn't one, and were amazed at the results - smelled much better, walls were sealed. Made a huge difference. But..... was A LOT OF WORK! More work for us because we had to empty it, first, so... now may be the time to do it.

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Have you tried a dehumidifier? It makes a big difference in our basement. Get one that can drain into your basement drain so you don't have to empty it. Good luck.

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