How to Get Mold Smell Out of Basement

If your basement is suffering from a mold based odor, there are never an entirely easy solution for combating the harmful growth. The stale and musty odor can cause much discomfort upon entry to this space and can even spread to other areas within the home.

Despite this challenge, there remain several things that can be done to treat the problem and eliminate the mold issue within the basement. By following the below steps, you will be one step closer to eliminating the mold growth and resulting odor.

Mold Smell Removal Solutions for Basement

1 Step 1: Access Damage

The first thing you will need to do is access the damage within the room and search out visible mold within the space. Upon your findings, decide whether the mildew odor is associated with a surface are problem or whether it is something deep within the foundation and surrounding walls. In such cases, you the mold’s structural damage may be outside your own grasp and might require the help of a trained professional.

2 Step 2: Remove Items & Place in Sun

It’s never fun to move all your storage items out of the basement, but it is a necessity in order properly treat the basement and ensure that the mold does not return. All storage items must be moved to a space within the yard where it can receive several hours a day of direct sunlight. It is additionally important to do an assessment of the items for any visible mold. If items are found with mold, they can usually be treated with a white vinegar solution. Either wipe the items down with a one part white vinegar three part water solution or put clothing items within the washing machine with inclusion of a cup of white vinegar within the cycle.

3 Step 3: White Vinegar or Enzyme Wall & Floor Scrub

Both White vinegar and enzyme cleaning solution work well at killing mold spore from surface areas. If you find that surface areas have been mildly effected by mold within specific basement locations, it is likely that either of these compounds will be effective in treating the mildew. When using white vinegar, you will want to mix a solution of one part white vinegar to five parts water. Regardless of the solution, the floors will need to be moped and all the walls will need to be scrubbed. While scrubbing, make sure that all surface areas have been touched and that visible areas of mold have been scrubbed until it is no longer visible.

4 Step 4: Immediately Improve Ventilation or Run Dehumidifier

After scrubbing down all of the surface areas of the basement with white vinegar or enzyme cleaning solution, you will need to move forward with a drying solution. You can accomplish this goal by running a air conditioner on full blast, installing and running a window fan (non-humid locations) or running a dehumidifier. These methods will help in drying the formulas from the basements surfaces and ensuring that the space is no longer hospitable to mold growth.

5 Step 5: Mold Killing Paint

If any visible mold was found on the walls, it is important to follow behind the initial treatment with mold killing and sealing paint. Kilz is a popular brand of paint that can work well in covering up the problem to provide a fresh start within the worst areas. To be safe, make sure that all areas around the affected space are painted.

6 Step 6: Treat Moisture Sources & Return Items

Once the space have been treated, spend time looking for any wall or floor cracks, moisture leaks, or weeping walls within the space. These problems should be treated immediately if any issues are found. Next you items will be ready to be moved back within the space. Make sure that they have received several days of direct sunlight within the yard and have been appropriately treated with white vinegar. While bringing them back within the space, it is important that they are not placed directly against any of the walls to provide some breathing room.

7 Step 7: Call a Professional

If you are finding that the mold continually returns, it may be time to seek out a professional mold removal service. These professional will help you in addressing the source of the issues and addressing solutions for it’s removal.

Photo Credit: Bobaloo Koenig

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