Removing Old House Odors (hardwood floors, how much, windows, painting)

[AVTechMan]

I still have the old smell inside the house (the kind of smell when the house hasn't been occupied in awhile).

Whats the best way to freshen up the house and work on ridding the odor? I know opening the windows may help but at the end of the day the odor will still linger around.

[masonsdaughter]

Try putting a little water and REAL vanillla flavoring in a saucepan and letting it cook for awhile. The house should smell great. If that doesn't work, place bowls of vinegar in each room.

[2goldens]

I saw on a TV program decorating show that you can purchase a liquid scent to pour in a gallon of paint. Paint the walls with this scent.

[ready2move]

Put white vinegar in a bowl around the house, especially underneath the air filter.

[mawipafl]

Sometimes this isn't an easy fix since odors can penetrate absolutely everything including hardwood floors, mouldings, etc. Our first house kept the "aroma" of the previous owners no matter how much surface cleaning we did of every square inch. Especially aromatic were the kitchen cabinets (homemade pine). The odor didn't leave the kitchen until after we gutted and renovated the kitchen.

However, don't despair that your problem isn't fixable! Surface cleaning of everything rather than major painting/renovations might be all you need.

[poconoproud]

We rehabbed the office we now occupy. The last tenant was a beauty parlor, and the place reaked of perm solution and other chemicals. We had to replace all the flooring to get the odor out. The flooring was really holding onto that odor. We also replaced all the wood trim and painted.

If you are going to shampoo the carpet, I suggest buying your own shampooer. Renting from places like the grocery store...you get a really animal/stinky machine..that only adds odor to the room.

[Barking Spider]

I guess you could look at it two ways. You can MASK one odor with another, or you can work at getting rid of the odor.

I have been in many homes that were using something to make the house smell nice. They usually just give me a headache.

There was a time when the hot ticket was putting an apple pie in the oven whenever you were going to have people in your house (looking to buy, etc.). It got to be every house I went to smelled like apple pies.

Anyway, I ran across a product a few months back that has me convinced. I was inspecting a house and the occupants were Indian, so their house smelled like curry spices. While I do like curry, a lot of people are put off by odors. They had someone come in and install some sort of air cleaner. When I returned 2 days later to pick up the radon test, I could not smell anything.

I go the information from the owner. It is a product made by Ecoquest International. I think they have distributors all over the country. I got the card from the woman in KNoxville that sells them, but I don't know about other parts of the country.

I can tell you I was amazed at how well it worked in this house. I'm probably going to buy one for my house, since we have dogs.

If you can't find one close to you, send me a message and I will give you the info for the woman that I am going to buy from. I'm sure they can ship them.

[linicx]

I highly recommend a professional whole house, ceiling to floor, cleaning by Service Master that includes furniture. Send all bedding and drapes out to be cleaned and spend the night in a motel.

After 9/11 Service Master was contracted to clean the Pentagon. SM has a carpet fragrance that leaves a light cinnamon scent that does not smell like apple pie that is quite too if you like a light sent in the house.

[citydweller]

My whole house including the garage has a light musty 'old house' odor. The house was built in 69 so really it's not that old. The house has a brand new kitchen and bathrooms so not sure what more I can do to rid the odor. Even blankets stored in the closet come out with the faint odor. The old carpeting was pulled up exposing the nice oak floors and I am wondering if the floors are causing the odor althought that wouldn't explain why the garage smells the same.

[gizmobizmo]

Like a previous poster stated, it is best to address the source of the problem instead of trying to mask it with something.

Old carpeting and drapes hold odors so either have them cleaned or removed.

Hardwood floors and cabinetry can also hold odors so clean them thoroughly with a water and white vinegar mixture. (Doesn't always work if something has been spilled on the floor and sunk between the boards)

If the cabinets are holding and odor from food, spices or have a musty smell, try putting white vinegar in a spray bottle and misting the insides of the cabinets. I have also used a mix of bleach and water. Leave the doors open for a day or two to air out.

Give the kitchen and bathroom a good scrubbing with Clorox 2 Cleaner.

Last but not least, open the windows and if possible, leave them open for a couple days to help remove the stale air.