How to Remove Unwanted Odors from Your Basement

basement
  • 2 hours
  • Beginner
  • 50
What You'll Need
Steam Cleaner
Plastic Bucket
Chlorine
Mop and cloths
Water
Hydrogen Peroxide
Dehumidifier
Plate
Onion
What You'll Need
Steam Cleaner
Plastic Bucket
Chlorine
Mop and cloths
Water
Hydrogen Peroxide
Dehumidifier
Plate
Onion

Basement flooring occasionally accumulates various odors, most of which are unwanted, especially if your basement is largely unfinished. Many basements begin to smell like mildew and mold over the course of time. Additionally, if you have animals, the basement sometimes takes on the smell of your pets.

The odors begin to permeate the other sections of the house until the unwanted smells conquer your living space. In order to remove the odors, you must attack them at their source, which is the basement.

There are several home remedies to eliminate odors. Options range from using an onion to mixing a homemade cleaning solution. This task is largely time-consuming and requires little mechanical skill, but it does take a great deal of patience.

Step 1 - Air Out the Basement

Air out the basement. Open any basement windows or doors. Allow the doors and the windows to stay open for several days.

Step 2 - Deep Clean the Carpets

If you want to eliminate a musty or mildew smell in your basement carpets, steam clean the carpets. Remove all furniture before you use the steam cleaner. Clean the carpet and allow it to dry thoroughly. Doing so removes any mold or mildew smells and residues in the basement, along with odors from your pets.

Step 3 - Wash Walls and Floors

If you have bare floors and walls in the basement, create a mixture of chlorine and warm water. Mix approximately one cup of chlorine with a gallon of warm water. Add it to a plastic bucket. Apply the chlorine and water mixture to both the walls and the floors. Use a string mop for your basement floor and use soft cloths or sponges for the basement walls. Allow the walls and floors to dry completely. Doing so will eliminate mold and mildew smells.

Step 4 - Install a Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier eliminates unwanted musty smells from the basement. Leave it in the dampest area of the basement.

Step 5 - Mop a Hydrogen Peroxide Solution

If you have unwanted cat smells in the basement, mix 1-cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1-gallon of warm water. Mop the floors of the basement with the solution and wash the walls with a cloth or a sponge. Doing so eliminates unwanted cat odor from your basement.

Step 6 - Add an Onion

For a great home remedy, cut up half an onion and place it on a plate. The onion will absorb the mold and mildew smells that accumulate in the basement.