What Does Mold & Mildew Smell Like in Homes? Learn Common Culprits of Foul Smells and How to Combat Them
When it comes to your home, the last thing you want is to have a musty and unpleasant smell in your space. No one wants to live in a stinky home or let a visitor’s first impression of their space be a bad one.
Unfortunately, there are many things that can cause unpleasant odors in your home. In this blog, we will discuss what can cause some foul smells in a home and offer a solution to get rid of those foul smells for good.
Sniffing Out the Culprits: Root Causes of Foul Odors
There are many reasons why your home could smell musty or have that vinegar-ish aroma. Here are four common culprits that could be causing the odor in your home:
1. Mold & Mildew
Mold and mildew are relatively common causes of musty smells in a home. If you live in a humid environment or if you have a moisture problem in your home, mold and mildew can thrive. So if you notice a stinky smell, it could be a sign that there is mold growing in your home. This can be pretty serious because not only does it create that unpleasant odor, but mold can also be hazardous to your health, so it’s important to address this issue as soon as possible.
What does mold and mildew smell like, exactly? When you pick up the scent of something, you are actually inhaling airborne chemicals that have been released from the thing you are smelling. In the case of that moldy scent, you are likely breathing in spores and dust mites, both of which are irritants to the respiratory system that can cause severe asthma attacks. Mold spores can enter the home in a multitude of ways, but they only thrive in humidity levels of 60% and over.
If you suspect there is mold growth in your home due to a persistent musty smell in your home it is important to find where the mold is growing. There are currently no federal regulations or standards for mold testing in the air aside from finding physical mold samples, which means if you need a professional’s help in the clean up you must be able to show them where the mold growth is occurring.
2. High Home Humidity
High humidity in your home can also be the likely cause of that musty, mold and mildew smell. When the air is humid, it can make your home feel stuffy and uncomfortable. As we mentioned above, this is because high humidity encourages the growth of mold and mildew. It is important to keep the humidity levels in your home below 60% to prevent these issues. If your home has a humidity level above 60%, consider investing in a dehumidifier.
If the smell is closer to vinegar or is particularly sour then it may be coming from your air conditioner being overworked by the high humidity. If the humidity in your home is too high for your air conditioner or HVAC system, it could lead to a buildup of moisture on the inner cooling coils of the system, which becomes a breeding ground for mold and bacteria growth. These spores are then picked up and blown into your home, causing that vinegar or sour smell.
3. Lack of Ventilation
A lack of ventilation can also cause foul smells in a home. If your home is sealed tightly, it can trap odors inside, and this low ventilation will not only cause the air to go stale but can prevent humidity from escaping the home, making the environment optimal for mildew and mold growth. Proper ventilation is important for maintaining good indoor air quality. Opening windows and doors and running exhaust fans can help improve ventilation in your home.
Unnoticeable Smells
Have you ever noticed your pet dog have an unwanted smell when they are wet? This happens because there are microorganisms such as bacteria that can live on their fur and when they get wet, the compounds are displaced into the air, creating a more pronoun odor. The same science can happen in your home. Just like our furry friends, our house can have unnoticed scents up until there is an excess amount of moisture in the air, making the odor very recognizable.
Along with many others, this is a big reason why it is important to get ahead of the game and improve your home air quality before it can become an odor related issue.
Tackling Unpleasant Odors with a Dehumidifier
According to the CDC, a dehumidifier can be the perfect solution to reducing moisture in the air and preventing mold growth in your home or air conditioning unit, thereby eliminating musty or sour smells.
Innovative Dehumidifier Systems offer systems that help to remove moisture and reduce the risks associated with high humidity indoors. To accomplish this, our innovative technology combines bi-polar ionization with the IW25 tamper-proof and tankless dehumidifier. The dehumidifier removes the moisture from the air while the bi-polar ionizer cleans the air of harmful pollutants, resulting in air that is dryer and cleaner.
Don’t let musty and foul smells linger in your home any longer. A dehumidifier from Innovative Dehumidifier Systems can proactively help improve the air quality in your home and eliminate unwanted moisture.
We are dedicated to improving and protecting the air quality of homes. This is why for nearly 10 years, we have been serving homeowners, property managers, and maintenance teams throughout the housing industry.
Contact our team of experts today to learn more about our products and find solutions for your home.
References
https://www.epa.gov/mold/what-does-mold-smell
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3964988/
https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/free-resources/choosing-the-right-system-for-your-home
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7052838/
https://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm
https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/dust-mites
