According to the 2021 American Housing Survey, renovating an old home costs more than buying a new house. Currently, there are over three million houses in America needing a revamp. With the surge in real estate prices in the past few years, hopeful homeowners view the low prices of old houses as a steal without understanding the hefty renovations they need.
A noticeable and persistent issue with these rundown properties is the pungent smell. In hindsight, this issue seems quick to fix. The old house musk could indicate a deeper structural or environmental issue.
Keeping your property smelling clean and fresh keeps you and your family safe and comfortable while making it attractive to buyers. If you want to learn how to eliminate the old house smell, this guide is for you.
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Identify the Source of the Smell
Before you can solve any type of problem, you first have to know the heart of it. Covering up the smell without resolving the underlying issue is a bandaid fix.
The distinctive “old house smell” is an amalgam of various environmental and structural factors. From the lack of proper ventilation to deteriorating materials, the musky smell of old houses could be attributed to these common causes:
- Mold or Mildew: Molds produce volatile organic compounds that emit a strong, musky smell, which many people associate with the characteristic scent of old houses.
- Dried Pet Urine or Leavings: If the past owner had a pet for a long time, chances are there are places where their furry friends urinated or defecated unknowingly, and the owner failed to clean.
- Stale Air: Without proper air ventilation, the indoor air quality in old abandoned houses would suffer, providing an ideal environment for mold growth.
- Cigarette Smoke: Nicotine from tobacco or vapes clings to walls and exudes a smoky smell, which could also be carcinogenic.
- Deteriorating Materials: Aging wooden structures or furniture emit a prominent foul odor.
- Moisture or Leak: Moisture is vital for mold growth in old houses. Contaminated water also releases a distinct smell when it dries.
Identifying the causes of the fetid scent in old houses will help you develop a definite cleaning strategy and avoid spending on unnecessary cleaning materials. With a clearer target, we share some cleaning techniques below to help you freshen up your old house.
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Deep Cleaning Techniques
Deep and thorough cleaning is the only way to keep your old house smelling nice and fresh.
Cleaning Carpets and Upholstery
Grab your vacuum, plug it in, and run it over your floorings, carpets, and upholstery. If your carpets are removable, shampoo them or have them professionally serviced. A sprinkle of baking soda can deodorize your carpet. You should never skip steam cleaning, especially when tidying old abandoned houses.
Mopping your floor two to three times is usually sufficient for a squeaky clean. However, if the floor is too soiled, you can scrub your floor thoroughly using a gentle cleanser.
Washing Curtains and Drapes
Take out your curtains and drapes and wash them well to remove trapped odors. Use fabric-friendly and machine-suitable detergent and run them on a gentle cycle. The materials used in curtains and drapes are much softer than most fabrics used to make clothes, so it’s best to be extra gentle when washing them.
Cleaning Walls and Ceilings
Cleaning the walls and ceilings might be more challenging than cleaning the floors, especially if mold and mildew are already building up. A good first step would be to clean them using detergent and water. If that doesn’t work, use a slightly stronger cleaning agent but nothing too caustic, or you could risk destroying your walls or ceilings.
If the interior of your old house is covered in wallpaper, it’s time to take it down and clean the surface underneath. Follow the same points above.
Improving Air Quality
The indoor air of a neglected home creates the perfect conditions for mold and mildew to form and thrive.
Increase Ventilation
A quick way to improve the indoor air quality of an old house is to open the windows and keep them ajar for hours. For rooms expected to be damp, such as the bathroom and the kitchen, installing exhaust fans is great to keep these rooms dry and breathable.
Air Purifiers and Filters
Most old homes don’t have efficient structures to facilitate air circulation throughout the house. Using air purifiers or air filters with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters is a practical way to keep indoor air quality in excellent condition. Regularly clean or change your HEPA filters to keep your air clean and not re-introduce pollutants.
If your old house has an HVAC system, don’t forget to clean it as well. Dust and other airborne pollutants could collect in your HVAC filter and render it inefficient. If it’s been a while since the house’s HVAC system has been cleaned, toss out the HVAC filter and replace it with a new one.
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Eliminating Specific Odors
Old house musk isn’t the only unfortunate scent you could encounter in an old house.
Smoke Odors
If the last homeowner or a resident is a chain smoker, it’s expected to leave a noxious smoky scent on the house’s walls. Nicotine and other substances in a tobacco cigarette, such as formaldehyde and naphthalene, stick to walls and emit a putrid scent over time. These chemicals could also cause cancer.
A safe and effective way to clean your walls and remove the cigarette odor is to wipe your walls down with vinegar or diluted baking soda. While mild, these cleaning agents effectively neutralize the scent on your walls. As a last resort, repaint your walls completely.
Pet Odors
Dried pet urine or feces also exhumes an acrid scent throughout an old home. Cleaning up dried pet droppings, especially years after, is a hefty burden. Use your entire arsenal of furniture-safe cleaning products and deep clean your carpets, floorings, walls, and furniture to rid your house of that foul, offensive smell. If a particular spot in your floor, room, or furniture emits a pungent scent, spot cleaning with an enzyme-based cleaner could do the job.
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Absorbing Odors
Deodorizing is the last step to sprucing up your old home.
Activated Charcoal
Placing activated charcoal bags or boxes around your home, focusing on places where moisture gets trapped, could keep your old house smell fresh longer. Unlike most scented deodorizers, activated charcoal packs are relatively cheaper. You can buy a multi-pack for a few dollars.
Baking Soda
Placing an opened box of baking soda works well for smaller spaces, such as cabinets and closets. You could also place one in your refrigerator.
Practically, boxes of baking soda are cheaper than bags of activated charcoal, yet they work as well as the latter. However, they’re ineffective when used in a bigger room or space.
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Refreshing an old house to make it more marketable costs a fortune. Sure, there are steps you can DIY, but the bruised hands or aching backs might not be worth the effort.
If you want to skip all these grueling processes but still make money out of your old house, we’ve got your back.
Why Choose Andrew The Home Buyer?
Andrew, the home buyer, is the founder of the company. At Andrew The Home Buyer, we make it easier for Arizona homeowners to sell their old houses without the back-breaking and bank-breaking effort to refresh and market their old homes. With our help, you won’t have to spend a dime to sell your old house and can make a fair market price within a week or less.
Process Overview
Unlike the traditional real estate sale route, you won’t have to wait months (or even years) to sell your house. Our solution hastens the sale process and cuts it down to a few weeks or days:
- Contact Andrew: Call our team for a quick consultation about your old property.
- Get a Cash Offer: We’ll provide a fair cash offer for your property, depending on the consultation and current market price.
- Sell Your House: If everything checks out and you agree with our terms, you can have your cash right away without any hassle.
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