If you’ve had a problem with water damage or mold, chances are your home or business has some lingering odors, even after you’ve cleaned up. These tips will help you determine whether the odors are a sign of further damage, and help you eliminate lingering odors.

Check the Damaged Area

You might dry out a water-damaged area, but come back the next day to find the walls or floorboards have become damp again. Moisture can linger deep inside the supports of your building, making it difficult to know if you’ve gotten an area thoroughly dry. When moisture seeps to the surface, it can bring musty odors with it.

If you’ve also had mold damage, come back and check the area several days or a week later. You may have cleaned and disinfected the living mold, but missed some dormant spores. If the conditions are favorable, those spores can grow into a new mold colony.

Neutralize Odors

If you’re certain that the musty odors aren’t caused by ongoing water damage or mold, you may simply need to neutralize them. Avoid air fresheners that simply cover up the odors. Instead, try these simple products you probably already have:

• Baking soda: Sprinkle liberally on carpets. Leave overnight, then vacuum up the powder.
• White vinegar: Lightly mist on upholstery, drapes, and other hard-to-clean items. Let the vinegar evaporate, taking the odors with it.

Call a Professional

There are times when the best way to handle a problem with musty odors is to call in a pro. If any of the following apply to your situation, call a reputable mold remediation team like RestorationMaster in Galveston, TX.

• Widespread Mold or Water Damage: If you find mold or water damage that covers an area greater than 10 square feet, it’s time to call in a professional.
• Odors You Can’t Eliminate: If you’ve tried everything and your home or business still has that musty odor, chances are there’s a hidden cause.
• You’d Feel More Confident Having a Professional Handle It: If you don’t have the time or simply don’t want to deal with the mess of odor elimination, call a mold remediation and restoration professional.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.