How do you get the musty odor out of a damp basement?

Question

my basement flooded, and we have been using a dehumidifier which is emptied up to 3 times a day, but there is an awful odor, which remains. I have severe asthma, so we can't use the AC, because I cough. We live where winter is very long and cold, so we have to use heat, but that will blow the odor through the vents also.

Answer 1

Unfortunatly when you use heat in these situations it encourages mould. That would be doing no end of problems with your asthma.

Just air flow. You need lots of air flow with no heat.

Same old story, ventilation, ventilation ventilation.

Could you try putting insulation between the floor of the house and basement.?

If you are coughing all the time with the AC maybe you need to control humidity in the home.

I don't think AC should cause problems with those with breating diffuculties but should may life a bit more comfortable for you. Get the AC checked out by a reputable company.

Answer 2

You don't say the capacity of your dehumidifier, but if you're emptying it 3x a day, you should look into buying a condensate pump for the dehumidifier.

You should treat the basement for mold. Use bleach or get some chemicals. Better yet, hire a company like service pro to come out and do it for you.

Answer 3

Clean everything that got wet with soapy bleach water to kill any mold and open any windows or doors and use a fan to dry it out. You can get a bag or two of lime from your garden center, open it up and let it sit for a few days. It should absorb any musty odors. You could also put the lime into pillowcases and hang them around the basement. If you have basement windows, try using a window fan to blow the moisture out. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Try to use one of those air cleaners and  change your vent filters often.

Answer 5

i use baking soda, and i wash the floor. you could also try moth balls and febreze