How to make an older house smell new?

Question

How to improve air quality in 30 year old house?

House has been vacant three years and we will be remodeling everything inside starting this week. The concern is it is very airtight and been locked up so long it smells stagnant. The windows have been opened for about 2-3 weeks and carpets and underlayment floorings been removed and I cleaned the whole home with baking soda and vinegar (to avoid headaches and dangerous chemicals) and it still smells badly. I have 2 months before moving in to let it air out but seems like cleaning and windows opened with fans is not helping. What else can I do? The entire house smells like a camper. What are safe effective ways to clean the air? Not cover it up - but actually clean it and remove old air?

Answer 1

One thing that you may need to consider is filtration of the air. There are many products out there you can use to filter the air that your furnace will circulate. You could add a HEPA filter to the furnace and that may help. But, if you are willing to pay  a little more check into adding Ultraviolet lighting filtration to your furnaces duct work. This will kill any and all bacteria that passes through it. Also, check for moisture/mold issues if the home has a basement. Cheers and congrats.

Answer 2

First check the insulation in the attic.  It may have gotten wet in some places and that will account for the smell.  Then check under the floors for rot or damage.  I am not sure how extensive the remodeling is, but if it still smells musty, then you have mold or mildew somewhere.  Removing it is the only way to get rid of the odor.  You have done a great job so far, so it should have worked.  The next place to check is the wall cavities.  You will sometimes have leaks around the eaves down into the walls.  Not sure where you live, but if you have any snow in winter, the roof edge might have failed during an ice dam and the ice would have penetrated under the shingles and then melted down into the insulation or wall cavities.  A lack of insulation in the attic will cause this, as the heated air rising will cause the roof snow to melt and then it refreezes when it gets to the eaves, which are less heated, causing ice dams. If not there, then check the A/C or heating ducts if yours is conditioned air instead of radiators.  It may be something leaked in there, or there was condensation if not properly vented.  The toilet may need reseating with a new wax ring, and that would not be very noticeable until the floor fell through. If it sits on a wood floor, then that will rot and cause the musty smell.   It would not take much damage to make the house smell bad.  One good natural cleaning product is anything with oranges or lemons in it, and they smell great too.  However, if you have mildew or mold the only remedy I would trust is chlorine bleach, after removing as much of the rot as possible.  The toxic effects will evaporate with no residue, just wear a mask when using it if you don't feel safe.

Do you have any mice or rats?  They will leave a sweet stinky smell, and also likely have access to water, indicating a leak or opening somewhere.  Roaches will have a similar smell, and that will require cleaning the undersides of the cabinets esp. beneath the countertops and shelves, and even under the cabinet bottoms.  If you are remodeling the kitchen or bath, take steps to eliminate the possibility of roaches with a caulk gun and a bead of caulk between the floor or wall, and penetrations around pipes or electrical openings, and the insides of the cabinets as well as against the walls or floors and cabinets.  Anywhere a roach or mouse can hide.  Good luck!