We just bought a new house, yay! It's in suburban NC, less than 3 years old. Starting today, my husband and I noticed a strong musty smell in the front entryway. There is a guest bathroom and a home office just beyond this foyer, but those rooms smell fine to me. The floors are hardwood, no rugs down yet. There is an air vent directly overhead as you enter the house. Could that vent (pushing out a/c for the first time since move-in, now that weather is warm) be the source of the funky smell? If yes, why?? And how do we get rid of it?
posted by little mouth on Apr 10, 2013 - 11 answers

Dead rodents in every mousetrap in an area with water damage = how to get the smell out? [more inside]
posted by gov_moonbeam on May 25, 2011 - 6 answers

Last Wednesday I was assaulted by a foul smell in my front (guest) bathroom. I have been trying to pinpoint the cause for several days. I'm about to go out of town and need advice on what to do, especially since I'm extremely broke and have tried all the usual methods of attack. Details inside... [more inside]
posted by Unicorn on the cob on Oct 27, 2008 - 13 answers

How can I get this awful, musty smell out of my towels? [more inside]
posted by milestogo on Sep 17, 2008 - 20 answers

We're expecting our second child in the next couple of weeks, and I (foolishly) stored the co-sleeper/bassinet that we used with our first in the basement for the last two years. Now it smells musty. I need as benign a solution to the odor as possible. I don't want to put a newborn in a musty bassinet to sleep, but I also don't want to use harsh chemicals on something where she'll spend several hours a night (fingers crossed). What will work best? Will one of those passive odor absorbers like an air sponge, or that German metal thingie be sufficient, or do I need to use something that I actually apply to the surface fabric?
posted by SobaFett on Oct 31, 2007 - 16 answers

Can you describe what mold smells like without using the word musty? [more inside]
posted by 517 on Feb 13, 2007 - 31 answers

How do I get rid of the musty smell in an old guitar that's spent a lot of time in a damp basement? (It's a pre-Beatle Hofner bass with f-holes.)
posted by Faze on Aug 5, 2004 - 5 answers