Removing Unwanted Odors from Basement Flooring

Your basement flooring can sometimes accumulate and take on the scents of different types of odors. Most of the odors are unwanted, especially if your basement is largely unfinished. First, many basements begin to smell like mildew and mold over the course of time. In addition, if you have animals, the basement sometimes takes on the smell of your pets. As you know, the odors can begin to permeate the other sections of the house and the unwanted smells just take over your living space. In order to remove the odors, you must attack the source; the basement. There are several home remedies to get rid of the odors. Everything from using an onion to mixing a home made cleaning solution. Taking on this task is largely time consuming and requires little mechanical skill but does take a great deal of patience.

Step 1 - Air Out the Basement

Air out the basement. Open any basement windows or doors that are in the basement. Allow the doors and the windows to stay open for a couple days.

Step 2 - Deep Clean the Carpets

If you are looking to get rid of a musty or mildew smell in your basement carpets, you should get out the steam cleaner and give the carpet a good thorough clean. Make sure you remove all furniture before you use the steam cleaner. Clean the carpet and dry it real well. This will help remove any mold or mildew smells in the basement.

Step 3 - Wash Walls and Floors

If you have bare floors and walls in the basement, create a mixture of chlorine and warm water. Mix approximately one cup of chlorine with a gallon of warm water. Add it to a plastic bucket. Apply the chlorine and water mixture to both the walls and the floors. Use a string mop for your basement floor and use soft cloths or sponges for the basement walls. Allow the walls and floors to dry completely. This will help to eliminate mold and mildew smells.

Step 4 - Install a Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier will help to eliminate unwanted musty smells from the basement. Install it in the basement area that gets the most moist and damp feeling and smells out of the basement.

Step 5 - Mop a Hydrogen Peroxide Solution

If you have unwanted cat smells in the basement, take the same bucket and mix about a cup of hydrogen peroxide with a gallon of warm water. Mop the floors of the basement with the solution and wash the walls with a cloth or a sponge. This will help eliminate unwanted cat odor from your basement.

Step 6 - Add an Onion

For a great home remedy, cut up half an onion and place it on the plate. The onion will absorb the mold and mildew smells that accumulate in the basement.