How to sanitize/deodorize a 'stinky' old basement ? Thanks?

Answer 1

This is going to be a big job so make sure you can stick to it!
1. Clean everything out of you basement, especially wood and paper
Any cardboard boxes you have should be thrown away and be replaced by plastic storage containers,
preferably Rubbermaid http://www.rubbermaid.com/

2.Clean the walls and floors with diluted bleach and look for wet spots that may be encouraging mold to grow. Fix them.

3. Seal around any doors or windows that may allow moist warm air from outside to come in. Check water heater vents (if gas) and furnace vents.

4. A dehumidifier is a good choice for killing mold spores and preventing it from growing. One of our favorites is the Whirlpool.
http://www.whirlpool.com/catalog/category.jsp?categoryld=138
We have 2 of them for a 32'x32'x9' basement.

5. Once everything has aired out, you can start neatly packing everything away in your new mold-safe containers!

If you prefer a sweetly scented basement, try some air fresheners!
(Glade) http://www.glade.com/

Answer 2

First, get some 'water out' from Lowes or Home Depot. You probably have mold or mildew from dampness? It's the coolest stuff, though Im not sure of the name. They will know. Just place it (it's in a cup) in the basement. Check on it every day and if you see water in there, you have a dampness problem. It sucks the water out of the air!

If you do have mold, you need to tear up the carpet and padding. Replace it or use garage paint on the floors then rugs. I recommend this to carpet, because if it gets damp down there again, carpet is going to cost you.

Get some "KILZ" and paint the walls. It takes out odors and goes on like paint. Then just paint again. Add some vanilla extract to the paint for a nice scent while painting.

Cheap easier fixes are: clean the carpets using water and white vinegar. White vinegar takes out smells WAY better than Febreeze and it's like a dollar a gallon. It works as it dries.

Use this on the walls, too. Then do paint. Fresh paint will cover old smells.

When the carpets have dried...for at least a few days, dump huge boxes of baking soda all over, let stand a day or two, then vac. This helps with carpet stink.

Honestly, if you have a stinky basement, and it's water, you need to get a dehumidifier and keep it running. Once it gets humid and damp down there, anything you do will be undone.

Open some doors and windows if you can, on a cool or windy day. Get rid of anything you don't need down there, that is stinky too. Like old furniture or toys, especially WOOD or cloth items of any kind.

Answer 3

Basement Deodorizer

Answer 4

Start off with removal of any item that is holding a musty/moldy smell. Could be carpet, cardboard, ect. A dehumidifier will remove the water from the air. Lastly cleaning and sanitizing walls, floors, ceilings, use cleaners that are appropriate to the surfaces. ie wood: murphies soap, etc. If you have mold, bleach works the best diluted with water, 3 parts water to 1 part bleach. Be Careful ventilate basement when working with bleach.

Answer 5

Once a year I spray diluted bleach in my basement. I use 1/2 cup to 2gals. water in a pump sprayer. Do not spray any metal fixtures (hot water heater, furnace, pipes) because bleach is a corrosive. Of course, this only works if your basement is non-living space.

If you have unpainted walls, a coating of Dri-Loc sealer helps. It comes in clear (goes on milky white-dries clear), and both oil and water base. The best thing is a de-humidifier. But they are costly to run, and you either have to drain them into a sump with a pump or empy the pan regularly.

Answer 6

ok........Some rental companies rent COMMERCIAL GRADE IONIZERS......which can remove any smell. I had a renter who set himself on fire and was like charcoal in one of my $3 a day units and it stunk to high heaven. The insurance adjuster told me of the IONIZER...well, in 24 hours after cleaning and repainting it still smelled like a rancid BBQ...i rented the IONIZER AND IN 24 HOURS it was good as new and smelled like a fresh springday.

Answer 7

Thank You.