My house smells horrible! Every Autumn into winter our apartment begins to stink of rotten feet. HELP!?

Question

We rent a ground floor flat in a Victorian house, this is the second year this has happened and I can't face the thought of another smelly winter. It seems to eminate from the floors near the windows. We tried everything last year to get rid of it- Oust, vinegar, baking soda, ash, candles, incense... Any other suggestions! (P.s. Our landlord isn't worth two dead flies so don't bother suggesting we ask him to do anything!)

I don't think it's the heater, as we have radiators, so nothing is blowing! There seems to be a draft coming up from the floorboards in that area that is stinking!

Answer 1

Hopefully for your sake it is not anything serious (such as mold or rotting something in the walls).

My step father owns two 2-family appartments. WHile our house was being built we lived in one of them for a while (it took a LONG time - 3 years -for our house to get built, as my step father tends to put things off)

My mother was pregnant with my sister and her sense of smell was crazy! She would smell things that nobody else could smell! She kept complaining of a terrible smell comming from a wall in the kitchen. When my step father FINALLY checked it out, it turned out to be a dead squirrle that had made its way into the walls and got stuck!!!! He fixed the probme right away, and found the place that the squirrles were entering so that this wouldnt happen again.

Its a shame that your landlord wont or cant look into it.

If possible, look for a different place. I realize that the rent may be cheep where you are now, but you never know if the smell that your smelling is something that can be damaging your health! (Mold).

Until then, I'd invest in an air purifyer. They can be quite expensive. I havce a honey well one that I really like. (If you go to QVC.Com and look around you'll find some pretty cheep ones and user reviews)

Sprinkle baking soda on the floors when you vacuum to freshen things (I know you said you've tried it) and keep some nice smelling candles lit. Whenever you can stand it - keep the windows cracked (maybe during the day while your not home, lower the heat a lot and open windows that are not near the thermostat so that the heat wont keep running)

Maybe its something in the heating system. Does it happen when the heat is on?

Good luck!!!!!

Answer 2

Is it like a mold smell? Gosh Im not sure what it could be. But with the windows shut during the winter it keeps smells inside. But you could get an air freshoner from a hardware store of like wal-mart that you can put on your funace filter and when the furnace kicks in it blows the scent through out your house. They only cost a couple of dollars and work that is what I use in the winter months. Or maybe a dryer sheet hooked on the filer. But I would try that it is inexpensive.

Answer 3

Is there a basement? Maybe it is moldy down there and damp, the best thing would be to have a dehumidifier down there, but I guess that isn't an option. It could be a dead animal but youwould smell that all year round. I guess the only thing that would really work(if your landlord won't look into it) is to mask the smell with candles, febreeze etc.

Answer 4

Have your furnace/heater serviced. as things cool down in winter, it would be logical for smells to diminish, if they are caused by rot or mold or such.

If rotting boards were the culprit, surely the heat of the summer would bring out the stench...

I'd wager you heater is blowing stink out at you. It may be that you have a dead animal in the duct work, or that there's a problem with the heater itself...

Answer 5

humorous you should ask, I requested a similar question the different day, lol... I absolutely have 3 male cats.. Allot of individuals informed me it changed into this style of nutrition i changed into utilising.. i take advantage of technology nutrition plan.. notwithstanding it took me quite a few manufacturers to get on the brink of one that did not make their poop scent so undesirable.. I nonetheless favor to attempt the well-being style at Petco or Pets Mart.. Oh, also, attempt putting a field of baking soda contained in the cat field.. It helps take in the scent... I forgot about that till someone jogged my memory.. i wish for the right for you and your cat. L.

Answer 6

You can use caulk to seal at the floor boards. Have you cleaned the radiators with soap and water?