How can I get rid of the smell?

Question

I inherited a log cabin that is almost 30 yrs old and it has this smell that soaks into everything. You can't be there for very long without smelling like the place. Even the clothes you wear wont air out. Depending on how long you are there for your clothes will still stink even after they are washed and dried. But it's not only the smell it's the taste. It gets into the FOOD and it is just gross. You could leave the food in the freezer, fridge or even in a ziplock bag on the counter in a tin can and it will still taste like the place after a while. Even if there is a thing of Baking Soda in the freezer it'll still taste like it. 
You get used to the smell after a while but it ruins the food and takes a couple of washes before it gets out of your clothes. 
I can't stand it and I don't know what I can do to get rid of the smell. The carpet looks ok so there is no reason to change it out and I've had it steamed cleaned. I'm wondering if it's the wood or whatever they treated it with to keep it up. 
Any ideas that wouldn't cost too much would be greatly appreciated.

mustanger · Accepted Answer

Try a bag of charcoal briquettes. Charcoal absorbs smells and can work wonders to get rid of bad odors. Spread them around in the different rooms then change them out after about a week. Good thing is they can still be used for grilling.

? · Answer

It sounds like a mould or a fungus. 
The house was wood and it was left alone without being properly dried out with habitual heating and cleaning and without proper air circulation. Some grim little entity has moved in and taken over in the dark and the damp and the days.  In all honesty it sounds like it has taken every fiber of the house.  

You have to kill the mould or fungus but this is tricky because if you disturb the mould or fungus it will release spores. 
http://www.cleaner-image.co.uk/mould_eradication_kit.php

Essentially you have to create an environment that is hostile to the organism. That may involve change in temperature, light, humidity, or in PH level. Alternatively you may be able to kill the organism by adding an enzyme that will break down its structure.  

Here is the trick. You need to know what you are dealing with. You need to find out what the mould or fungus is and what environment it is thriving in. You need to have a lab analyze the wood for proper identification. It may be an organism that will die when exposed to the acid in vinegar or it may be an organism that will die when exposed to sulphur or ozone. You do not know.

Additional information about mould in the workplace is available through the following links: 
 
1) Facts about Mold and Dampness 
Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
Department of Health & Human Services. www.cdc.gov/mold/pdfs/dampness_facts.pdf 
 
2) Facts about Stachybotrys and Other Molds 
Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
Department of Health & Human Services http://www.cdc.gov/mold/pdfs/stachy.pdf 
 
3) A Brief Guide to Mold in the Workplace 
Safety and Health Information Bulletin; U. S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety 
and Health Administration, Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine, Office of 
Science and Technology Assessment www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib101003.html 
 
4) Facts about Mold 
American Industrial Hygiene Association 
www.aiha.org/content/accessinfo/consumer/factsaboutmold.htm 
 
5) Fungal Contamination in Public Buildings: Health Effects and Investigation 
Methods 
Environmental & Workplace Health, Health Canada 
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/alt_formats/hecs-sesc/pdf/pubs/air/fungal-fongique/fungal-

Trending News

How can I get rid of the smell?

2 Answers