Musty smell solutions

[gillumhouse]

yes be really careful with 'spots' in books - these are living, growing mold spores that will continue to grow and spread - you have to stop them.
i found this method online and have been using it for a long time.
i use the really big size zipper freezer bags, put in the book - no more than 3 or so to a bag, sprinkle in a little baking soda (not a lot, just a little) and seal tight. good advantage to adding baking soda is you can turn the bag and shake it and if none comes out the bag is sealed. FREEZE the books. we have a chest freezer that shows the temperature and you don't want to just cool the books, you want to freeze them.
after a couple weeks, i change out the bags and baking soda and freeze again.
the baking soda will absorb the odors. the freezing will kill most of the mold. i guess it won't kill mold spores in a lab test. but it's pretty effective for what i need.
when finished, just clear out the baking soda, wipe them down with a clean cloth (old tshirts are great for this)
i have a few really old books that i've rescued this way. they have value to me ... but probably not on the market..

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...
.

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...

You don't live in areas where it's humid do you? That damp smell lingers in basements without black mold. It's just 'basement smell'. I don't like it but it is what it is.
.

I have the "old house musty" when we go away for a couple days.

 

[user 26]

how did we go from 'musty smell'
to toxic black mold?

 

[Morticia]

how did we go from 'musty smell'
to toxic black mold?.

how did we go from 'musty smell'
to toxic black mold?

The way we always do. ;-)

 

[Silverspoon]

yes be really careful with 'spots' in books - these are living, growing mold spores that will continue to grow and spread - you have to stop them.
i found this method online and have been using it for a long time.
i use the really big size zipper freezer bags, put in the book - no more than 3 or so to a bag, sprinkle in a little baking soda (not a lot, just a little) and seal tight. good advantage to adding baking soda is you can turn the bag and shake it and if none comes out the bag is sealed. FREEZE the books. we have a chest freezer that shows the temperature and you don't want to just cool the books, you want to freeze them.
after a couple weeks, i change out the bags and baking soda and freeze again.
the baking soda will absorb the odors. the freezing will kill most of the mold. i guess it won't kill mold spores in a lab test. but it's pretty effective for what i need.
when finished, just clear out the baking soda, wipe them down with a clean cloth (old tshirts are great for this)
i have a few really old books that i've rescued this way. they have value to me ... but probably not on the market..

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...
.

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...

You don't live in areas where it's humid do you? That damp smell lingers in basements without black mold. It's just 'basement smell'. I don't like it but it is what it is.
.

When we bought the house we skim coated all the old plaster, lath, horsehair plaster walls to firm them up and seal them. That alone went a long way to eliminate that "old house in a seaside environment" smell. But really, as you said Morticia, there is only so much you can do.
The smell is already much improved with the removal of the oldest books and the bleaching of the shades. Awaiting the arrival of the gel.
DH will deal with the family books. I am soooo done with them!

 

[undersea]

yes be really careful with 'spots' in books - these are living, growing mold spores that will continue to grow and spread - you have to stop them.
i found this method online and have been using it for a long time.
i use the really big size zipper freezer bags, put in the book - no more than 3 or so to a bag, sprinkle in a little baking soda (not a lot, just a little) and seal tight. good advantage to adding baking soda is you can turn the bag and shake it and if none comes out the bag is sealed. FREEZE the books. we have a chest freezer that shows the temperature and you don't want to just cool the books, you want to freeze them.
after a couple weeks, i change out the bags and baking soda and freeze again.
the baking soda will absorb the odors. the freezing will kill most of the mold. i guess it won't kill mold spores in a lab test. but it's pretty effective for what i need.
when finished, just clear out the baking soda, wipe them down with a clean cloth (old tshirts are great for this)
i have a few really old books that i've rescued this way. they have value to me ... but probably not on the market..

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...
.

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...

You don't live in areas where it's humid do you? That damp smell lingers in basements without black mold. It's just 'basement smell'. I don't like it but it is what it is.
.

Property getting was remediated for mold throughout. Walls look like swiss cheese on some rooms. Not a big step from musty to black mold. It is the new asbestos. And if word gets out, not good!

 

[Silverspoon]

yes be really careful with 'spots' in books - these are living, growing mold spores that will continue to grow and spread - you have to stop them.
i found this method online and have been using it for a long time.
i use the really big size zipper freezer bags, put in the book - no more than 3 or so to a bag, sprinkle in a little baking soda (not a lot, just a little) and seal tight. good advantage to adding baking soda is you can turn the bag and shake it and if none comes out the bag is sealed. FREEZE the books. we have a chest freezer that shows the temperature and you don't want to just cool the books, you want to freeze them.
after a couple weeks, i change out the bags and baking soda and freeze again.
the baking soda will absorb the odors. the freezing will kill most of the mold. i guess it won't kill mold spores in a lab test. but it's pretty effective for what i need.
when finished, just clear out the baking soda, wipe them down with a clean cloth (old tshirts are great for this)
i have a few really old books that i've rescued this way. they have value to me ... but probably not on the market..

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...
.

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...

You don't live in areas where it's humid do you? That damp smell lingers in basements without black mold. It's just 'basement smell'. I don't like it but it is what it is.
.

Property getting was remediated for mold throughout. Walls look like swiss cheese on some rooms. Not a big step from musty to black mold. It is the new asbestos. And if word gets out, not good!
.

Well, we have been a B+B for 26 years in this 151 year old house...so I guess if word was going to get out it would have by now. No, I suspect that the musty smell and book mildew go hand in hand.
Actually, I have not heard of anyone this far north having the same degree of problems that a hot, humid southern climate poses.

 

[undersea]

yes be really careful with 'spots' in books - these are living, growing mold spores that will continue to grow and spread - you have to stop them.
i found this method online and have been using it for a long time.
i use the really big size zipper freezer bags, put in the book - no more than 3 or so to a bag, sprinkle in a little baking soda (not a lot, just a little) and seal tight. good advantage to adding baking soda is you can turn the bag and shake it and if none comes out the bag is sealed. FREEZE the books. we have a chest freezer that shows the temperature and you don't want to just cool the books, you want to freeze them.
after a couple weeks, i change out the bags and baking soda and freeze again.
the baking soda will absorb the odors. the freezing will kill most of the mold. i guess it won't kill mold spores in a lab test. but it's pretty effective for what i need.
when finished, just clear out the baking soda, wipe them down with a clean cloth (old tshirts are great for this)
i have a few really old books that i've rescued this way. they have value to me ... but probably not on the market..

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...
.

Yes - the potential damage and liability to your B&B/inn is the reputation or suspicion of black mold. Get the books out ASAP, clean up, and don't let anyone near any areas that smell musty/moldy...

You don't live in areas where it's humid do you? That damp smell lingers in basements without black mold. It's just 'basement smell'. I don't like it but it is what it is.
.

Property getting was remediated for mold throughout. Walls look like swiss cheese on some rooms. Not a big step from musty to black mold. It is the new asbestos. And if word gets out, not good!
.

Well, we have been a B+B for 26 years in this 151 year old house...so I guess if word was going to get out it would have by now. No, I suspect that the musty smell and book mildew go hand in hand.
Actually, I have not heard of anyone this far north having the same degree of problems that a hot, humid southern climate poses.
.

Property was vacant for years, foreclosed by bank

 

[Silverspoon]

Reporting back to say that the musty smell is gone! Of course removing the books helped, and bleaching the shades, ceilings etc also helped. But I will credit the miracle product with removing any lingering mustiness.
I opened the container 5 days ago, setting it on the book shelf, and today the room smells fresh as a daisy! Actually it only took one day to get rid of the smell but I left the container open longer just to see what would happen.
I highly recommend Kan berry gel to anyone who needs to remove...not just cover up...a seaside mustiness.

 

[Morticia]

Reporting back to say that the musty smell is gone! Of course removing the books helped, and bleaching the shades, ceilings etc also helped. But I will credit the miracle product with removing any lingering mustiness.
I opened the container 5 days ago, setting it on the book shelf, and today the room smells fresh as a daisy! Actually it only took one day to get rid of the smell but I left the container open longer just to see what would happen.
I highly recommend Kan berry gel to anyone who needs to remove...not just cover up...a seaside mustiness..

Thanks! We'll be gone for a couple of weeks and the closed up house always gets that musty smell. Will get some of these before we leave. No time for airing out, we have guests the day after we get back.

 

[Morticia]

Reporting back to say that the musty smell is gone! Of course removing the books helped, and bleaching the shades, ceilings etc also helped. But I will credit the miracle product with removing any lingering mustiness.
I opened the container 5 days ago, setting it on the book shelf, and today the room smells fresh as a daisy! Actually it only took one day to get rid of the smell but I left the container open longer just to see what would happen.
I highly recommend Kan berry gel to anyone who needs to remove...not just cover up...a seaside mustiness..

So odd. Never hear a word before and now it's everywhere. Melaleuca. Saw it twice last week and now this gel is made from the same thing.

 

[Silverspoon]

Reporting back to say that the musty smell is gone! Of course removing the books helped, and bleaching the shades, ceilings etc also helped. But I will credit the miracle product with removing any lingering mustiness.
I opened the container 5 days ago, setting it on the book shelf, and today the room smells fresh as a daisy! Actually it only took one day to get rid of the smell but I left the container open longer just to see what would happen.
I highly recommend Kan berry gel to anyone who needs to remove...not just cover up...a seaside mustiness..

Thanks! We'll be gone for a couple of weeks and the closed up house always gets that musty smell. Will get some of these before we leave. No time for airing out, we have guests the day after we get back.
.

I think they may have a deal for folks like us but I did not pursue it. If I need to use this often I will try to contact them about a reduced rate, or at least buy in bulk now that I have a couple of "dispensers".

 

[user 26]

silverspoon, that's awesome. how ironic is this? my captcha word is testimonial. it looks like i can get it at the boat shop nearby which is good because i was thinking it would be helpful after winter on the old fishing tub

 

[Silverspoon]

silverspoon, that's awesome. how ironic is this? my captcha word is testimonial. it looks like i can get it at the boat shop nearby which is good because i was thinking it would be helpful after winter on the old fishing tub .

Great! Those of us who live near the sea can use all the help we can get! Especially this year. Usually, I am washing windows by now to get all the salt off, but with another storm due to arrive tomorrow I guess I'll have to wait until April.
Looks like the garden won't be dry enough to start digging until May so there is no rush to get things in the ground.

 

[user 26]

yes, it could be your books. i love old books and i know that smell.
here is a test for anyone who wonders if they've got a moisture problem. put some envelopes in a room, maybe 10 inexpensive business envelopes or random envelopes that are the kind you wet and seal. just set them down in the room with the flaps lying against the envelopes as though you are sealing them. let them sit and after a time, check - see if they seal themselves. if they do you'll know you've got moisture issues in there. in two offices we had moisture so bad that 1000 envelopes in boxes had to be discarded because they were unusable.
i had to store them in tubs with big packets of silica gel and other dehumidifying packets or we'd lose them to moisture over time. you'd have to tear them open as though glued shut.

is there fabric in there? curtains and linens? can even be wallpaper.
we have frozen pipes in one area of the house right now, crawl space underneath. had flooding when some burst and i'm sure there are going to be mold issues. had repairs and they froze up again. ugh.