Hints from Heloise - Preventing and eliminating musty smells

By Hklbrries

Dear Heloise: We live in the Pacific Northwest (where it rains a lot) and leave our home for six months in the winter. We leave the heat set at 50 degrees while we’re gone. When we return, the house has a musty smell that has invaded the bed linens, drapes and carpets. It takes weeks of cleaning, laundering and airing to get rid of the smell. Is there anything we can do to prevent this from happening?

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Cher in Washington

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The blame might be on mold and mildew for that musty smell. But the real key is air circulation. If you have a close friend or family member whom you trust, have that person come by monthly to open up the house and get some air moving. There also are new thermostats that you can program to come on only an hour or so a day, which in your case would be worth the investment.

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If you think mold or mildew might be the problem, try installing dehumidifiers with a timer, which will take water out of the air in your home. For more recommendations on handling mold and mildew, visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site at www.epa.gov.

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Heloise

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Adapted from articles.washingtonpost.com

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