Every moment you go into the basement you inhale the air and it is filled with that awful musty scent. You are not alone. Basements everywhere have that similar smell exuding from them too. If the aroma is something you would rather not have, there are ways to destroy it. This is likely a good notion anyway as the musty smell is a clue that mold and mildew are lurking about somewhere in the basement and presents a potential health risk.



Open windows all throughout the basement. This will provide air flow right through the basement and will help dissipate the musty odor. If there are furnishings there and carpeting is there get rid of any cushioning and replace it it. {Afterwards, you should steam clean the carpets well and dry them totally, using fans to move the air for quicker dehydrating. Put furnishings outside and wash them there. Permit them to dry out and air out in the sun. Be sure that if if your clothes dryer is located in the basement that it is appropriately vented to the exterior of the house so it does not cause humidity in the basement.

Prepare a blend of bleach and water with approximately 1 cup of chlorine to 1 gallon of water. Wash down any cement flooring and all the walls of the basement. Let the bleach stay for almost 15 minutes then wash the walls and dry them as well. This will kill any mold or mildew that started to develop therefore doing away with the musty aroma.

If these simple fixes aren't working and the musty smell returns you should check for the cause. Look at the the exterior of the home. Be certain that the gutters are working well and are not flooding onto the ground around the foundation. Be sure the ground around the substructure inclines downward and away leading water to move away from the abode. This helps keep water from collecting and leaching into the ground around the foundation resulting in hydrostatic pressure. This pressure results in splits and openings appear in the substructure which allows wetness into the basement. The moisture leads to the musty scent.

Be certain that the windows in the basement are in good repair and are well caulked. This is one other means to keep wetness out, not allowing the harsh musty aroma from moving in.

If you have splits, gaps, or signs of wetness on the walls make certain to waterproof the walls. Fix any splits and gaps. Use hydraulic cement to restore cracks and openings. Use a cement sealing product that is waterproof to the walls and cement floors of the basement. This should destroy any wetness from collecting in the basement and therefore also destroy that musty smell.

If the trouble still persists after you have done everything discussed above, it is time to think about buying a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier takes out the moisture from the air. This will maintain any humidity at a minimum in the basement. This will preclude the musty scent as there won't be moisture in the basement to collect and make mold or mildew. This will also help to make sure that there are no medical risks to your loved ones caused by mold development in the basement.