How to get rid of odor?

VML0408

I am not sure what the odor is but we moved into a new place and it has been here from the second we walked in.  I have Airwick fresheners in every room and that is not even helping.  Is there something I can get or do?

CollegeGrrl219

Did you repaint the walls? Is there carpet?

Whenever we move into a new place, we make sure the walls have been painted and the carpets have been steam cleaned. Those two surfaces are notorious for holding onto smells.

Otherwise, open your windows and let it air out. A little sunshine probably couldn't hurt either.

Besides, what does it smell like? Does it smell like mold? Cigarettes? Cooking smells? Poop?

VML0408

Yes...it has been repainted and the carpets have been cleaned. 

I have opened all the windows and that helps until I close the windows..haha.

It is like a sour weird smell.

UconnGirl

Our house had a weird smell when we moved in too-I couldn't explain the smell, just reeked like the prior owners. Eventually, over time, it just went away. It drove me nuts for the first couple months though! I cleaned most of the surfaces in the house (counters, floors, bathrooms, etc.) with vinegar & water each week for a couple weeks and that seemed to help too. Good luck!

Me and My Luv

HTH, found it on google, btw did the previous owners have kids, maybe it is sour milk somewhere?

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/odor-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-sour-house-smell/

 

http://www.thegeminigeek.com/how-to-get-rid-of-sour-house-smell/

baze2

do you have drains in the basement floor? if so dump a bucket or more of water down each. If they dry our you can get a sour smell or sewer gas smell in your house. No amount of airwick will help that.These drains may be in your furnace room or unfinished part. 

Also if there is a half bath in the basement that you don't use (ours is a nasty cellar bathroom) fluch the toilet and run water down the sink for 5 minutes...if they dry out, you will get an awful smell.

hope to help 

 

utbabyj

The last place I moved into was nasty.  The landlord supposedly paid someone to clean it out but it was filthy and smell so bad.  The electricity had been off for a while in the middle of a hot, humid Texas summer.  YUCK!

Shortly after moving in we steam cleaned the carpet.  I also wiped down every surface (walls, floorboards, doors, cabinets, etc) with a mixture of hot water, vinegar, and a little bit of dish soap.  It took FOREVER, but smelled much cleaner by the time I was done and everything aired out.  

jules0322

Vinegar is amazing at getting smells out.

 My sister told me if you leave a dish of vinegar under a sweater it will get the smell of smoke out if you have been somewhere smokey.

At my last apartment, our landlord randomly put mothball in our wall to try to get rid of a squirrel.  We got instant headaches and got rid of the moth balls within hours but the smell was there for weeks until my sis told me about the vinegar. It was so strong you would wake up in the middle of the night and instantly think, "Moth balls!" I put a bunch of saucers with vinegar around and within hours it was starting to get better. I kept changing out the dishes for a few days and it finally cleared up!

 Maybe this will help?

jules0322

Also, I know you said the carpets have been cleaned, but I've read if you sprinkle baking soda, and sweep it into the carpet, and then vaccuum the next day it should help.