Have you noticed a musty, damp smell in your area? If your home recently had a flood or leak, and your nose won’t let you forget it, it’s time to think about how to eliminate the lingering odor of water damage. Musty, heavy smells are unpleasant for residents, and if the smell is the result of an active mold or mildew infestation it could be a sign of a serious health risk as well. With this in mind, the importance of eliminating water damage odor becomes imperative.
Dry the affected area
First of all, let all parts of the house dry. Make sure that the area you are cleaning is dry before you move on to other places in the home. Mold in kitchens, basements, and bathrooms is common, and can produce an odor that can be a sign of water damage.
Eliminate the Mold
When you’re sure your house is completely dry, create a plan for ridding your home of mold that may have developed. Mold does present a health concern for humans and pets. In low concentrations, the spores may not even be noticeable, but if the colony is active, releasing spores, it can irritate and inflame the lungs. Additionally, bacteria make a feast of the waste that mold produces. This can cause structural damage to your home, leading to water damage and the smell that troubles homeowners.
Thanks to the process of dying, the mold begins to die faster. To speed the process along, you can scrub an area with hot water and soap. After you’re done washing the walls or floor, don’t let the moisture linger. You don’t want to cause more water damage. For surfaces that are hard to clean, you can try spraying them with white vinegar lightly. The smell will be highly unpleasant, but this is both a way to kill bacteria and mold and evaporates quickly. Once you’ve stopped using vinegar to clean your carpet, you won’t have a water damage odor problem.
Don’t just mask the odor from water damage
If you have an issue with water damage odor that has resisted your attempts to clean it up, don’t settle for masking it. Potpourri is a tempting solution when you’re at the end of your rope. Masks can prevent the unpleasant odor of mold, but they don’t stop any health risks that mold and mildew pose. If there’s a smell that seems to be lingering, it is more likely that there is some water damage that you haven’t found yet. A professional water damage restoration company can locate any hidden water damage and get to the bottom of the odor. Ignoring this problem won’t make it go away, it just gets worse and worse.
Know what you really need to do
Knowing how to eliminate water damage odor is important to you as a homeowner. Never ignore musty smells that come from water damage, and don’t try to mask them either. Make sure you dry up any moisture found in your home, as this helps to stop mold growth. You can use dehumidifiers and air-moving fans to help dry up moisture in your home. If you need help, call a professional water damage restoration company, like RestoPros.