How do I find and get rid of a bad smell in the house?

Persistent household smells have a physical source, and it is nearly always one of a short list. Masking is what people do first and it fails every time, because the source keeps producing.

What you'll need

• Torch
• Bicarbonate of soda (optional)
• White vinegar (optional)

Step by step

1. Work out where it is strongest.Move around the house and note where the smell intensifies. It narrows the search from a house to a room, and often to a corner.
2. Check the obvious sources first.Bins including under the liner, drains and plugholes, the fridge, the washing machine seal and filter, the dishwasher filter. These account for most household smells.
3. Check soft furnishings and carpets.Spills, pet accidents and damp all persist in fabric long after the surface looks clean. Sniff at floor level — smells settle.
4. Look behind and under furniture.Something dropped behind a unit, a forgotten shopping bag, a pet's hidden food. These are the classic sources of a smell nobody can locate.
5. Consider damp and mould.A musty smell usually means moisture. Check behind furniture on external walls, under sinks, and in any cupboard against an outside wall.
6. Consider a dead animal for a sudden strong smell.A mouse or bird under floorboards, in a wall cavity or in the loft. Flies concentrating in one area is the confirming sign.
7. Remove the source, then neutralise.Bicarbonate of soda absorbs odours; white vinegar neutralises many. Ventilate thoroughly. Only after the source is gone.
8. Ventilate properly rather than masking.Windows open on opposite sides for ten minutes. Air fresheners add a smell on top rather than removing anything.

Tips

• You become insensitive to a smell you are exposed to constantly. A visitor's opinion, or coming back after a day out, is genuinely useful.
• A bowl of bicarbonate of soda left in a room absorbs odours over a few days. Cheap, and more effective than a plug-in air freshener.
• Smells that only appear in warm or wet weather usually indicate damp or drainage rather than something rotting.

Common mistakes

• Masking with air fresheners — The source keeps producing, so the smell returns within hours. It also makes the source harder to locate by nose.
• Not checking the washing machine — The door seal and filter are a very common source of a musty smell that people attribute to the room.
• Ignoring a musty smell — It usually means damp, which causes real damage and health effects. The smell is a symptom worth investigating.

Questions people ask