Damp distress: How to eliminate the smell from homes during monsoon?

Monsoon is the time of the petrichor but also the time for the damp and musty smell which fills the house like an unwanted guest. These are cause due to dampness, wetness, and algae or mold formation. To tackle it, you need to keep your surroundings clean, fresh, dry and hygienic.

How to get rid of the damp and musty smell during monsoon?

From your cupboards to storage areas, from shoes and socks to rooms where you dry your clothes, from wooden yard fences or flooded plant pots, the musty and damp smell that lingers on during the rainy season can originate from any place. Here are some basic cleaning methods, which, if followed, can control bad odour in your house to a great extent.

Frequent deep cleans

At least once or twice a week you should go for deep cleaning surfaces which are usually left out on a daily basis. These include, under the furniture, especially sofa, window sills, curtain hangers, verandah corners and bathroom corners. These are places which are dark and damp and have high chances of molds growing in them which can give rise to the foul smell. Regular deep cleaning of these surfaces with a vinegar solution or baking soda solution not only cleans the area but also masks the smell.

Keep it airy!

While mandatory to keep doors and windows shut during the rainfall, it is important to leave them open otherwise so that there is good circulation of air. This fresh air provides high circulation and reduces the damp smell. Also switch on exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms after work or a bath. Switch on the ceiling fans or stand- fans once in a while to improve ventilation.

Dehumidifiers on the call

If you notice that dampness has become a part and parcel of your life then opt for a dehumidifier. It helps in keeping the air clean and absorbs the moisture leaving your house clean, dry and fresh. In case you are unable to invest in one, silica gel sachets, charcoal, rock salt bucket or baking soda also do the trick of moisture absorption, in a budget.  

Wet clothes are a hindrance

Monsoons are the worst manifestation of the statement – ‘I have nothing to wear’. This is simply because nothing dries off in time. Keeping clothes hung up in drying lines on the roof and the verandahs are not a preferred option since it is always raining. Picking up the clothes and using drying equipment might bring them a step closer to being damaged.

So, the best option is to spread them in a  room while turning on all available sources of air- a stand fan, a ceiling fan, a dehumidifier, open windows (if not raining). But after the clothes are dry, the stench of dampness still lurks nearby. To combat such situations, you can keep moisture absorbents, essential oils, room fresheners, or potpourris.

Make your Own Fresheners

For quick remedies, you can use ingredients easily available in your kitchens like cloves, cinnamon sticks and orange peels. Simmer them over the stove. Add some essential oils of your choice or baking soda. You may store them in a spray bottle and use them as a room freshener whenever things start to get too musty and unbearable

Maintain basic hygiene

Keep your house regularly clean. Bed and furniture linens must be washed every week. You can add some fabric freshener while you are washing them to enhance their cleanliness and provide a subtle fragrance. For heavier pieces like carpets and tapestries, sprinkle baking soda before regular vacuum cleaning.

Keep storage areas clean

Since childhood, you must have noticed white round napthalene balls being stuffed into almirahs and cupboards, a daily dose of burning camphor being wafted across the house once a day, especially in the evenings, and the fancy moisture absorber pouches which are in trend today. Go by the classics or with the trend, but keep a small moisture-absorbent stuffing in storage areas to keep them dry. These can be any nook and corner, cupboards, bookshelves, kitchen cabinets, show racks etc.