Every morning, I wake up before my husband and as soon as I step into the kitchen, I'm hit by this awful musty smell that reminds me of dirty bedsheets or an unwashed scalp. I initially thought it might be my husband, but I don't notice it on him or when I open the bedroom door. It seems to come from the kitchen or laundry area. We renovated the whole house two years ago, and I suspect the previous elderly owners might have something to do with it. Could this odor be coming from the floors or walls? It always hits me first thing in the morning, and while I notice it throughout the day, it feels like it's particularly strong in the kitchen. I'm at my wit's end trying to figure out the source since all our appliances are brand new. Any ideas? I couldn't find any subreddits focused on weird home smells.
4 Answers
Oh, I totally get the weird smell struggle! There might be some old grease or food residue stuck in your appliances—especially under the splash guard in your garbage disposal or behind your stove. Try cleaning everything out thoroughly! Also, if you haven’t already, run boiling water down the drains; it helps break down any gunk that could be causing the smell.
I had a similar issue with a funky smell in my kitchen! Try cleaning your sink drain and using a mix of baking soda and vinegar to clear any buildup. Sometimes lingering odors come from the drains. You might also want to check if there are any leaks under the sink that could be trapping smells.
This might be a long shot, but could there be anything in your air ducts or crawl space? If you've got a crawl space under your house, it might be useful to look into encapsulating it and using a dehumidifier. Those areas can often hold onto musty odors and spread them throughout the house!
Have you tried running the dishwasher during the day instead of at night? It might be worth checking if the smell is coming from the dishwasher's filter or the rubber seal. Sometimes those can get dirty and give off smells. You could also try cleaning out the drains for the sink or the dishwasher; that might help too! Let me know how it goes!
Thanks, I hadn't thought about the dishwasher filter! I'll test that out.