5 min read
Where the stale spring smell actually comes from
A musty smell in spring almost always comes from one of four places: the rubber seal of a front-loading washing machine, the dishwasher filter, the drip tray at the back of the fridge, or a slow leak under a sink that dried. All four are moisture problems, and the EPA is clear that controlling indoor mold means controlling moisture rather than treating the smell. Check those four before buying anything that promises to remove odours.
Every spring somebody tells me the house smells stale and they cannot find the source. Nine times out of ten it is one of four places, and none of them is the room that smells.
The four places
In the order I check them:
- The washing machine door seal, underneath the lip, where water sits after every wash
- The dishwasher filter, which unscrews from the bottom and which almost nobody has ever taken out
- The fridge drip tray at the back, which collects defrost water and is not self-cleaning
- Under the sink, where something leaked slightly, dried, and left the cabinet base damp for a month
Front-loading washing machines are the most common by a distance. Pull the seal back with your fingers and look at the underside. If it is black, that is what you are smelling in the hallway.
Why they are all the same problem
The EPA's guide to mold, moisture and your home puts it plainly: it is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors, spores are always floating in the air and in house dust, and they will not grow without moisture. The key to mold control is moisture control.
Which is why every one of those four is a place water stays. Deal with the water and the smell goes with it, and no amount of scented product does the same job.
What to do about each one
None of these takes long, and all four in one afternoon is a normal spring job in a St. John house that has been shut up since November.
- Washer: wipe the seal dry after the last wash of the day, and leave the door ajar
- Dishwasher: unscrew the filter, rinse it under a tap, put it back. Monthly
- Fridge: pull it out, empty the drip tray, wipe the coils while you are there
- Under the sink: dry the cabinet base completely and find out where the water came from, because it will do it again
When it is not one of the four
If all four are clean and the smell is still there, look for standing water rather than dirt: a basement corner, a crawlspace, a window that has been weeping down the inside of the frame all winter. Musty smells are always water somewhere. A candle on top of a dishwasher filter is a candle and a dishwasher filter.
Sources
- A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, US Environmental Protection Agency
