Search for smell in Topics

I have multiple smell problems in my basement.  A bit of information to assist: The floor is a concrete slab The outer walls are made of cinder block About 80 percent of the outer walls are under ground (on the outside of the house) There are two rooms in the basement, a laundry room and a finished room (currently used as a bedroom) It is bare cinder block wall on the exterior wall in my laundry room It is drywall over wood frame wall against the cinder block (with fiberglass insulation) in the finished room The laundry room has some bare concrete and some vinyl stick on tiles as a floor The finished room has concrete slab (unpainted and untreated)  covered with carpet padding and then carpet The carpet in the finished room is about four years old I have had the entire basement tested for mold. mildew, etc. with the results showing none. I am not sure when the house was built. Our house is near Annapolis, Maryland The two smell issues are as follows: The laundry room always has a pretty strong musty smell.  In the winter when it is cold, the smell is not as strong.  As the weather warms up the smell gets stronger and stronger.  I have read that the warm weather draws moisture into the basement threw the walls creating the smell and that a dehumidifier will eliminate.  Dehumidifier removes a lot of water daily and may help a bit with the smell but does not get rid of it. The finished room has an odor problem that does not seem to be in the entire room but is certainly present in one corner of the room where the two exterior walls meet.  The smell is not really strong on the walls but pretty strong in a 4X4 section of the floor in the corner.  My wife smells it all of the time, I can smell it when I put my nose top the carpet.  My wife ha a nightstand near that corner and can smell the odor in cloths that she keeps in the nightstand.  This section is in the right corner of the room.  In the left corner of the room, we have a 4X8 walk-in closet.  She smell the odors from both rooms in the walk-in closet and also smells it in her clothes that are in there. Any help with either of these issues would be greatly appreciated.  

Some 20 years ago, I built an addition onto my house. It is built on a concrete slab with 42 inch block foundation. I have a completely finished room in which I have installed ceramic tile flooring. Under the ceramic tile I used Ardex to level the concrete before tiling.  For the last 20 years I have never noticed what now appears to be a "wet mortar joint" smell. I have become increasing alarmed about the slab leaching moisture into the room. There is no visible sign of moisture. The tile is not exceptionally cold; it's just that smell.  Can anyone put my mind at rest, or suggest to me what this might be and how to remedy it. I definitely can not destroy the floor. Please advise. Thank you.

Could a certain sound frequency cancel out smell? as in the sound waves dissolve the smell molecule? i need to do a lot more research on this... but if it actually heads in the direction of a product where a non-hearable sound kills all the smells i copyright the idea as of now if you steal my idea and make money i will kidnap you and shred all the money you make until it is liquid and inject it into your bloodstream.

Here's an interesting contest that's up for a couple more weeks: the Smellfighters Swirl Innovation Contest .  The goal is to identify some funky domestic smell that you could do without and propose a solution for it. From the look of the entries so far it shouldn't be too tough to have a fighting chance. Enter it by Dec. 21 for a shot at the top prize of 2,000 Euro! You guys are great at coming up with ideas so this should be easy to check out and try. Give it a shot.

What is a good mix from household products that ca make a solution that can get rid of any type of smell? I have this old metal box I need to use but it has an un-godly smell to it I would to get rid of.

Right at the end of our daily meeting this foul stench began to swirl around us. We couldn't quite figure out what or where it was coming from, but it was nasty. At first we checked the laser cutter since some people in the building like to occasionally burn Stuff That Shouldn't Be Burned and oh man does it reek. But that wasn't it. We check the fridge, but it was fine. We even discovered that it was just inside the building, but we had no luck figuring it out. Then Mike from Potenco walked down the hall and said, "Oh, hey, sorry about the smell. I blew up the transformer." He grinned and walked off to find all the fans in the building to air the place out. Just another day at the tower and another experiment gone awry. But if you don't blow anything up, then you're not going to make any real progress, right?

Hiyas i am thinking about getting a pet ferret, is there any way of masking their smell?

I need to find a way to make a weak smell stronger without using things like fans.  The smell is good but you can't smell it unless you put it right under your nose.  Is there any chemical or something that can do this? Thanks. EDIT- the smell in question is deodorant.

On a well with a Hydrogen Peroxide and water softener system.  Warm water side smells sulfury or nasty all of a sudden.  Plenty of salt in softener and plenty of Hydrogen Peroxide being pumped into system.  Due to softener, the watre heaters never had their anode rods installed - so not coming from there.   What is causing the recent smella nd how to remove? 

I am living in a condo (apartment Building, 2nd Floor). For the last 5 days my house smells of chemicals like paint or something very close to the paint . In the living room we have small office area with computer and printer where smells very strong. Also this smell is in the kitchen, in the bedroom, all over the apartment. I am the only one that can smell it. It is not paint. The refrigerator works ok, the stove is electric and the furnace is turned off.  The Consumers checked for gas, but there was non. Who should I call in order to come and detect where  this smell is coming from? 

I recently used our amazing laser cutter on leather. The product was awesome (soon to be posted!) but three days later it still stinks! What can I do??

We had discovered a very strange kind of chemical smell coming from our laundry room and the very same strong smell from the basement sort of linking toward the hot water tank. I had done laundry last night and started to smell it when I woke up the next morning. We are worried if it is something harmful. Could this be something from the hot water tank or something else? Please help!

I would say one house in three with elderly residents seems to have that bitter staleness kind of smell. Cleanliness of the residents doesn't seem to effect if the smell is present, or how strong it is, so I wonder, what causes it? Can it be removed? Also, does our sense of smell lessen as we age, thus causing them not to notice? Inquiring minds want to know!

I have a freezer full of various foods.  Most recently I have found a bit of trouble with my meat.  I pulled out some ground beef that I put in at the beginning of October and after a thaw it smelled bad.  I recognise the smell as it happened once before but went away with no apparent cause.  It is technically safe to eat the meat (I did last time.  It tasted revolting and I had to throw the whole meal away.) but with the taste and a chemo-weakened person in the house I won't be risking it anyway.  I can tell it takes time to acquire the smell because it didn't have anywhere as strong an effect on the piece that was only up there for one week.  No one could tell the smell was there after the cooking process. Does anyone know of any likely causes or solutions? To get the obvious out of the way: nothing else rotted and left behind the smell during a power outage. it wasn't rotten when I put it in Thanks, Karl

My dogs collar always stinks as it is not leather and the fabric it is absorbs all the horrible water.

How do i color homemade surf wax and how do i make it smell different?

Get chemicals from supermarket, pour it into the basin, pour hot water, clean everything with acid, or? I'm looking a green way to clean the basin, the tubes are open but there is a smell coming up from the tubes. edit:as an answer to bleach I'll recite from grist.org:"The corrosive ingredients in these products can severely irritate eyes, skin, and the respiratory tract, and can be fatal if swallowed. Chemical drain cleaners are among the most dangerous of all cleaning products, containing sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) that can permanently burn eyes and skin. In oven cleaners, lye and sodium hydroxide can burn skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract."the p-trap in the kitchen is made of metal, anyway I guess it can be removed and cleaned manually which seems like the best way. the air valve in the kitchen is the yellow one, so I think it's not the water that blocks the air blow.I don't think I have a disposal ( is it the machine with knifes under the sink? i don't have that one)but I'll try to pour a some lemon juice, too.I think the enzyme cleanser is this one:http://www.thisthatotherthings.com/bacoutfoamer.html?productid=bacoutfoamer&channelid;=FROOGbut I live in Italy, so I'll try to find another one at least in Europe.as I live in an apartment, I can't clean more than the pipes under the sink, not to mention to change them.other solutions I've found are: *Pour down half a cup of sodium bicarbonate (or baking soda or sodium carbonate) and half a cup of vinegar, wait 15 minutes, pour down 1 lt. boiling water. I translated it from another language and there is a confusion here about sodium bicarbonate, baking soda and sodium carbonate, I didn't get which one to use.this works for opening blocked drains or the toilet. BAKING SODA IRRITATES YOUR SKIN, USE GLOVES. it makes a chemical reaction and you should be careful when it boils. but the ingredients are harmless to nature.to disinfect:*Mix 2 spoons of borax, 1 cup of vinegar and 500ml hot water, use it for toilet, and similar surfaces.I don't know how/where to find borax (water+O2+sodium+bor) but this solution might help for the smell.

So, I was replacing a bad capacitor on a smart car battery charger. It was making a terrible whining noise, which the bad cap was causing. So, I replaced it. But, silly me, I installed it backwards, so when I powered it up, it vented up a storm. Now, the basement smells of burnt electrolytes. I've opened windows, and even had a fan running to draw air in, but that nasty smell lingers. What else could I try to rid of it?

I have a 10-20 gallon tank and it stinks really bad... It smells like the dump!... My filter works and all but it still stinks... none of my fishes are dead...how can I keep it smelling good?

I've got a plastic container that's marked as #2 recyclable. It came full of dishwasher powder but I'd like to use it for dry goods or other storage. First I need to get rid of the detergent smell, or I'll have beans that taste like detergent. So... How do I get detergent smell out of a #2 plastic container?

How to remove smoke damage smell from oriental carpets. small house fire left residue, ash and smell throughout house. now I am on clean up, but can not find place that will clean theses type carpets with in 100 miles, (I live in the country), sure I can send to some rug company that does just rugs, but these are pure wool and expensive, do not want to take that chance. sorry, not knocking rug cleaner industries, they have done the deep clean steam on the wall to wall carpets, came out fine, but steam is not used on these rugs. well, any suggestions...thanks.

Hi all, Back again with another issue regarding the money pit. I live in a townhouse and my neighbours have two motorcycles in their garage. They leak gas and I am guessing pretty badly because I cam smell it in my home. When their garage hasn't been opened in awhile it's fine, but when it opens, I am supposing the pressure builds up and BLAMO It comes through the vents in the house or around the vents in the house. My garage even smells strong of gasoline and I have nothing in it that uses gas. Is there anything I can do? Besides to obvious and talk to the neighbours, and the condo corp, two things I have already done. It wasn't bad in the summer because they were in and out and the windows were open so there was less pressure, however, when I arrived home last night it smelled like a flippin gas station in there! I am waiting to hear from the condo corp, trying to be proactive because clearly this issue isn't one they are tending to with immediacy

Went to take a shower tonight and noticed when hot water heater turned on this smell came out. i have rc cars that run on nitro methane and it was almost the same exact smell as what comes out of the exhaust it burned my nose and lungs  the hot water heater runs off gas and wasnt a gas smell anyidea what this could be ? 

Recently, my mom had a concussion and she lost all senses of smell and taste.  Is there any technology out there that could possibly help her to regain these senses like a hearing aid helps you to hear.  Thanks!

I just bought this money pit of a house....I had this horrible smell coming from the laundry room. I bought new appliances and as soon as they removed the old ones the smell was gone. The new ones are hooked up and the smell seems to have returned. It's not as strong as it was before, but it's back none the less. I was hoping that the smell went with the washer but sadly it has not...I am wondering if it could be something in the drain? If it were the pipes wouldn't the entire house smell each time I used the water??

Do you remember the first time that you ate asparagus  (Asparagusic acid) and being amazed at the burning rubber smell that came from your piddle within minutes of eating? Also I get a Sugar Puffs smell from real coffee and red wee from beetroot (betacyanins). Recently I have discovered that a handful of fenugreek will give an awful smell reminiscent of maple syrup gone wrong (3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethylfuran-2(5H)); cumin also. So my question is:  has anybody here discovered any other foodstuffs that do the job? This is the level of excitement that I'm living to at the moment. ps I've just read that fenugreek is used to turn sugar syrup into fake maple syrup.

It's not every day or with all shoes, or only after eating cod at the pub...

I just purchased a very nice swiss wenger millitary watch that has a genuine leather watchband on it.  I wear it all the time, even when i work out and the leather has absorbed quite a lot of sweat and now reeks.  I've tried saddle soap and leather cleaner and they both dont get rid of the horrid smell. help?

Here's a useful bit of technology I discovered. Having bought a new coffee maker - a "Mr. Coffee" type drip machine - I found that it left the coffee with a nasty plastic taste. You could also smell the same plasticy aroma just opening up the packaging. I was advised that washing the coffeemaker and running a lot of water through it would cure this. Well, it didn't seem to. Other suggestions included vinegar, powdered "coffee pot cleaner", and running it through the dishwasher (well, please don't run an electrical appliance through your dishwasher, OK?) But I did have something on hand that eliminated the smell and taste completely - Vodka. Thoroughly moisten a paper towel with vodka (Everclear would work, too)  - and wipe down all the interior surfaces (especially plastic ones).  Mostly this means the water reservoir, the filter basket, and any lids. The glass carafe can be done, too. Use at least a shot or two of vodka. (Not counting that which you drink.) Follow with a thorough rinse. Evidently the bad-tasting plastic residue is soluble in alcohol.

I am making a plague doctor mask for a halloween costume.  In a perfect world, I would have used leather or something similar, but that was not an option. SO, I made one out of fabric and heat 'n' bond.   After that, I painted it with spray paint, and now i can't wear it due to the smell! does anyone know how to fix this???? My nose goes in the beak, so it is unbearable.

We all know dogs, lions and other Beast can hear/see/smell a 100 times better then we can but can animals taste better than we can? Just randomly thought of this when i was reading the life of Pi.

I found a little glass perfume bottle with stopper but the smell in it is hideous. What can I do to get the smell out?

Can it be done?

I stored a dresser in my daddy's shop -- it's a huge metal Morton building, and I thought it'd be okay because it was out of the weather.  However, evidently it drew moisture because now it smells strongly of mold/mildew and so does everything that was in it.  Now I want to move it back in the house but not w/ those nasty smelling drawers.  Anyone know how to make them smell sweet and fresh again? Many thanks!!

Would a design like this work to eliminate odors in a small room? Whole thing is enclosed in a pvc pipe with 1 end open and one with small holes. The ac power goes into a switch that goes to the negative ion gen. in the sealed end of the pipe. The 9v battery goes to a switch, then to a small blower fan that blows the air out of the pipe.

My GE microwave (JE1860SB 002) made a cracking sound and stopped working. After some research, I removed the cover and checked the fuse and it was good. I then checked the thermal flame/sensor and discovered it was burned out. I replaced the thermal flame/sensor and now the unit comes on but makes a loud humming sound and has a burnt smell. The next step (according to my research) is checking the diode (cable) which is attached to the capacitor. It appears I need to discharge the capacitor before proceeding? --- BEFORE replacing the sensor, the unit had been unplugged for over one week….AFTER replacing the sensor, the unit was plugged in for about 5 minutes on Jan 25, 2018.- What is the best/safest way to discharge the capacitor? Is an insulated screw driver or pliers needed or will a rubber handle tool work considering the time it has been unplugged? (Capacitor pictured below) - Should I remove the two connecting wires and diode before attempting to discharge the capacitor? - If the diode is bad should I still check the Magnetron? - If the diode is good, what is the next item to check/test?

It a gas hot water heater, pretty new, the water started smelling like sulfur.

School farting contest

Hi, I have just fitted a new light fitting. After it gets hot (60 Watt filament bulb) The room smells of fish. I believe that the smell is coming from the hot plastic, probably from the plastic that holds the shade in place. I don't want to reduce the wattage, The label on the connector says it is rated for 100 Watts. How can I get rid of the fish smell? Thanks

I have been working without success on the smell in my 12' x 14' studio for 5 months, so I really hope someone can help me. I can put my nose right up to the walls and the ceiling and the outlets and not smell anything. But when I put my nose right to the floor I smell the dank, musty, yucky smell of damp, dank concrete. The place reeks of it, I can't work in it. I smelled it last October when I was looking to buy the house, I told the inspector about it but he could not smell anything. Everyone can smell something when they open the door, some people can tolerate it but I can't. As soon as you open the door it just overwhelms you. What I have done so far: 1. Had two peg board walls removed and replaced with chipboard, because that was what the other walls were made of. I had assumed at that time that the smell was mold coming from the pegboard. At that time I looked at the insulation inside the studs and it was fine. It smelled so good with that new chip board up that I thought the problem had been solved. 2. In preparation for painting I caulked the ceiling, around the windows, and up against the floors where it meets the walls. 3. Painted 3 coats of Kills primer on all the walls. 4. Painted 2 coats of very good quality semi-gloss paint on all the walls. 5. I scraped off all of the existing paint that was on the floor. It was peeling in places which is what led me to think the smell was coming from the concrete. 6. Washed the floor with a de-greaser. 7. Washed the floor with sulphuric acid, and rinsed it about 30 times. 8. Painted the floor with 3 coats of special paint made for concrete basements to act as a waterproofer. 9. Painted 2 coats of sealer on top. 10. I called the previous owner who confirmed that the studio's monolithic slab was poured without a vapor barrier because code didn't call for it, because no one was going to spend the night there or live in it. He never noticed the smell. 11. In all this time I have run the A/C non-stop, with the windows open, with the windows closed, with no effect. I have even run the heater for a few days. I have cleaned the A/C over and over, there is nothing to clean and the smell is not coming from there. Is there anything I can put on the floor to effectively seal the smell from getting into the air? Why didn't all those coats of concrete paint and sealer do it?

I want to make an indoor compost bin because it's too cold for the worms in the winter. My dad says it'll smell way too much and actually i'm worried about the flies. I already made (and used) a worm compost bin last year and it was smelly so it was sent into the garage and all of them died in the winter. So is there a way to make a no smell, no flies worm compost bin? BTW the compost bin will be put in my basement that has no ventilation.

I would like to glue rubber to acrylic (and leather/cloth potentially). Neoprene worked perfectly, but the smell is horrible. Is there another type of rubber that will easily glue to acrylic and not smell? Silicone maybe? Natural rubber? I have read that both of these also potentially smell, but clearly someone has figured out how to use these without the odor. (...and do you happen to know where to find sheets of this material?)

The odor is primarily in the master bedroom and is more noticable now that the windows are closed and furnace is being used.  Do not smell it anywhere else in the house.  The smell reminds us of what rail-road ties smell like, the creosote specifically.  Am worried that it may be something serious and cause more difficulty with my breathing (I suffer from allergy induced asthma) and do not want to have to any issues.