Make my basement smell better please :)

[Mama J Rock]

Our basement, which is finished (very 1970's and lovely ) just has a slightly musty odor to it. We run a dehumidifier constantly and have a few fans that run all the time too so there's plenty of air curculating. There are no windows to open. The dryer is down there and I'm sure that if I used dryer sheets it would probably make it smell much fresher, but we don't use them (and I won't either, unless they're chemical free and won't leave any traces of residue/buildup since I cloth diaper).

I can't help but think that utilizing the dryer to make it smell better is my best option (since it runs a couple of times a day at a minimum) but I don't know what will work. I've tried adding a rag with essential oils on it to the clothes in the dryer but that doesn't seem to do anything.

Is there anything else I can try?

[Rebecca]

Throw out any rugs or upholstered items that hold mildewy smells. Same for old books or anything that can't be sprayed down with a bleach solution. Hanging charcoal bags will help eliminate some of the smell. Can you clean the air filter on the dehumidifier? I'm betting you have mold beneath that lovely rust-orange shag carpet.

[cristeen]

Is the dryer venting inside or out? If it's venting outside (as it should be), it won't be able to help, since the machine itself is air-tight except for that vent.

I agree that you'd need to get anything upholstered out of there, at least long enough to get them a good sunning and checking to see if the smell lingers (a week or so). If there's carpeting, that'd be your big culprit, and it should go. Carpeting does not belong in basements IMO for this exact reason.

There are all sorts of things you can do to help with the smell once you eliminate the source, but finding the source should be your first step.

[bellee]

Is there carpet? The first thing I'd do is rip that up and just live on rugs down there that you can wash and dry frequently

[PGTlatte]

If there was ever a leak or flood in the basement the pad under the carpet might have mold or mildew. Personally I would rip up the carpet even if that meant living with bare concrete for a while. Then I would mop the concrete with a bleach solution. I would also recommend purchasing an essential oil diffuser (a nebulizing diffuser - the glass kind that blows air and atomized EO drops into the air - I bought mine from Mountain Rose Herbs) and diffuse lavender and lemon oils down there.