I've ignored two warning signs about moths. One was SEEING them! And the other was having a sweater that kept getting holes in it. I put lavender and some cedar in my closet but the holes continued. I called a pest control company and the woman told me there was nothing they could do. She said the only solution was to take every single thing out of my closet and dry clean it or wash it...all at the same time. She also told me that I had to use MOTHBALLS which I know are toxic. I have a new grandson who comes here. Plus I sleep in my bedroom and don't want the smell on me or my clothes. I'm wondering if the holistic methods work to get rid of the moths or they simply repel them. Has anyone tried using that thing that sucks the air out of plastic bags in which you store things... that is after your stuff is clean? Also what do moth larva look like??? Why am I seeing them flying around my computer in a room that has very few clothes. And... if you cleaned out your closet, did you do EVERY closet in your house???

I have to agree with sspye here. If you have a traditional toploader, you should be leaving the lid open after the last load, or you will get that funky sour smell. Having had FL in the '80s and now having a FL, it's the same. After use, let the door open a jar, doesn't have to stand fully open. I also read alot on her about the killing of germs to make sure that no "funk" grows in the machine. Being the the medical field, I would like to pass on this bit of information. In hospitals, when medical staff "scrubs" up for surgery, they DO NOT use "HOT" water. It is tempted water, soap, and looooonnnngg wash/scrub time on the hands. Yes, a brush/lofa type devise is used, but the real trick in the long wash time to kill the germs. Google handwashing on the net and most articals will tell you to spend atleast 15-20 seconds with a vigorus motion. This is why FLs have a long washer time. Other than that, sspye is right, no rocket surgery. Ocassional bleach on the whites in hot water, TaDa!!! no problems.

When I lived in Baton Rouge, LA in a house with two bathrooms over a crawlspace, I learned - after living there for about 3 years - that the bathtub we never used except to bathe the dog had a broken drain pipe. It emptied into the crawl space. The only way I learned this was that I just happened to open the water heater closet while the tub was emptying. The closet had a screened opening in the floor in order to provide fresh air for the gas-fired appliance, and I could hear the water splashing onto the visqueen (plastic) on the floor of the crawlspace. When the plumber went down there to reconnect the pipes, the missing connector was not there, so he assumed that the guys who installed the visqueen before we closed on the sale of the house must have knocked it off and it got lost under the visqueen sheets. There was only a small lake from washing the dog, luckily! I think we just left vents open so it could dry. I was so lucky that I happened to go into that utility closet that day, or we would have used that shower daily a few months later, not knowing there was no plumbing connection. You could have a leak or a similar plumbing issue. You do say that the crawlspace was inspected, though. If the cabinet that smells was one that had the mold in it when you moved in, it may be that you will have to sand it and paint or seal it in order to get rid of the smell. Some of us can really smell certain molds that are not obvious to others. Be sure to wear a good mask or respirator when you sand.

That pic looks just like yours, with the cedar walls and wood floor. Love it when I can find a pic of something similar because it is so hard for me to envision possibilities without actually seeing it. I'm not sure if you need to stain the floors just yet. Perhaps live with it for 6 months and then evaluate. In the pic, there is a rug, too, and that looks pretty. I've read people mention lightbulbs in other posts as a way to brighten a space. I think the daylight bulbs are the brightest so those will help too. Another thought...on the shelves you could add a couple of cream colored canvas bins to break up the wood. Once the clothes are in the closet, maybe the cedar walls won't seem so "sauna-like." Have you decided how your going to hang your clothes? With that layout, you may be able to put in-season in the front part or most readily accessible area and out-of-season in the back.