Do you know what sewer gas smells like?

yes. but i'm not sure how that applies to me.

I had a problem with a renter trashing one of my rental properties. I used activated charcoal to help absorb the smell. I had torn out the carpets and washed the cement floors with bleach. Then washed down the walls with mild soap. I bought the activated charcoal off the web and placed open bags of it throughout the house. Most of the smell went away. If you have your duct work cleaned be careful. I had that done and they did more damage than good. I had flex duct and they torn the duct in several areas.

I know a couple that purchased a pump up sprayer and put vinegar in and misted any areas thought to be a problem to neutralize it. There are other products available that smell better but mask the smell more. The vinegar did a really fine job.

I have used a product called OZIUM that is now sold at wal-mart and many automotive stores to neutralize cigarette odors in cars that works really well. The original scent is the only one that truely neutralizes odors and it is overwhelmingly strong at first. I spray the headliner and interiors on a hot sunny day and slam the door and let it marinate through the day.

Any house that has been lived in and then vacant for an extended period will smell like musty old house to me for awhile. In time of cooking and the humidity cycles of showers and cleaning the odors will fade quicker than you think.

I know a couple that purchased a pump up sprayer and put vinegar in and misted any areas thought to be a problem to neutralize it. There are other products available that smell better but mask the smell more. The vinegar did a really fine job.

I have used a product called OZIUM that is now sold at wal-mart and many automotive stores to neutralize cigarette odors in cars that works really well. The original scent is the only one that truely neutralizes odors and it is overwhelmingly strong at first. I spray the headliner and interiors on a hot sunny day and slam the door and let it marinate through the day.

Any house that has been lived in and then vacant for an extended period will smell like musty old house to me for awhile. In time of cooking and the humidity cycles of showers and cleaning the odors will fade quicker than you think.

thanks for the advice. i'll try charcoal, ozium, and vinegar. i've never heard of vinegar to help with smells. seems like your house would end up smelling like vinegar?

It will smell like vinegar till it dries, but then the smell goes away. It really does neutralize odors. Same with charcoal; it's used as an air purifier in Asia. I would try setting out dishes of activated charcoal powder from the pharmacy (careful, it's messy stuff!)

The other thing to consider is an odor neutralizer like Febrez (they do make an unscented now, which I prefer) or like XO Odor Neutralizer (which has a very slight sweet smell but it's ok for me.) XO would definitely be a better value because it's a concentrate.

Or, if none of that works you might be able to rent an ozone generator. You have to be out of the house while it's in use for a few days, though.

I sympathize about the sensitivity to smells. Good luck!

I forgot to acknowledge Ozium is also an odor eliminator, but I prefer the less scented options I mentioned above!

check for bats in the attic, hidden moisture/water leakage in the home (bath,toilet,kitchen etc.) and rodents in the basement and elsewhere, these are typically the sources of "old house smell" after you've eliminated all the simple things (carpet, paint etc.)

Regarding someone else's comment about sewer gas... check your sink drains to see if you have an "s" trap. (See http://seattletimes.com/html/homegarden/2016508398_homefix15.html)

I have always noticed a bit of a musty smell in our half bath but thought it was somehow air from the basement below. I just recently learned from our remodeling contractor that it might actually be the S trap on our bathroom sink, as that style of trap is less effective at holding water and preventing sewer gas from seeping in.

Painting can do it to, provided there isn't something causing the odor. (mold & mildew)

If it's like grandma smell, I would say paint the whole house inside. Basically in doing so you encapsulate the smell into the paint, in effect getting rid of it you also get a new look to your home.

There are two things to do as long as all the house systems (roofs, HVAC, plumbing,...) are in working order. Both require a lot of elbow grease, clean it and paint it. If I can't be cleaned effectively, or painted, like carpet, you have to replace it.

I just saw your problem while looking for something else. Two years ago we bought a beauty MCM house in central Florida. It was redone poorly by a 'House Flipper'. The house was inspected by a supposedly well known company. As soon as move in, I could smell an off smell. A new metal roof had been put on over the old shingle roof.... At the time due to a family member dying the option of having the house taken back by seller and getting money back and getting reimbursement from Home Inspection was offered by a local lawyer after he had another company inspect the house. Unfortunately that was just the wrong time to do that- the timing was just too much. The roof had a small leak one week after moving in which the roofer supposedly repaired. About 6 months ago the roof leaked again- around 3 sides of the chimney by the original leak. I had a different roofer come out. He called the county inspection dept who came out and were very disgusted that one of their people had passed the roofing inspection. The original roofer was notified and was extremely mad that the second roofer would have the 'audacity' to call county out. Long story short- the old roof leaked and the 'House Flipper/roofer tried to cover up the old wet roof without removing it and places on new roof not done properly. That old damaged wood from prior wet caused a musky/slightly moldy? smell. County made roofer do repairs correctly. I thank the second roofer who came out and started the ball rolling and did not try to scam me. I know who NOT/DO USE on next house ... Maybe you have wood that was/is wet somewhere??

I think you and I are the same person because this exact thing happened to me by a flipper

@ed

We had minor leaks around the chimney that were taken care of, we had mold specialists come in just in case. They ripped out drywall and replaced it. Sprayed it all. The leak is fixed now . The bedroom is far from the chimney. We got our money back from out home inspection after raising hell. We should've had a lawsuit. Leaks, heat and AC didn't work, hot water tank busted. All worked okay according to the inspector..

Strange...

The inspector tends to work hand in hand with realtor. The realtor eats by selling homes... the inspector eats by inspecting homes.

If inspection report comes back with bad things... the realtor can't sell home. Realtor goes hungry.

Because gravity makes crap run down hill, the inspector that found the trouble is rarely referred any longer. So it would pay you to hire your own inspector and pay for it. But, people like fast and easy sometimes.

Financial Crisis 101.

The smell you’re describing sounds like a wet wood or wood rot odor. I’m curious - did you ever figure it out?