Since I last posted, I've narrowed a few things down. One of the rooms that was affected (there were 2 rooms total), has been fixed. The french drain I installed around the perimeter of the front of the house, where water was creeping under the foundation, seems to have fixed the issue in the larger room. There is now no more musty smell in there. However, the other room, which is a "closet" that backs up directly to a bathroom, still has the odor, which has actually gotten worse. The smell is definitely partially sweet, and partially musty. I've cut the drywall all the way around the room to see if there is any signs of water damage, dead animals, etc inside of the walls. Interestingly enough, the inside of the walls that butt up to other rooms, smell fine. The walls that have concrete on the other side, have the odor present (perimeter walls). The only two things I haven't addressed yet are the roof (I'd have to cut the ceiling open because there is no attic access at this point for how low the roof pitches). The other thing would be the foundation (slab). I have fairly expensive laminate flooring and underlayment in that room, which would have to be removed, and the floor would have to be inspected for dampness. However, given the circumstances, it's been narrowed down quite a bit. The room has 4 walls (2 butt up to exterior concrete and 2 others butt up to interior rooms), a standard hollow core wood door, a West-facing window, and a drywall knockdown ceiling. There is only two piece of furniture in the room, which are bookcases. One is MDF (still wrapped in plastic to hold it together before I bolt it in), and the other is pine wood, also wrapped in thin plastic to protect it. I've just put two large shop fans, a big air purifier, an ionizer, and ozone generator all in the room with a big bucket of damprid (although humidity levels in that room are only 49% in south florida, which is fairly average). I've also sprayed half a can of lysol air spray into the room. I'll let you guys know how that works out, and hopefully we can figure it out. and ESMAN - let me know your notes as well. Thanks.

I would turn it so the bottom is exposed and detach the fabric and spray febreeze or some type of odor neutralize into the actual batting and fabric inside the sofa, plus most cushions that come off have a zipper that you can unzip them and remove the foam cushion that would help to open those up and spray the foam. Most of the leather ones I have had the underside of the cushions were a fabric which could be sprayed. sprinkling a little baking soda in the cushions might help. Also you can tuck dryer fabric softener sheets into the cushions. I use odorban a lot it is an excellent product I buy mine at Sams in a gallon jug which is the concentrate, you can buy it in a spray bottle also at some places. http://www.odoban.com/products.php I use the original. Here is a link that might be useful: odoban

I recently had to get rid of mothball smell from a fleece blanket and towel (they were stored inside a plastic bag BUT the bag was in an old trunk that had mothball smell imbedded in the wood!). Left them outside with no effect, but what worked for me was to get some activated charcoal and placed them in a big garbage bag along with the blanket and towel. No smell within 3 days, and then they were washed and air dried. They sell charcoal in mesh bags at pet stores, and if you have some fine perforated bags, you can buy the charcoal in bulk. Just be sure NOT to place the mesh bag against the lining, in case the black powder gets on them. Afterwards, you can leave the charcoal bags around the rooms where it still stinks and they should help absorb the odor. Since they are curtains, this route may take some weeks of turning over the curtains everyday so all areas are eventually exposed for the charcoal to work. I'd be weary of dry cleaning them, as there is some heat involved and you don't want the smell to be burned in.

Good luck. Have one of the kids do some sniffs, ask them where it smells the strongest. Did you buy them new? I bought my from goodwill and only bought the like new one hardback, with white pages which have turned yellow in just a couple of years, but I have not noticed an odor. My nose smells everything. If you have any paper back books or magazines, old paper things or old furniture clothes?