The short answer
Find the source and remove it. Air fresheners and plug-ins add a smell, they do not take one away, and a fabric that has absorbed an odour will keep releasing it for months.
- Look for soft things. Curtains, carpet, upholstery and cushions absorb odour. Hard surfaces rarely hold a smell for long.
- Wash what can be washed, and put what cannot outside on a dry, breezy day. Sunlight and moving air do more than any spray.
- Bicarbonate of soda on carpet and upholstery: a generous layer, left overnight, vacuumed off.
- Ventilate properly. Two windows open on opposite sides of the house for ten minutes moves more air than one window open all day.
- Check the drains and the washing machine seal for anything sour or musty.
What will ruin it
A persistent damp or musty smell with no obvious source is usually damp, and no amount of cleaning will fix it. Find the water first.
Why it works
Odour molecules are volatile and they lodge in porous materials, then release slowly over weeks. Masking fragrances simply add a second set of molecules to the air; they do not remove the first.
Household chemicals can be dangerous in combination. Never mix them, keep the room ventilated, and test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.
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