musty old house smell

[Sugar]

Remember y'all I posted the other day that my DD said the house was smelling old. :shrug: Well I opened up a the spoon draw this morning and smelt something musty...what?... that's weird cause I open this same spoon draw everyday. So I opened the bottom cabinet and woozer it is really strong.

I know I haven't cleaned out my bottom cabinets :o in like a few years and I don't know what it is, but it is NOT a dead rat. I don't think they would smell musty and old. Would they? DD had said it is permeating the house the other day. I guess I never smelt it cause I am always here. :rolleyes: I guess the wood in my house is old, it was built in 1972 the year my DD was born. Time for a new one I say! hahahaha I need new knees more than a new house.

OMGosh! I just remembered the kitchen sink had a water leak back a few months ago I bet that be it? So how do I get the musty odor gone?

Well whatever I got to go against the knee pain and clean out the cabinets :cry: Danged old knees!

See y'all later Gaters! Have a great weekend!!! yadda yadda!

[Fish-Bait]

open up the windows. It's nice outside.

Bleach works pretty good for removin' odors and stuff.

[Bamboo]

You have my sympathy. I have been working in the kids rooms this week and need to hit closets next. How do we get all this junk?

Good luck with the smell.

[Hawkeye]

Open up the sink cabinet and let a box fan blow in there there all day. When you're sure everything is dry, put an open box of baking soda down there.

I had the same problem with a leaky P-trap. It won't get any better until the leak is fixed.

[anderlee]

try a glass of vinegar and bleach 50/50 and set it in the cabinet.

[Sugar]

I am sorry you all have to see my messiness but, I wasn't always this way!!! Honest!!! Just ask my family...If someone seen a crumb on the floor no matter who dropped it all the kids took a nose dive to get it up LOL not that bad really!

I didn't know how I was going to get way into the back of the cabinets so I devised a plan...
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u205/eyescene/Cooking_Cleaning/DSC_4355.jpg

wallah........
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u205/eyescene/Cooking_Cleaning/DSC_4356.jpg

I did not find the source of the odor, but there was a lot of rat droppings ewwww and I could not find..the vacuum attachment either. So I had to do it the worst way imaginable...my hands...I just wanted to get in the tub and scrub.

As you wonderful non-judgment people can see we have got on the cabnets, what was once new, but now old doors and all that is left is the priming and painting. I guess I am going to have to call Ester (fred foxx) and cry in order to get this completed. It had been way too long already! I would give up vacation time and money to do it but I know hubby won't. And since we have quit smoking (over a year now) we are needing to repaint the whole house anyways to get the smoke odor. I am so happy we don't smoke anymore!! :bunny:

Let me end this by saying the bottom cabinets are cleaned out and washed with vinegar. Everything was washed and is put back in place or is in the dishwasher. A stand up fan is blowing it out and will be blowing till tomorrow...I am going to open up the windows in abit! to air out the rest of the house!!!

PS:
Yes I painted the insides cabinets a long time ago, (80's) so I could see where stuff was at. The nasty stuff you see in picture #2 is where I keep an iron pot for frying. That will not wash off!!! :shrug:

[Bamboo]

WTG Sugar! :buttrock:

[Scarlett O'hara]

Maybe get a box of dryer sheets and place them all in the back of the cabinets.......

[Guru]

Point blank, the smell is from the mice.
They come and they hang out and they get around things in the house and after awhile they give things that musty animal in the furr smell.
They used to get under my sink and in my bathroom cabinets. I had no idea they could get in through little places like they did around pipes coming through the cabinets, etc.
First off, get everything you have in the cabinets out.
Next, clean everything with a good cleaner.
Next, you will probably find where the sink drains and possibly other pipes go through the bottom of your cabinets and you need to put some SOS pads or just plain steel wool all around those cracks, mice and rats cannot chew through the steel wool. Push the steel wool down with a butter knife or screw driver until it is about a half inch or so below the cabinet bottom or sides.
Next, caulk the stew our of the part above the steel wool up to a level with the bottom or sides of your cabinets.
Look for any cracks and crevices and caulk the heck out of them.
Next, put a good coat of primer (Killz is good) and after that dries come back with a couple of good coats of oil base paint or if you want to use water base make sure it is a "satin". You can wipe satin paints clean.
Go with the Arm & Hammer box open in the back corner to neutralize any smells that develope like Hawkeye said.
I like the Citrus aerosols to spray parts of my house and I always give the kitchen sink cabinet a good shot.

[Sugar]

Guru after all that Hon, I would need a stiff drink or 2! I didn't do the cracks but I done all else, an oh no paint yet, but that is coming too...Thank you.

Yall hubby didn't get home till late tonight, so no hissy fits throwing or Ester calling for me...but just as soon as things are good....I'll

[Guru]

If you don't stop up the cracks you will have it all to do over again ...

[Sugar]

dammit... :( sorry.... :o