help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Sweetie2004 Posted: Feb 04, 2005 05:51 PM

help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

My best friend bought a house. She closed on it last week. It was an estate sale.

We went to see it yesterday and it smells musty - like an old lady! She had warned me about the smell but she doesn't know what to do about it.

Any ideas??

JimmysBride Posted: Feb 04, 2005 05:58 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

That's stinks!! (pun intended)

Clean & PAINT!!

heidla Posted: Feb 04, 2005 05:59 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Does it have carpet?

SweetCin704 Posted: Feb 04, 2005 06:19 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Do a google search for musty odors perhaps.

Sasha96 Posted: Feb 04, 2005 06:23 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

besides the cleaning and painting, I think that something that will not just mask the odors but eat them up would be good...febreeze, baking soda, etc.

Blu-ize Posted: Feb 04, 2005 06:24 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Pull up the carpets, clean, paint, finish the floors and open the windows. Soon enough it will start smelling better.

Buy and Ionic breeze?

trnity44 Posted: Feb 04, 2005 07:26 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

The house that FH and I bought smelled like old lady as well. Initially, we didnt rip up the carpets for fear of what was underneath them. But, we used the arm and hammer carpet stuff. Worked like a charm! Eventually we ended up ripping up the carpet, but that stuff worked great!

God, am I glad that that smell is gone!

jozieb0925 Posted: Feb 04, 2005 11:50 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

BLEACH!!!!

sarahbelle Posted: Feb 05, 2005 07:57 AM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

coffee grounds absorb odors. just leave a can of coffee where it smells for a few days (then throw the can away! )

12-3Princess Posted: Feb 05, 2005 07:59 AM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

open windows!
and tell her to boil cinnamon sticks... it works and smells soooooooooooooo good.

IrishTracy Posted: Feb 05, 2005 09:03 AM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Vinegar also works at getting smells out. Just pour some vinegar in a bowl & let it absorb the stink.

Sweetie2004 Posted: Feb 05, 2005 10:10 AM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Thanks so much! Now we don't know which idea to try first - what do you think would happen if we tried them all at the same time?

pschica Posted: Feb 05, 2005 10:10 AM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

also if she wants, boil water on the stove with a bit of vanilla in it....or lemon, either should absorb some odors....also wipe down everythign with a disinfectant and as was alreaday suggested, use the capret deodorizer if she is keeping the carpets...its cold but for a bit open the windows to air out the house too! (she can use fans too once it warms a bit!)

good luck to her!!

Jan05Bride Posted: Feb 06, 2005 12:01 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Rip up rugs, clean the floors, throw out any window treatments, blinds, etc. Scrub everything down with a strong detergent )amonia or bleach - but not both!)
Baking Soda will help absorb some of the smells.
Lots of windows open & fans going - exhaust fans help.

It'll eventually go away, just have to work at it and make sure everything is scrubbed down and aired out.

ambersmom Posted: Feb 07, 2005 10:55 AM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Posted by Sweetie2004

Thanks so much! Now we don't know which idea to try first - what do you think would happen if we tried them all at the same time?

I think the place will become a biohazard location due to all the chemical components mixed together!

tourist Posted: Feb 07, 2005 10:59 AM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

Posted by ambersmom

Posted by Sweetie2004

Thanks so much! Now we don't know which idea to try first - what do you think would happen if we tried them all at the same time?

I think the place will become a biohazard location due to all the chemical components mixed together!

you could try them in different rooms & probably be ok.

bxgell2 Posted: Feb 07, 2005 12:08 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

When we bought our house it smelled kind of funky too. We pulled up all the carpets and painted every single room, and the smell is now completely gone!

princess99 Posted: Feb 07, 2005 03:22 PM

Re: help - my best friend bought a house and it smells like old lady!

OPEN THE WINDOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also they sell odor absoring stuff in a jar that you can use. Just do not put it where any animals are, it can be toxic to them. They sell it at qvc.com.
Congrats on your friends house!