House doesn't feel clean

[Notgonnawait3]

I keep the house clean, always stay on top of hovering and mopping, dishes, washing up, laundry.

But those are just the basics I suppose and my house doesn't feel clean. We've come home after 3 days away and it smells quite musty, which I'd not noticed before.

Please give me your tips for a clean looking and smelling house. What odd jobs make a big difference?

I did deep clean the oven last week which made a big difference. The windows also really need doing.

I think I saw something online about people soaking their sponges/dishcloth etc every night in some nice-smelling solution. Do people do this?

Do curtains need laundering? How often? What about duvets and mattresses.

Not sure how I got to 45 without knowing these things but here we are...

I think I'll commit to a couple of additional cleaning jobs a week for a while and see if it helps.

Musty sounds more like damp to me

Do you have any damp spots ? Is it mustier in one particular room?

I have an old house and it only ever smelt musty when the roof had a leak. Once that was sorted no more musty smell in that room.

We've got no damp in our house and it always smells a bit musty when it's been locked up for a few days with no windows/doors open.

Soft furnishings like curtains/cushions/rugs/sofas etc do need regular cleaning, but I think the 'musty' smell will disappear once the windows are open.

Open your windows for 10 minutes everyday, never mind the weather.

I wash my dishcloths, teatowels, handtowels and have a new one every day

Make sure your bin is emptied often and keep it clean. You can put some esentail oil or nice smelling disinfectant in the bottom underneath the liner

Theoretically curtains should be washed or dried cleaned but I don't. I've only washed a duvet when it was needed due to illness. Far too much of a faff, takes ages to dry. Using a laundrette is probably easier for the big drums and tumble dryer. Some people sprinkle bicarb and hoover their mattresses. Not something I do either.

I wash my blankets and cushion covers fairly often.

I always put soda crystals and a kettle of boiling water down the sinks and shower traps before we go away, to clear any gunk in the drains, as that can cause smells after a few days.

Once a week when I strip the beds, I hoover the mattresses.
Duvets get washed every 3 months as well as curtains.
When we go away I always put a toilet cleaner in the cisterns and put drain cleaner down the sinks.
The cooker gets cleaned every time after I’ve used it and the bathroom also gets cleaned every night after we’ve all had a shower!

I'd have a Spring Clean.

Clean all paintwork eg doors, frames, skirting board, bannister, handrail

Clean fridge/freezer

Clean washing machine

Put soda crystals down plug holes

Wash throws, cushion covers, curtains

Clean radiators

Hoover sofa, under sofa cushions

Clean outside cupboards

Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over carpets, leave and hoover

Wash rugs, beat doormat

I wash my summer duvet regularly and my winter duvet every six months

I have the windows open as much as possible and have bicarbonate of soda in the fridge and on top of the fridge to absorb smells

Wow so many good tips! I'll do a lot of those before we go away next time!

@BrendaSmall do you wash your curtains in your own washing machine?

I just saw mine say they can be washed at 40 degrees, I can't believe I have never done it (in 7 years!). I'm going to do it this week and hoping that with some nice smelling detergent it will really help.

@ButteryLightHouse what dishcloths do you use that you can just launder them? We use sponges and chuck them once they get worn or smelly, which isn't great for the environment either.

@GoldLash no damp in the house I don't think. My pyjamas which were recently washed and dried on the line in the garden smelt musty when I got them out of the drawers tonight. I'm really confused.

I also find there are just odd marks here there and everywhere through the house, mostly from the kids. The bannister is discoloured from grubby hands, dining chairs are grubby where the wood was stained from stuff being dropped/splattered... I wouldnt know where to start to get this stuff cleaned.

Being quite time-poor doesn't help either. Sigh.

Such a useful list thank you! The only thing I do regularly on there is clean the washing machine and the fridge.

We don't have rugs and carpets, so I think other soft furnishings like curtains may be the culprit.

Where do you get soda crystals from, I see it has been mentioned by several PPs? Is it the same as bicarbonate of soda?

Soda crystals (sodium carbonate) bicarbonate of soda and citric acid are all eco friendly cleaning products.

I use loads of soda crystals for:

Tiles
Drains
Floor
Laundry
Tea stains
Burnt pans (not aluminium)
Cleaning the washing machine

Bicarbonate of soda can be mixed with white vinegar for cleaning but I use it for odour

Citric Acid is used for limescale

Vinegar for windows

I also use eco bleach (Percarbonate of Soda).

I get soda crystals from Amazon: Nutwell DriPak Soda Crystals, 1kg x 6 bags

No, these are soda crystals. https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/258133332?srsltid=AfmBOooSIWy_smi48NcUFJocb4VXKUwid-5inAHQi2WFxrvDjXFfoRs2 They’re a stronger alkali (sodium carbonate) than bicarb so can remove tougher stains. Vanish powder (sodium percarbonate) contains peroxide too which helps with discolouration.

Dishcloths are smallish squares of cotton loose woven fabric you buy in packs from the supermarket. They'll be near the sponges and jaycloths. Equally you can use facecloths/flannels.

For your grubby woodwork/bannister/chairs just use hot soapy water and a cloth. If it's really stubborn use cif cream or the pink stuff

Therapy

I forgot to add clean on top of the kitchen cupboards, fridge, extractor fan, behind the cooker and light. I used soda crystals for this, unsurprisingly.

You’ll be amazed at how fresh it feels just to open the windows and air the house out daily.

You can put the extractor fan guard thing that comes off in the dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher, then lift out and wash the filter, and use a dishwasher cleaner.

With the sink, use a a teaspoon to undo the little drain, and scoop out any gunk.

Run a washing machine cleaner too, and clean out the tumble dryer filter if you have one.

I hoover my curtains and today, as it was a nice day, got out the trust valporetta and steamed the curtains.

Clean the loos daily, keep the seats down, open windows every day.

Clean out the linen cupboard and get rid of anything musty. Put in lavender bags or cedar rings to ward off moths.

Get a new mop. Empty out the hoover, wash the filter in hot soapy water.
Get the smelly things you can put in the hoover. If you can, run hot water and soap down the hose itself to clean all the dust out.

Clean any dog beds, check any coats hanging by the door, wash and put a way winter coats.

Basically a massive sprung clean, clear out. The vaporetto and lots of clean cloths work for us, to avoid lots of chemicals. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on the sofas and carpet, or steam cleam them.

Also, get new slippers:)

Make sure you take out and wash the washing machine dispenser drawer and clean inside the slot where it goes. Leave the drawer and door of your washing machine open in between washes. It stops it going musty and making your clothes smell.

Clean the dishwasher in the same way too - clean any filters and behind the door seals. I get a horrible build up of gunk under the door seal at the bottom.

Opening windows makes a big difference.

Open windows and doors as much as possible. More chemicals isn't the solution.

If anything is too large for the washing machine, i.e. duvets, I give them a soak in the bath. I squeeze out as much water as I can and then put it in a bin bag to take outside on a sunny or breezy day.

I would tackle one room/area at a time. Eg if lounge clean under everything by moving furniture. Wash cushion covers, wash curtains on a gentle wash. I do this and hang them straight out on a sunny day, no need to iron. Some of the tips already posted are great, don't let yourself be overwhelmed x

we have down duvets, and I get the dry cleaner to launder them and tumble them once a season, more if someone tips tea over them. Pillows - junk them once a year. (sorry not very 'sustainable')
I have hard floors so mop them once a week
no smokers - but a cat.
He pees outside.

I take the bins out a lot and clean them. keep the trickle vents open if you have double glazed windows

we open the windows once a day for at least 10 mins, rain or shine, whatever the season and the weather.

bicarb is different to soda crystals. its what you use to help cakes raise

Soda crystals are strong de greasers and very hard on the hands - same stuff goes in mr muscle oven cleaner. they are available in some super markets and at robert dyas hardware.

I clean bannisters and skirting boards with sugar soap and a cloth. Sugar soap is used for cleaning surfaces before you paint. If needed you could repaint the bannisters and chairs, just lightly sand with sandpaper, clean with sugar soap and then paint over

First, air your home. Wi does wide open for at least 30 mins each day, creating z through draft. If you have windows that can be locked slightly open, keep them like that permanently in good weather.

My house smells like you describe when it needs a deep clean. Wash curtains, sofa covers, duvets, mattress protectors and pillows. Swipe dust from behind the radiators, clean windows inside and out, vacuum under furniture you don't usually move. Clean the tops of cupboards in the kitchen, where sticky, greasy particles from cooking gather.

My house smelled gorgeous for months after laundering my curtains. Time to do it again.

I open all the windows every morning while I'm getting ready for work and then close them after an hour. The house doesn't smelly musty when I return from work.l & then I keep them open until I go to sleep. Fresh air andwasking all the soft furnishings make a big difference.

If your PJs smell musty then perhaps look at clearing the filter of your washing machine

Also run it on a hot wash with bicarbonate of soda or vinegar in the main compartment or add one to a pre wash