Help me unravel this mystery before I burn the contents of this room down

[NotAgainWilson]

As the title says, I am feeling like purifying this room through fire after a week of cleaning. washing and replacing stuff has proved unsuccessful to remove the stench a short term lodger left behind.

The room was spring cleaned before his arrival. He was around for 3 weeks. He had massively smelly feet (I said that as the mother of a sporty smelly child that I could barely stand at times, but this is in a different league, more than ten times worse and resistant), after a week around I asked him if he could do something about the smell stench, he apologised (he was lovely and polite otherwise) and said he would get odour eaters to sort it.

It didn’t make a difference so, as I had told him when I rent the room that I would be going in to open the window to ventilate the room every morning, I got the super strength version of Odor Eaters and sprayed all his shoes every morning and left the window open the whole day. This helped the smell not to extend to other rooms as before.

The last of his 3 weeks, he had a cold so stayed at home, therefore I was unable to spray shoes if open the window. He left the room tidy but the stench is still there. It smells as if you have crossed bad smelly feet with buttery toffee and is of such strength you feel like vomiting.

The room was also left covered in some white fluff, very similar to the fluff you may find under the bed if you don’t clean for years, but it was EVERYWHERE, all around the floor, walls, furniture, picture frame and a lot of it has gone into the radiator. I cannot imagine such amount of fluff being produced in three weeks, much less so by a single person no matter how dirty they could be.

I have removed more than bucket load of fluff, vacuum cleaned and washed the walls, floors, furniture and the inside out of the radiator, used a whole can of Odor Eaters, Oust and a full bottle of Ecover as well as leaving the window open every day, one week later the stench is now a smell but is still unbearable.

I have bought a new duvet and pillows. But I am convinced that this situation can be due to either an endocrinology related issue or bacteria, and therefore not safe. Shall I burn all the bed linen? the whole room? I am at the end of my tether, have spent a week cleaning and again every day over the last week and the smell is still there.🤮🤮🤮🤮

I have no advice on how to clean the smell, sorry. But, if you end up buying a new mattress, buy one of these to use on it from the start. It feels nice, not plasticky, or noisy to sleep on. I have them for all beds now, we change sheets weekly, and change the protectors every 3/4 weeks. The beds always smell and feel fresh.

https://www.hippychick.com/shop/waterproof-mattress-protector-fitted-cotton/?gl=11183b58t8tupMQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjwte-vBhBFEiwAQSvxRVSE5rmUbyiW4Gxzj-sVQZV6QjP3F0LtspUeOLeBVpVfZbTgYtv4BoCXqIQAvDD_BwE

Could the fluff have been white mould?

The fluff is from the pod when he hatched? Or maybe he had festering wounds he kept covered with cotton wool and bandages under his clothes..?

I would redecorate and definitely keep the windows wide open for as long as you can stand. The mattress protectors should have kept the mattress clean but if you can detect the smell on it, I'd replace that with one from IKEA (they only seem to do European sizes).

Usually smells stick to soft furnishings better than hard surfaces but if you've taken out the few fabric items and the smell is still there, you might need to wash everywhere down with a fiercer cleaning product or set fire to the house. Or maybe get a cleaning company in to do a deep clean?

It’s “just” a stink and won’t be harmful, but I really feel for you, I know how repulsive that smell is. It’s quite incredible how foul and strong it can be. Covering it up with air fresheners won’t work. Apart from the deep cleaning you’ve done, the only remedy is ventilation and time.

The white stuff might be skin flakes. I knew someone with exceptionally dry skin and their house was covered in thick white fluffy looking dust. It collected in corners and edges exactly as you have described. Luckily that person didn’t have rancid feet.

You can try to mask the smell but the only thing that will get rid of it is time. Have the windows wide open as much as possible and cover the carpet and mattress in bicarb just in case the smell is an acidic one that bicarb can neutralise. It doesn't work on all smells apparently.

And wait it out. It will fade but it will take time. Candles and sprays will only mask it.

Could there be something rotting under the floorboards in that particular spot? I was thinking a dead mouse, but maybe even a shoe of his if he felt offended by you mentioning his smell?!

If I was as at the end of my tether as you sound, I'd take the mattress and the chair and any other soft furniture out of the room and put them somewhere else - garage or something - to see if the smell goes away and / or moves to the garage. Narrow down the cause a bit. If they definitely smell I'd clean them with a carpet cleaner with an upholstery tool and leave then outside to dry.

I'd also take apart all hard furniture where possible and clean all the component parts, and leave it all outside on next dry day you have and let it really air out for several hours. Same with the blind, I'd take it down and unroll it outside, hang it on the washing line or something to air out.

The pet enzymes sprays need to stay on, go right down to the carpet backing, and the area needs to be kept wet until the smell disappears really. If you've already used other cleaning products in the same area they might not work at all.

This thread is like a horror film! I remember my ds had a friend with such stinky trainers that I had to put them outside. The smell made me heave - beyond repulsive.

But this monstrous footstinker is in another league!

I hate him on your behalf

Also there are sone essential oils which are antibacterial, anti fungal and also help neutralize smells like lemon, tea tree, Myrtle.

It just sounds like athlete's foot on steroids. How disgusting. The fluff was probably not fluff it was probably flakey skin off his rotten feet. This would put me off lodgers forever.

Where has he gone now? No need to be specific but can you give general area just to reassure me it’s not near me.

Have you got a fresh nosed friend or better still a dog (may need to be mindful of chemicals used) that may help work out where smell is coming from? Not smelt any rotting rodents but is a possibility smell isn't just from stinky feet man.

If definitely fibre fluff not dusty (dead skin flakes ) could be from new blanket he's shaken, I was surprised how much came off my fleece in my new washing machine given it's been washed few times already as usually put things like that in a pet wash bag.

Mattresses can be hard to dry properly so I'd go for professional clean of that if the bicarb & airing doesn't help.
Not sure if IKEA moved to more UK sizes but could perhaps order a rolled one from an EU country Amazon as sure they include any import taxes in prices. Can also get made to measure as useful for caravans/boats. This company offer custom sizes and can get with a fairly impenetrable anti-vandal cover they also use material in making soft play shapes & dog beds so should be lodger safe😂

My DH regularly brings clothes home that are soaked in diesel. It’s the most invasive smell, the only thing that works is to soak in a bucket of water, then hang stuff on the washing line and leave it there, rain and shine, till the smell has gone. It takes weeks, but always works eventually.
I’d suggest turning off the heating, opening the window wide and shutting the door on the room till it’s gone, assuming the room is upstairs of course!

Is the white fluff actually fluff? Some types of mould have that wispy fluff type look. Has any more of it appeared even after cleaning?

Cheap low ply loo roll can be really bad for dust but sounds like he was using your normal stock.

I'm now incredibly invested in this mystery and will not rest until we know the biological source of both the smell and the fluff.

This should pique their professional curiosity then and it can be at the cutting edge of science, could end up with unintended consequences like a new cure for cancer via some weird property or other of this exciting discovery.

Wait!!!
You probably know if this already, but can you send a swab... They are looking for weird things here...

https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/public-engagement/swab-send#:~:text=Help%20us%20hunt%20for%20the%20next%20antibiotic!&text=If%20you%20choose%20to%20give,literally%20be%20on%20your%20doorstep.

I'm not even joking. 😁😁😁🤓🤓🤓

The poor guy who is attached to those feet!!

I mean if he is just living with it, maybe less sympathy... But imagine if he's doing everything he can, seeking treatment and nothing is working!! 😭 Oh god no escape. 🤢🤢🤢

Wait, before you fire cleanse the room, try this. Order 15kg (a massive sack) of bicarbonate of soda and sprinkle a thick layer all over the soft furnishings. Leave to soak in as long as you can (overnight plus).

Cut up lemons and leave them in the room - they are fab at removing odours.

You can get Euro size mattresses on ebay.

I’d also take things out of the room one by one and see where the smell goes. Bring the mattress out and see if the smell comes with it.

It’s easy enough to buy European mattress sizes in the UK by the way.

But a second hand mattress from eBay sounds like a terrible idea. I’d sooner move house

Then bring the body out from under the bed and see if the smell comes with it