House musky smell? Air purifier?

[TheOpalFox]

Has anyone’s house got like a musky smell ? I have seen air purifier? are they any good? I clean loads but the next day it’s back to smelly musky? I don’t just want to mask the smell with air fresheners and candles
Thanks

Check to see if you've got an underlying damp issue. Often that's the cause of an ongoing musty smell.

Open the windows?

Sounds like damp. You need heat and ventilation, so maybe a dehumidifier would be the best investment?

Really, the priority is to check for sources of persistent and continuing damp if you haven’t already.

You need fresh air. How often do you open your windows? I leave all mine open for about half an hour in the morning, even on a very cold day. I usually leave the bedroom windows open a smidge throughout the night too.

We have an air purifier, but I don't think it'd help with this. Ours does have an option to "fragrance" air, but it makes it smell really artificial... my husband can't stand the smell and he's not usually sensitive.

If you don't know where the musky smell is coming from, that's what you need to solve first. Is it mold? Damp? An air purifier might cover it for a bit, but it won't solve it, and unless you pay for a really decent one, you'll spend a lot in filter changes to run it constantly.

Is it an old house? I think old houses can have a musty / dusty smell , despite being very clean. My old house can smell dusty, and I have pets so I’m really on top of any smells.

some things I think helps are -

daily airing , with windows regularly opened (as pp have said).

prices candles burned daily (they are odour eating candles, not very fragrant but banish any smells). I have the ‘pet’ one in living areas and ‘cooks candle’ in my kitchen.

keeping soft furnishings (curtains, sofa, throws, cushions etc) fresh with regular washing /airing/enzyme spray. Wash carpets at least once a year.

dehumidifier in any damp rooms / areas.

regular drain cleaning (old pipes can be smelly).

A good ‘deep clean’ where you really go at the areas that get missed in regular cleans. Dust the ceiling, move all the furniture and hoover / clean underneath, steam clean sofa/curtains etc.

im not saying your home isn’t clean… I just know that in my old house this helps keep it fresh…. and it’s very different from ‘new’ houses I’ve lived in, which seemed way less dusty and prone to smelling musty.