Best way to get rid of musty smell?

[Schmokeandapancake]

Every time I walk into our house I am greeted with a musty smell that I can only put down to the manky carpets :( It jsut feels really unclean, even though I do keep it as clean as possible.

As we are renting I can't/wouldn't change them but is there anything I can do in the meantime?

It's really starting to piss me off!

Do I need to get them cleaned? We have been here a year and they were cleaned before we moved in (allegedly).

I regularly air the house/burn scented candles but it's not enough.

I wish I didn't live in a house with a carpeted hallway and downstairs loo, its so bloody impractical.

Rant over :)

I meant just obviously

you could certainly give them a clean. You can hire a Rug Doctor and will probably be amazed at what comes out; sometimes you get leaflets through the door from people who've bought one, and they can be cheaper than hiring.

Presumably you do open the windows, and don't drape wet washing around the house or over radiators? That tends to encourage condensation, damp and mould. Now that the weather will soon be warming up, Trickle Vents, if you have them, can be left open all the time. If not, an upstairs window, not accessible to a climbing burglar, can be left slightly ajar.

Thanks PigletJohn, I may well try and get hold of a Rug Doctor.

I do open the windows yes, and have made sure all the trickle vents are now open too.

I do hang washing to dry on a clothes horse...perhaps this is part of the problem? We don't have a tumble drier.

We don't have a window in our living room that we can open (we have patio doors and two house cats so we can't leave them open) so it can get a bit stuffyusty here too. Especially with two house cats! My latest trick is to put a tumble dryer sheet on the radiator (when there are no clothes on it!). It's quite subtle but so clean smelling.

I also febreaze everything that is fabric often.

Schmokeandapancake

If you have a garden, hanging stuff on line line will dry it fast and fresh, discouraging mould and mildew, the sun will also help, if any. This will also reduce humidity indoors.

Clothes dried indoors tend not to smell so fresh.

Doodlekitty I have bought some tumble dryer sheets and tried your tip and it's great, so thankyou!

Pigletjohn yes I agree, I do always use the garden when I can, sadly we are not having the kind of weather that is conducive to outside clothes drying at the mo!