How can I get rid of an unknown damp smell?

[LadySybilLikesCake]

I cleaned the kitchen floor last week and a few days later the whole of the ground floor began to smell of damp. I've had a look for the source and found a rather wet looking glove (which is now in the bin and the area has been cleaned with bleach), but otherwise nothing. There's no signs of a leak and there's no water in the cellar. I've tried opening the windows to air it and have tried candles, I've even waxed the living room floor which smelt lovely for a few hours, but the smell is lingering. The heating is on, and there's no signs of damp anywhere. Any ideas, please? It's driving me up the wall.

Thank you

How long ago did you throw away the glove? What does the area in which it was found look like now?

Could you have knocked a pipe/tube while tidying?

Also why was the glove damp? Was something dripping in it?

About three days ago. It was wet because it was on the floor under a cupboard and must have soaked up some of the water from the cleaner. It wasn't near a pipe or anything which could leak (the cupboard is full of dry things like rice). The area is dry and looks normal. There was a cardboard box next to the glove but the box is dry and there's no sign of any growth or wetness. I couldn't have knocked anything. The smell seems to be going through the bottom rooms of the house

How did you clean the floor?

Hmmmmm...
I'm sure you've already tried to find it but is it particularly stronger in a specific part of the house? If you can't sniff out a source can your OH/DC/etc?

Good point Shatner! Could you have inadvertently mouldy mopped?!

I used a bissel carpet cleaner with the hard floor attachment, which was rubbish! It didn't soak up the water so I used a flat mop and put the head in the washing machine right away on a 90o wash and opened the windows to dry the floor. I've cleaned the bits of the carpet cleaner but I can't clear the water out of the pipe which goes from the tank to the head. I've used it before though and have never needed to clear water from the pipe before so I don't think it's this. I can't think of where else it can be coming from

Thank you

I can't, it all smells the same I can smell it when I come down the stairs and into the house. No one part smells worse than any other, it's all the same. I didn't use a mop, the carpet cleaner is supposed to clean tiles and lino. I used it upstairs in the bathroom first and there's no smell there. It's the first (and last) time I've used the attachment and I washed and dried it afterwards.

Could it have been the flat mop head? Had it been used before? Maybe it had a secret whiffy smell that it spread around when you used it?

Ooorrrrr...
Has it rained where you are?
Could it be the drains?
Any neighbours flooded their kitchens lately?

Nope. I usually use it to sweep the bathroom when it's dry and I bunged it into the washing machine within an hour. It's dry and doesn't smell.

It's always raining. Next door have a leak in their cellar and it fills up when it rains. They have just had a room replastered but haven't said why. Could it be coming from there? I'm in a terrace, there's an alley between my living room and theirs. Could the water from the cleaner have made the grouting on the kitchen floor too wet and it needs to dry out?

Is there any pools of water under your kick boards if it's the kitchen floor you cleaned. Or have you a sink you don't use regularly , there might be stagnant water in the pipes.

Oh, I'll check, thank you. I don't think I ran the machine right up to the sides as it wouldn't go, but I'll make sure. There's no sink I don't use, there's only the main one which I do use.

Nope, no pools. Even the washing machine is pool free

Could be the grout I guess. Maybe leave ot over the weekend and see how it goes?

This is frustrating!

Yup, very! I've had the windows in the kitchen open all day, every day to try and make the smell go away but it's lingering. Even smelly candles and room spray don't help ARGH!!

Thank you