Smell is driving me insane!!

[Housemouse1]

Hello fellow mumsnetters. Am reaching out here as a last ditch for help. We moved about 5 months ago, and whilst renovation is still ongoing there is one room that I cannot spend time in as it absolutely stinks and I have no idea what it is. It’s hard to put my finger on it ; just a dirty, musty smell. There is a fireplace in there but it’s not the smell of a dead animal that’s fallen behind or anything, we had damp readings done before we bought it so shouldn’t be damp. When we moved in we had the 70s red plush carpet in here ripped out and replaced with laminate- it absolutely stank but we’ve removed it, and in other places in the house where it was it doesn’t smell. We’ve aired this room every day since we’ve moved in, but I can still smell it and it’s no stronger in any part of the room, just a general stink. Any ideas?

I'd try

1. sugar soap on walls and ceiling
2. sprinkle bicarbonate of soda thickly all over the floor and leave for a day. It absorbs smells. Buy it in bulk online
3. open and thoroughly clean windows including the window shuts as they harbour dirt and smells
4. get the chimney swept

If that doesn't work you may have to lift the laminate and try bicarbonate of soda on the concrete too

It could be the paint. I painted a room once and didn't realise the paint was off. Honestly it was disgusting. I had to paint all the walls with this special sealer paint and then paint it again. No other way to get rid of it.

'off' paint is totally disgusting- take the lid of the pot and it will nearly knock you over.
Thinning paint with water and storing it will do it. Some paint batches are just 'off'. But if it stinks, don't use it. Take it to the tip and disppose of it however there.

Ok, thank you everyone for the ideas. I have a plan of action. I’m going to put bicarb down on the flooring, remove the trunking and fireplace and then repaint everything with zinser paint. Hoping this might fix it. The smell is so foul it’s making me paranoid that I can smell it on my clothes when I’ve been in there!
if all else fails I guess we’ll have to take the flooring up and investigate further.

I don’t think it’s the paint but I wonder if it is the ceiling and walls that are ingrained with stink.

Yes @BlueMongoose I don't know what made me think it would be ok. It smelt off but I thought it'll be ok and carried on - how stupid, it was terrible 😢

https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/i-have-olfactory-hallucinations-in-which-i-smell-smoke-what

This was the first thing I thought of since you had covid so long ago and is more associated with loss of smell. However, damage from a virus is related. I hope you figure it out soon. Must be quite annoying and distressing.

Oh fgs... zombie thread. 🤦‍♀️