Building odor & smell diagnostic FAQs:

Frequently asked questions about how to track down the source of odors or smells in or around buildings. Where is that horrible smell coming from? Is it the dog? Maybe not, as these reader questions and moderator replies explain.

This article series provides a methodology useful for tracking down the sources of odors in buildings. How to find the cause of odors, odor sources, and how to find and cure the source of smells in building air, water, heating and cooling systems, or other sources.

FAQs on Finding the Source of Odors or Smells in Buildings

Recent Questions & Answers about Odor Diagnosis & Cure in and around Buildings, posted originally

at ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE - topic home.

Be sure to go through the diagnostic steps given there.

On 2019-05-02 by (mod) -

It may help to diagnose this problem to discover where the smell is strongest. If the smell is strongest in your business then you may have a dead animal in a wall ceiling or floor cavity

On 2019-05-01 by Jackie

I work in a business that is next door to two other businesses one cooked food or grocery! There is a dead animal smell in my business I have pull everything out & called wssc they found nothing they say! Both neighbors are unresponsive
Should I call health department? How can I get smell out?

On 2018-10-21 by (mod) -

Re-posting a Q&A originally received by private email:

Reader Anonymous said:

I read your comprehensive article on the complex world of odors.

I ordered a dashcam from Amazon that arrived with a yellow stain inside the box with a very noxious odor.

While they are handling the matter, I would still like to have the item tested.

[The odor] is very strong and unlike anything I have ever smelled. You cannot stay in the same room with it.

Can you help or reccommmend someone to help identify the odor. - Anon. by private email

Moderator reply:

Chemical or FLIR or other tests to identify the constituents in an odor or airborne gas not a service we can provide. To protect reader trust in our impartiality, InspectApedia.com does not sell any product nor service.

I suspect that what would be far more economical than attempting to identify gases comprising an odor from a box would be an examination of the stain and its chemistry directly.

Frankly I also suspect that neither is cost-reasonable to address if the matter is mere curiosity.

However if you use a web search for "gas identification test laboratory service" you will find a range of laboratories offering a range of such services.

Be sure to discuss both the cost and the nature and extent and breadth of testing since often I find readers or clients have paid for a test that's actually not diagnostic and of little actual utility.

Also some labs provide only narrow-scope tests that they may be willing to perform, such as MVOC identification, that in truth are not appropriate for your question.

Using a fee schedule from EMS lab, one of the nation's largest, you will see that tests to identify A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL CHEMICAL range from about $30. to about $700. U.S. dollars.

And from my own lab experience I can tell you that there is no single economical "screening test" that tests for or identifies all of the possible tens of thousands of possible chemical compounds that could be present.

That's why in my OPINION in most cases it makes more sense to take a more source-investigative-approach first.

On 2018-05-17 by (mod) -

When an odor appears as a result of running water I suspect

- sulphur or bacteria-contaminated water supply

- a problem with the building vent or drain trap systems

On 2018-05-17 by shannon

Moved in a upstairs downstairs everytime you run water in the downstairs bathroom the whole house smell like rotten eggs and when the air or heat is running it comes and goes makes me throw up landlord acts like its normal

On 2017-10-21 by (mod) -

Kaylee

There is no household product whose normal use would produce coliform contamination in a water well: water flows OUT of plumbing fixtures into the drain system, not directly into a well.

Short of deliberate tampering such as dropping feces or contaminated sewage into a well - bizarre, unusual, unconscionable, and unlikely events - the way that a well develops high coliform levels is either from surface runoff entering the well or from actual contamination of the well's supplying aquifer, perhaps from a nearby failed septic absorption system.

When the coliform count is very high I am never optimistic that shocking the well (bleaching it to use your term) will be successful as usually when there is a high coliform level there is a persistent source of contamination.

Smells in the water, unless there is actual raw sewage flowing into the well (again, bizarre and unlikely) are often from something else such as a high sulfur content. Discuss those possibilities with your lab.

See WATER TESTS FOR BACTERIA, GUIDE TO https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Tests_for_Bacteria.php

and
See WATER TEST INTERPRETATION - https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Test_Report_Interpretation.php where we discuss How to Interpret & Act On Drinking Water Test Results

On 2017-10-21 by Kaylee

I had to do a water test for sale of house, private well, the test results came back with very high levels of Coliform, I know the well was tapered with, well head had been removed, all the cloths washed still stink from water and what ever was dumped into well still leave a nasty odor on cloths... all cloths are not saveable..

the water does not smell at taps however the cloths are damaged, can't get smell out... and these cloths and blankets left to sit, the smell gets stronger..

I'm trying to figure out what kind of product would cause this? I have bleached well and will wait for second water test... any Ideas?? Thank-you!

Question: BO smells treated with bleach

(July 27, 2014) LKW said:

I have lived in my home for ten years. About five years ago I used a cleaning service that used bleach to clean my bathrooms. About three days after the cleaning, I would smell a scent that smelled like body order to me. This continued even after I no longer used the cleaning service. It has become worse over the years.

I have a glass tile window above the bath tub with vinyl shutters over. it. The window faces west and it seams that the heat causes the fumes to come either from the window or the shutters.

I wonder if cleaning either of these with bleach could remove a protective coating or cause a chemical reaction with the heat causing the smell of (body order to me) or a hot chemical smell (to my husband).

Can anyone give me any information about this condition?

Reply:

LKW

In the More Reading links just above please click on the article titled

PLASTIC ODORS-SCREENS, SIDING

to read about the odor source you suspect.

let me know if questions remain

Question: gasoline smell remediation

Beenie said:

There is a strong odor of what I believe to be gasoline coming from my outdoor shower. The previous owner had a motorcycle he kept in the vicinity. What can I clean it with? The shower water drains onto a wood floor and out into the dirt below.

Reply:

First we need to know accurately where this odor comes from: a spill, adjacent equipment, or (dangerously) in the water supply itself. For surfaces you can try the SMELL PATCH TEST KIT we recommend above - easy and nearly free.

If gasoline or other petroleum product spills occurred onto nearby soils the soil may need to be removed or encapsulated.

Question: possible new carpet odor

(Sept 13, 2014) jean said:
My sister in law moved into an apartment 2 months ago an there is an odor that we dont know what it is

or how to get rid of it she has kept the widows open to let it air but does not seem to work there is new carpet an vinyl flooring. An also wondering if it could be unhealthy to breathe ?

Reply:

Possibly, but without knowing what the odor is we don't want to guess at its hazard.

Take a look at CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY for some suggestions.

Question: Rotten egg odors

(Sept 29, 2014) Rick said:
Shortline CoachUSA Bus company built a brand new 2 story 192,000 sq ft facility in Chester NY. We have observed a rotten egg odor since the first day we moved in. It is infrequent and seems to be heaviest on the first floor.

We have observed this odor during the A/C running, during the heat running, on windy days and on calm days. We are not noticing it in the bathroom drains.

Is there someone in our area that will come out and test or diagnose where this odor is emanating from? It is very uncomfortable some days more than others and if possible to diagnose and eliminate we are all for it.

Reply:

Rick at SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES we discuss sources, hazards and remedies for rotten egg odors.

Question: smells from the Chinese laundromat

(Oct 13, 2014) Olga said:

What to do if the nasty smell of washing and drying machines from the Chinese laundromat comes to the building apartments above and the Chinese boss pretends not to understand what we're talking about?

Reply:

You might want to look more carefully at some ventilation strategies that bring in fresh air from a more palatable source, as well as at sealing leaky windows.

See VENTILATION, WHOLE HOUSE STRATEGIES

Question: sourkraut smells

(Dec 3, 2014) Anonymous said:

a 10 ft square area of our foyer has a faint smell of sourkraut (never used in our home). We cannot identify the source and we have really tried. HELP

Reply:

You might be able to track down the odor source using our low-cost approach: SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE as well as by a careful visual inspection for stains, leaks, animal entry points etc.

Sourkraut smells or odors may be due to

• a hidden mold problem - look for leaks or for visible mold
• fermentation of foods or beverages left unattended - check under your teen-ager's bed for dirty dishes
• plumbing drain leaks
• plumbing vent leaks
• chemical spills or use of chemical products, pesticides, insecticides

Question: smells from my gas furnace

20 January 2015 Anonymous said:
when my gas furnace is running it is giving of a chemical smell like a very strong air frishner spray doing this for about 5 days ??? help

Reply:

Anon I don't know what might make an air freshener smell but to be safe

Watch out: be sure that you have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors properly located and installed.

If your alarms sound go outside and call your emergency services.

If you are sure the odor is coming from your heating system you should call a heating service company promptly.

Question: TCP odor in a E.U. Home: U.K. disinfectant odor or smell

(Feb 23, 2015) TCP smell in hall said:
Hello I have a smell of TCP in my hall, I am not sure what it is coming from. Does anyone know what it could be?

Reply:

TCP:

TCP is a mild antiseptic used in the E.U. and produced by a French company. Sold in the U.K. by Omega Pharma. If you are pretty sure that's the odor I'd talk to the cleaners or see if a neighbour spilled the antiseptic nearby.

Question: intermittent musty smell when wind blows

(Aug 2, 2015) S. Dyke said:

We get an intermittent smell in our ensuite. It is a musty smell rather than sewage. It is strongest when the wind is blowing outside and often is not detected for days at a time. We have decide to replace the toilet and my husband removed the toilet and placed a plastic bag over the end of the waste pipe.

Surprisingly this is moving as if a breeze is blowing up the pipe. The downpipe enters the sewage system through the garden and we can see no possible way a wind is entering the pipe.

Reply:

Nice detective work S.D.

It's quite plausible that depending on building shape, roof shape, location of plumbing vents and other factors we might on occasion see a temporary downdraft down a plumbing vent stack.

There may also be natural downdrafts that occur in a vent stack when a volume of water is sent flowing down a drain.

That is how the vent should be working. By allowing air into the plumbing vent system to satisfy the vacuum created by emptying a plumbing sink tub, or toilet, we are preventing the siphonage of water out of nearby plumbing traps. We need to keep water in the traps to avoid smelly and potentially explosive sewer gases from entering the building from its drain system.

As long as we have not siphoned water out of a trap and as long as there are no leaks in drains nor in the vent piping system we should not smell sewer odors in a building. If we do we look, as you are, for a leaky toilet seal, lost water seals in traps (check floor drains), or a leak in the vent piping system.

Other "musty" odors might be traced to leaks or mold too.

Question: burning plastic odor after heavy rain

(Aug 12, 2015) Allan said:
After a heavy downpour, recently we smell a burning plastic smell which is so bad we have to open all windows and leave the room'.

Reply:

Allan:

Watch out: I'd be looking for a leak that wet something electrical - which is UNSAFE risking fire or shock or worse injury. Try turning off electrical power to the room in question.

Question: Musty Old House smell in an apartment building

(Nov 29, 2015) Lis said:
I live in the northeast US in an apartment in a large house hat has several other apartments. The house is over 100 years old and may be 150 years old. There has been for the last few years a "heavy" musty smell in the air. This smell also smells up my clothing. I notice it if I spend a few nights away. When I return it beomes barely noticeable after about a day. The building manger says it's not mold but I don't think they really know what it is. They said it is "old house smell".

Reply: the odor has a source; it's not generic.

Find where the odor is strongest

• Look for water leaks, mold, or an animal infestation.
• Look for evidence of problems with cats, dogs, other pets, or from invading mice, rats, raccoons, birds, other invading animals.
• Look for unclean surfaces coated with deposits from cooking & cooking odors.

Keep in mind that old house musty odors are also often related to inadequate ventilation - and can be part of an IAQ issue that can in turn be a health hazard to some occupants.

• Douwes, Jeroen, Gert Doekes, Karen M. Higgins, R. O. B. Van Strien, Jacques Spithoven, And Bert Brunekreef. "Fungal Extracellular Polysaccharides, β (1→ 3)‐Glucans and Culturable Fungi in Repeated Sampling of House Dust." Indoor Air 11, no. 3 (2001): 171-178.
• Hägerhed‐Engman, L., T. Sigsgaard, I. Samuelson, J. Sundell, Staffan Janson, and C‐G. Bornehag. "Low home ventilation rate in combination with moldy odor from the building structure increase the risk for allergic symptoms in children." Indoor air 19, no. 3 (2009): 184-192.
• Hoeesh, Arthur J. "The role of odors and vapors in allergic disease." Journal of Asthma Research 4, no. 2 (1966): 125-136.
• Stein, Marvin, and Perry Ottenberg. "Role of odors in asthma." Psychosomatic medicine 20, no. 1 (1958): 60-65.

(Nov 30, 2015) Lis said:

Thank you for your prompt reply. The smell is everywhere in my apartment and probably through the house. It is "musty" with a tinge of ammonia smell. It almost seems to be like an invisible cloud with higher concentrations higher in the air.

There have been numerous water leaks in pipes in the walls over the years but a plumber fixed these when they happened. Could the smell just be "old house smell"? Does this even exist or is it definitely something else?

(mod) said:
Lis

Even when smell is everywhere usually someone with a good sense of smell, coming in from fresh outdoor air, can determine where the odor is strongest. I'd try that; otherwise we're shooting in the dark.

A second direction of investigation is to look at leaks that occurred any time in the past; follow the water - what got wet; a wet wall or ceiling cavity or insulation could harbor a mold colony.

(Nov 30, 2015) Lis said:

Thank you again for your prompt reply. The smell is EVERYWHERE equally in the apartment. I have a good sense of smell. The best way I can describe it, when I have been away for at least a day, is a pungent "musty" small with a very slight burring sensation when breathed in through my nose; almost like ammonia.

As I indicated below the building manger says it's just "old house smell" (the house is at least 100 years old). My question is: Is there such a thing as "old house smell", like wood and materials that have simply decayed over the many years? Do you think it is mold?

(mod) said:

Yes old houses often have a characteristic odor. However the odor has a source; it's not generic.

Common sources include bat or rodent fecal or urine waste in walls or ceilings, food or cooking or cigarette deposits on surfaces, prior spills, puffbacks, events. A combination of removal, cleaning, and sealing can correct the trouble but the task can be arduous.

For example in a home in Rhinebeck NY the owner boarded dogs in her home for a decade or more. Dog odor was everywhere. Inspecting in the attic and wall cavities I found ultra-fine dust comprised of dog dander and dirt brought inside by the doggies when they came in from romping in the yard and rolling in the dirt.

To clean such an area would involve removing porous materials that can't be economically cleaned (insulation in this case), HEPA vacuuming, perhaps washing damp wiping, and perhaps applying a post-fire odor-sealant before re-insulating.

In your case cleaning and removal of old materials such as carpets or curtains and re-painting old surfaces can reduce much of the odor you describe.

Still it would be a fundamental error to fail to look for specific problems such as leaks, rodents, spills.

"Decayed wood" indoors such as at trim and furniture is not likely unless there has been flooding or extensive leakage and would thus not be the source of your complaint.

(Dec 1, 2015) Lis said:
Thank you again. What kind of company should I contact who will be able to accurately identify the source and correct it? Are there any national companies that do this? Do any companies give a free evaluation?

(mod) said:
At the top of any of our pages you'll find some links to EXPERTS DIRECTORIES that include environmental investigators.

I'm doubtful someone could possibly give a free evaluation for a whole house survey for a source of a non-specific odor.

Beware of mere "testing" - vs inspecting - there is no generic single test that can identify all possible contaminants in a building and even if you did find out by testing what the dominant chemicals are, that may not tell you where the odor source is originating.

Question: bad smell from the Chinese Takeaway shop

(Apr 3, 2016) Barbara Would said:

I own a large block of shops and the dress shop is complaining about a bad smell from the Chinese Takeaway shop next door.
They are situated on a hill,the takeaway is slightly higher and much longer so is also behind the dress shop.

I have checked the plumbing and sewer and can find nothing, plus food and fat disposal appears to be done correctly.
Could their fan system above the fryers be the problem?

Reply:

Barbara

It can be difficult to control cooking odors between two abutting spaces, but you may be able to improve life (and business) for the dress shop with help from an HVAC engineer familiar with the issues. Improvements to the Chinese Takeaway's exhaust venting might need to be supplemented by putting the dress shop under positive pressure, blowing in fresh air ducted from a not-smelly source.

But first I'd check to see if there are obvious snafus that can simply be fixed, such as a vent fan drawing odors into the dress shop, or odors and air passing via a suspended ceiling, open fire door, ductwork, etc.

Watch out: if the Chinese Takeaway's kitchen is not properly vented and/or lacks proper fire prevention systems there may be building fire hazards as well.

Question: stale smoke smells in the bathroom

Apr 11, 2016) tamsin gayle marshall said:

I have recently been able to smell stale smoke in the bathroom, bathroom only! Nowhere else have I smelt it. I cannot identify where the smell is coming from, but is only getting worse. Noone in the house smokes so thats out of the question. Its driving me insane. I need to know where it is coming from.

I am pregnant, I have a 10 month old and my partner is asthmatic. Im worried for our health. please help!!

Reply:

Tamsin

Check the routing & condition of the bath vent exhaust fan.

I suspect someone is sneakng smokes in the bathroom. Do you have a smoking teenager or spouse?

Question: odors coming from elevator or pipe chase?

(May 28, 2016) Lisa said:

My daughter moved into an apt. last Nov. It was next to an elevator. In her front closet were some pipes running up and through. She slowly found more and more of a fume in her place, like burnt rubber from the elevator and sometimes peppery. Only in her place. we checked for everything, ruled out meth lab, gas leak,etc.

So bad one nite I said get to the ER and then to a hotel and tomorrow your moving.

Her blood test was so bad the MD said in 24hrs she wouldve DIED! The fumes were coming from her hair and skin. I wanted her to leave the couch and mattress but we arent that rich and she did move them. and the rug. A week later the smell was coming from them and we threw them out and she is sleeping on the floor.

She washed everything 12x with baking soda, tide extra and vinegar rinse water. Only the bedroom smells a little better and her books shoes and coats are still in double sealed bags. What could this be. Help!

Reply: Doctor warns of carbon monoxide hazards?

Lisa what you describe sounds serious but there is no information that would let us make a diagnostic nor repair suggestion; your daughter and the building owner need an on site expert.

"Blood levels" of what?
"Fumes" of what?

Watch out: Baking soda and vinegar won't correct building contaminants nor any other unsafe or un-healthy indoor air quality issue.

(May 31, 2016) Lisa said:

Thank you for the comment, I now have more info and maybe you can help us to get rid of the oder.

The MD said she had CO2 poisening from the fumes. The landlord owns dozens of blds in DC an knows nothing.No onsite expert was possible, just an air quality test cost thousands and she has to go thru foiAct to get info on bldg maintenance.

She tracked it down to the elevator next to her venting into the closet.It has hydrolic oil that lubricates the cable and when it gets low the friction is what poured the vapor into the elevator and the hole in her front closet. The smell came and went in strengh as the elev. was oiled, I guess.

She had so much co2in her blood she was almost a fatality. what about the next young person to move in there as they were very cavalier about it.

But our question is, this poor kid has had to toss out our double bag and store everything she owns...what can she do to remove the oder which keeps coming back in the new apt.IS there anything that can help her salvage her school books, clothes etc.from this rotting burnt rubber smell? Thanks

(mod) said:

Sorry for the delay in posting your comment, Lisa; the Comments software sees a period not followed by a space as perhaps an illegal web link and blocks the comment until I see it.

CO poisoning effects, unless caught quickly, can be missed in a person. I agree that that is an extremely-serious life-hazard.

The question is where the CO came from. Throwing away clothes has nothing to do with CO poisoning; CO in buildings is typically produced by heating equipment that lacks adequate combustion air, or on occasion by gasoline engines running indoors such as in a parking garage.

A top priority from what you said is, in my OPINION, that no one should be in that building without properly-installed, properly-located, tested, working CO and smoke detectors, and further that if you are sure the CO exposure problem occurred in the building, not elsewhere, building management needs to be notified immediately, in writing and orally, as there may be very urgent life-safety issues.

Watch out: On any evidence of a current CO hazard the building is not safe to occupy and it may be appropriate to call emergency services - 911.

CO itself is odorless, but the gases containing CO may have an odor that suggests their origin, such as from a heating system or a parking garage.
In a building with stairways and elevator shafts air is moved up and down (for example by the elevator) so can be moved between building floors, transporting odors or even dangerous gases from one place to another.

See the article series beginning at CARBON MONOXIDE - CO

You can better guess at what other hazards may accompany the "burnt rubber" smell by tracing the smell to its origin; I can't guess at what it is by e-text.

Question: wooden front door gets very hot

(Aug 13, 2016) Anonymous said:
We have a wooden front door that gets so hot that it feels like it could start a fire. Does this indicate anything?

Reply:

Anonymous:

I don't know. What's making the door hot? Sunlight? Or something else more obscure and more dangerous.

This research article discusses the ignition point of pine. But then we don't even know what wood was used in your door.

• Yudong, Li & Dougal Drysdale, "Measurement of the Ignition Temperature of Wood", original source: www.iafss.org/publications/aofst/1/380/view\

Also see PYROLYSIS EXPLAINED

Question: odor traced to nest of yellowjackets?

2016/09/19 Jody said:
Can an active yellow jacket nest in the foundation cause an odor like cigarette butts during the evenings only?

Reply:

Jody:

Not that I found in researching the question you ask, though German yellowjackets (Vespula germanica) use odors to find food, and there is a relationship between stinkbugs and yellowjackets: see

• Aldrich, J. R., W. R. Lusby, and J. P. Kochansky. "Identification of a new predaceous stink bug pheromone and its attractiveness to the eastern yellowjacket." Experientia 42, no. 5 (1986): 583-585.

Odors associated with insects are sometimes also traced to use of chemical pesticides in the building

On 2013-02-27 by Christine

I live in an old 25 storey bldg that is probably about 40 yrs old. I live on the 23rd floor. Started noticing a foul odour almost immediately...localized in the kitchen behind the counters - almost in behind where all the plumbing is located.

there are gaps where the cupboards meet the wall and you can feel a strong draft coming thru with a very odd, foul smell (industrial cleaner, vomit-like, sewage...just awful!)... landlord "claims" HE cant smell anything and is being lazy saying he can't "seal up" my whole apartment.

I dont know what to do. I've duct taped every single gap I can locate and the kitchen looks ridiculous with the amount of tape I have, The smell is thick at times...it comes and goes - sometimes will stay for less than 30 mins, other times, it's a few hours..

.the smell is starting to "sit with me" meaning everywhere I go, I can smell this odour lingering.

I have no leaking issues within the apartment but there has been work done at some point as the wall has drywall marks on it -you can tell someone patched something up. Worried that this is going to become a health hazard, flammable, bad for breathing etc......HELP!!!!

On 2013-02-17 by linda

We recently moved into a house that has been painted top to bottom, and had new carpeting on the upper level.

We noticed a smell of sourness, a wet-bacterial, almost urine-like smell upon entering the house. Now that we have been here 2 weeks, when it rains there is a persistent smell throughout the house of this sour, wet-bacteria like smell.

I cleaned the house top to bottom with anti bacterial cleanser on the hardwood floors and all surfaces. We also painted the basement floor ... We did not notice mold in the basement or efflorescence to indicate alot of water issues. Before we moved in, had a vent cleaning & disinfectant treatment.

One 'flag' is that the house had wood siding that was recently covered over with tin siding, and I noticed some drain pipes are not connected. The windows are old. I fear that water has entered the building envelope and is causing this smell. Its an old house, cement block foundation but frame structure.

We came home from a week's vacation and the smell is knocking my socks off. My eyes sting as I type this. Could this be mold that smells sour like this? Or bacteria from damp conditions (my suspicion). We have rented it for a year until we find a house to buy, but I don't want my furnishings to absorb this smell.

What can I do?

On 2013-02-01 by kay

I live on a low floor in hi rise building with attached garage. There are 2 doors leading from garage to building, with 1 1/2 foot space in between. I think they are there to trap polluted air. Condo board has mandated to keep inner door open, which then leaks pollutants and dirt smell of garage into building.

Due to air flow/pressure from open ramp doors when cars come in, the bad air is pushed into building. Due to my location, I smell. Board is more concerned that 2 doors to open is just not convenient. During the day, both doors are left open.

On 2012-12-31 by Peggy

We bought a former drug house where drugs were cooked. There is no flooring but the smell is still there. How do we remove it?

On 2012-11-03 by Don

Hi! When out AC is not working, some smell of food and even cigarretes come into the our house from the AC return vents. Where and how could this be diagnosed?

Thanks.

On 2012-10-17 by Alan UK

Hi there
Some excellent points within your website

We have a weird "odour issue" here in new educational building - particularly bad in small office .

We have replaced carpet flooring with vinyl, re-painted and changed ceiling tiles, stripped down air con unit and rerviewed ventilation system - all appear OK.
Smell is still present and its description varies between organic, metallic, cannabis-like, urine like

On 2012-08-13 by (mod) - Dishwasher causing odors?

Dishwasher causing odors? that's a new one for us to work on a bit.
I think I'd start by having a handy person take a thorough look under and behind the dishwasher to be sure there are no leaks and no rodents.

Also check the drain and drain screen in your unit.

Also check that the dishwasher drain is properly connected and that the nearby plumbing drain it uses is properly vented.

You might also try running a dishwasher cycle or two with a dilute bleach solution (1/4 c bleach to 1 c water) and then a rinse with no soap nor bleach nor nothing, then a dry cycle.

On 2012-08-13 by lily

Hi
My house began to smell really awful during hot weather. It first occurred the summer after I got my new dishwasher. It had never occurred with the old dishwasher. Also, sometimes the dishes themselves have the smell. My husband doesn't notice it, nor my son.

But a client was in the house last week and she told my it smelled like an elephant house. I think it has a very strong, sickening smell of an institutional kitchen. I've scrubbed the kitchen down, and the dishwasher too. Could it be behind the dishwasher?

If not, are there people who specialize in finding sources of odor? This has been going on several years, I'm embarrassed to have people over and am being driven to distraction.

On 2012-06-12 1 by sheila

when air and sun hit our basement we have a terrible gas smell. this happened after our newly constructed basement was painted. No one can figure it out.

On 2012-02-07 by Alicia

This morning I've noticed a smell throughout home that reminds me of old aluminum lawn furniture frames brought up from the basement when they have what looks like grains of salt on them. House is a 4-level split with no basement, very shallow crawlspace and 2 attic spaces so shallow you have to stay on hands and knees.

No central air, baseboard radiation, gas-fired water heater and boiler, electric kitchen. I've noted a similar smell when air purifiers were used but we currently do not have any because of my aversion to this odor. No recent painting or carpet installation.

Not the sicky sweet smell of organic decay so I don't think there are any dead critters but I just don't know what could be causing the odor. Please help.

On 2012-01-20 by HP

We moved into our new super tight and mostly green one story, no basement, home 4 months ago (8/11). In the past month an odor has developed. We have a woodstove, heat pump (that is rarely used), high quality ventilation fans for range and bathrooms, concrete floors with rugs (no carpet).

The kitchen is open to the living area and the kitchen is in the very middle of the house. The smell seems to be most notable in the kitchen. It smells a lot like onions or garlic that are going bad.

It does not smell like sulfur. A bottle of homemade wine (with yeast)- a well-intentioned gift! was on the kitchen counter next to the range about 2 months ago. One morning it was found broken.

The wine probably went behind the wood countertop and cabinets, although no odor can be detected when smelling around the edges of the cabinets. We don't have ceiling fans yet. We go in and out frequently so the house is not shut up tight for days.

We've tried keeping windows cracked. I've perused your very informative site and I'm still not sure where to start. Thanks so much for your help!

On 2012-01-01 by Alex

Hello, ilive in apartment complex and I have a serious smell problem in my room. It smells like cheap plastic. Like a cheap bath tub curtain. I was able to track the smell and it's comming between the baseboard and the old hardwood floor. It is the exterior wall, smells all day long , any wheather condition,

Any idea of that type of smell it is or what sourse might be comming from? I'm afraid it's toxic so I'm sleeping in the living room. Maintenance ppl were useless and don't know what to do. Any advise please?

On 2011-11-06 by Wendy K.

What could be the source of an odor that smells like rancid, sweet, wet paint? The smell is contained to one room of our house, it builds up when doors and windows are closed, is all the time and we can't pinpoint exactly where in the room. We moved in 4 months ago, and it smelled.

We thought it was wet paint (previous owners painted) even after weeks and weeks and no other room (that was painted) smelled. We wound up gutting the walls down to the studs, replaced insulation, drywalled, and painted. It smelled like fresh wet paint, and when that dried we were back to the same offensive odor.

We've tested for mold with an IH, tests were negative. Please help!!! We are desperate, it's my youngest daughters room and she has been sleeping in her sister's room until we can figure this out! Thank you!!!

On 2011-10-04 by Anny

I replaced a commode because not only was it old but there was a sewer smell in this one of three bathroom in my home.

I still am getting a sewer smell only from this bathroom. The weather turned cold the day before I started to smell the odor and can't understand why it is just this commode.

On 2011-10-0 by (mod) - cooking odors

Anon:

Gee. Usually cooking odors are not a health issue, though as a fellow asthmatic I understand that almost anything can become an irritant.

But unless your neighbor is operating a restaurant, it would be rather unusual for someone to be cooking from just before dawn until after 2 AM. I'd be looking for a different cause for your complaints.

On 2011-09-24 by Anonymous

Have a neighbor - saying she is a physician whose cooking causes our breathing to become difficult our asthma to flare and sleeping has become impossible.

This morning from before dawn until after 2am some nights it's just unbearable. Please help

On 2011-09-01 by (mod) - what dirty pennies smell like

Rachelle,
I'm not sure what dirty pennies smell like, and have to give rather vague advice.

When we don't understand an odor in a building ordering costly screening tests can be just tossing away the money.

I'd focus on identifying the location or source of the smell by noting time of day, weather conditions, and specific locations of strongest odor, perhaps using the smell patch test approach as well.

On 2011-08-18 by rachelle chavez

Great information, However, I have a specific question! I have a smell that comes and goes and it smells like your hands after you have been holding a bunch of dirty pennies.

Our house is only a year old. What can this be? It alsmost burns my nose and my husband developed such bad problems that his throat closed up in the shower one night and we had to call 911.

...

Continue reading at ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST, PROCEDURE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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Recommended Articles

• ODOR DIAGNOSIS SIX STEPS - take an orderly approach to finding the odor source
• ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST - an easy checklist
• ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE - catalog of places to look for an odor source
• SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE - test specific surfaces or items to see if an odor source of if they have absorbed and are re-emitting an odorinspection of everything, nothing was found.

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