Every day in your home, you notice scents, from the garlic in the pasta sauce to the smell of the laundry drying. Aromas and odors in the house can be pleasant or concerning. If you notice a new scent, here is a guide to identifying strange smells in your home.

Sewage Odor

When there is a lingering sewage-like smell in the bathroom or near drains, call a plumber to determine the cause. This scent could indicate various issues, including simple P-trap problems or more severe sewer pipe damage that requires immediate repair.

Strange Smells in Your Home: Sulfurous Odor

If you notice that your home smells like rotting eggs, this could indicate a natural gas leak. Natural gas on its own doesn’t have an odor, but chemicals that smell like sulfur are added so homeowners can detect a leak. If you have natural gas coming into your home from a furnace, stove, or clothes dryer, evacuate and call your natural gas company immediately.

Wet Dog Odor

Wet dogs have a distinct smell, and it can be alarming to notice it in your home if you don’t have pets. Homeowners may detect a damp dog smell when rodent activity is in the house. A pest control professional will evaluate your property for signs of rodent activity and provide humane traps to eliminate the infestation.

Strange Dirty Laundry Smells in Your Home

If you notice an odor like dirty socks when you turn the heat on, this could be the HVAC system’s coils. Coils with bacteria and moisture on the surface emit a surprisingly similar smell to damp fabric. It is known as “Dirty Sock Syndrome”. An HVAC professional will clean the coils during an annual maintenance visit to prevent this unpleasant smell.

Damp, Musty Smells

Mold is a major issue for many homeowners, and it can be difficult to prevent mold growth in the bathroom and kitchen. If your home smells damp and musty, this is a sign of a moisture problem or mold issue. Hire a mold professional to test your home and identify where the mold is present. If the problem is severe, call a mold remediation company to remove affected materials and get rid of existing growth.

Battle Born Inspections offers home inspection services in the northern Nevada area. Contact us to request an appointment.