If your house smells like urine, and you've taught your young sons to aim into the toilet, not around it, you might have a pest problem, a plumbing problem, or a mold problem. Malfunctioning electrical wires might also cause a urine-like odor.
Try mixing about a cup of peroxide, three tablespoons of baking soda, and just a couple drops of dish detergent. Spray the area, allow it to sit for about 20 minutes, and rub the area until the odor is eliminated.
“Three things that musty old houses have in common: little ventilation, high humidity, and darkness,” says Bill Carroll Jr., an adjunct professor of chemistry at Indiana University. That makes these places the perfect petri dish for mold to flourish, which happens to be the main purveyor of that “old house smell.”
Place bowls of baking soda around the basement. The baking soda will begin to absorb the odors and should make a significant difference over the course of a few days. You can also use bowls of white vinegar or clean cat litter—both will absorb odors as well.
This is due to the gases released by the bacteria that are digesting the urine when the carpet is wet. If any of the urine remains in the rug fibers, it will continue to smell. The same is true for vomit, another common problem associated with pets and carpeting. Once the rug dries it will begin to smell better.
The smell of ammonia is an offensive odor that will require a strong, and powerful solution to eliminate from both the air and the surfaces. Often people will turn to natural household deodorizers such as vinegar, baking soda, and even hydrogen peroxide to eliminate this odor.
Causes. Strong odors inside your home sometimes are an indication that you have a problem with mold. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, mold growth produces a variety of odors from earthy or musty to a foul stench. An ammonia-like odor after a period of rain could be caused by mold.
An ammonia smell in your home can come from cat urine, leaking household cleaners, or leaking refrigerant from older-model refrigerators or RV refrigerators stored in your home. Ammonia smells carried from nearby factories or farms can also make their way inside.
In the air, ammonia will last about 1 week. Ammonia has been found in air, soil, and water samples at hazardous waste sites. In the air near hazardous waste sites, ammonia can be found as a gas. Ammonia can also be found dissolved in ponds or other bodies of water at a waste site.
Occasionally having urine that smells like ammonia isn't usually cause for concern. You may need to drink more water to dilute your urine. However, if your symptoms are accompanied by pain or potential signs of infection, such as a fever, then you should see a doctor.
It's often described as musty and earthy, and may even smell like rotting vegetables or plants. You might notice a musty smell, but not be able to see any mold growing. In this case, you should look for areas that might be exposed to water.
That distinctive odor can be an indication of a mold problem. Certain types of mold have a smell similar to cat urine, including dangerous toxic black mold, which should be remediated by a professional.
Multiple things can cause your house to smell like cat urine, even if you don't have a cat. Investigate if there is mold, leaking Freon, sewer gases, smelly plants, spoiled food, or even stains from previous pet owners.
An ammonia smell in the bathroom may simply be the remnants of a pet accident or poor aim by the boys and men in the family, since the ammonia smell is most commonly caused by urine. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the toilet and the area around it to make sure any urine splashes or misses are cleaned up.
Dogs tend to reuse the same spot to potty over and over again. They take it as a cue to get down to business. Over time, this can cause an accumulation of odor in a certain spot in the yard on the concrete—it may even cause discoloration and kill the grass or plants.
A lack of ventilation, darkness, and high humidity can all cause mold to flourish, which tends to be the root of that unpleasant “old house smell.” That scent is actually caused by mVOCs (Mold Volatile Organic Compounds), which is a chemical associated with the mold life cycle that is strong enough to emit a bad odor.
Musty smells in houses may be attributed to several causes, including: Mold and mildew: Leaky pipes, a damaged roof, high humidity, and exposed dirt in the crawlspace may all contribute to moisture buildup. This moisture combined with the stagnant air and dark corners can lead to the growth of mold and mildew.
Musty smells and odors in the house are very likely coming from the crawl space. If the house smells musty after a big rain, you very likely have a moisture problem in the crawl space. The good news is that most smells can be removed if you eliminate the source of the smells.