[patriciaanne]

Hello, my name is Trisha im new here and looking for some advice on getting a musty smell out of my static caravan, ive tried the good old soap and water etc etc, any ideas would be welcome.

Thankyou

Trisha

[Mike Halliday]

if it has just been left over winter then fresh air to start.  most caravan upholstery is removable so take it out side on a sunny day and let it get a good airing. the odour may be in curtains, take them to the dry cleaners.

this may solve the problem. if not then you need to clean the upholstery and use a deodoriser, or you an upholstery cleaner?

[John Kelly]

If it doesn't go with airing and normal cleaning then there could be a problem with water ingress. This could be casuing mould to build up in the skin of the walls and will give off a distinct musty odour. Give the outside of the van a thorough examination and look for anywhere water could get in. It only takes a hairline crack in a window or panel seal to allow this.
Also check around shower fittings. Caravans are primarily made of ply materials and water can cause rapid decay if left unchecked.

[tony harrison]

Tricia,

We have had great success using an ozone generator after the normal cleaning/de-odourising has not completley worked.Not sure if you can hire these machines but if not look for a fire and flood restorer in your area they may have one.

As John says, first have a good look around the van for the ingress of water.It may be that the caravan has been closed up for quite a while and was slightly damp.

Tony

[craigp]

Good advice above.

As John Said, Mould smells musty, you can not always see mould.

Probally main cause has been lack of ventilation,  stagnent air and moisture cause mould.

Since learning about mould my advice for a healthy home is;

OPEN WINDOWS. ALOT! (AIR EXCHANGE)

when you shower, when you dry cloths indoors to release moist air. and when you wake up in the morning and the air is full of moisture/co2 from your breath.

Again as John says look for water getting in.
hope that helps

[derek west]

ring jeremy clarkson, he'll get rid of the smell

only joking pat.

you can hire OG's but there quite expensive all though i think they do smaller ones which would probably do a caravan.

[Helen]

Trisha, is your caravan closed up (not used at all) during the winter months? If so what do you do to avoid condensation build up etc etc. We have found a simple solution in ours which is to have at least 2 containers of salt in each room. This will soak up most moisture in the air. Also tape up the vents (as long as no-one is staying in the caravan this is ok) Thi stops loads of moistuire getting into the caravan. Net curtains always hold any smells as do normal curtains. Take them down for the winter, get normal curtains cleaned and nets washed and aired properly before putting back in for season start. Kit every room out with air freshners, it really does help. Musty smells can come from mould and mildew etc, but musty can be mistaken for "stale air". We find that as the seaon goes on and the vans are used regularly the smell goes (which isn't that bad anyway)....it's the same as in a house, if it is not lived in for a long while it will smell stale.

[JandS]

We do all that with our static.
Also we pile all the upholstery up in the middle of the room
and cover with sheets.
All curtains and net down and stored at home for Winter.
Never had a smell problem in 16 years.

John

[patriciaanne]

ring jeremy clarkson, he'll get rid of the smell

only joking pat.

you can hire OG's but there quite expensive all though i think they do smaller ones which would probably do a caravan.

That will be the next step if i dont get rid of the smell lol ... mthanks anyway.

[patriciaanne]

Cheer's everyone for your comment's i will definetly try some of them out .... I do think it's coming from the blinds though so nxt step .. throw them out.

Thanks again
Trisha

[craigp]

Have to disagree with Helens suggestion of sealing up vents.

You need to increase ventilation not decrease it.

Why do you think the vents are there?

Vents are put in buildings as per building regs, BY LAW. Thats for a reason.

John please educate these people They do not listen to me

[derek west]

i thought vents were there to let stuff out not in, you learn something new everyday.

[Buckland]

Simples - use a UVC wand - they really do work and I mean REALLY DO WORK - leave one on a preset 30 minute zap and come back when it has finished (human skin and especially eyes should not be exposed to UVC light)

I bought two wands from the US several years ago after reading about the hype in the US but despite the hype they really do work and in fact they are used in hospitals (when the staff have left) to control air-borne pathogens - you have to vacate the property while they are working but in your situation this sounds ideal - there are not too many if any maker/importers of consumer type mini uvc wands here at present but expect it to have its day shortly...

mine are called zapitall and they leave any fausty or musty smelling room clean and fresh within 30 minutes - its true because I have proved this myself on numerous occasions - I do not sell the service because I am too busy cleaning carpets but it is a service that could be sold and is much less invasive than fogging for instance and in many cases could fit the bill for most domestic odour problems - of cousre it only treats the air circulating at the time it is used and if you have a source for the dampness then the musty smell may return... there's always a qualification...

[Helen]

Have to disagree with Helens suggestion of sealing up vents.
You need to increase ventilation not decrease it.
Why do you think the vents are there?
Vents are put in buildings as per building regs, BY LAW. Thats for a reason.
John please educate these people They do not listen to me

When no-one is staying in the caravans, it is quite ok to Tape up the vents. As much as vents let out air, they also take air in. Lovely moist wet air in the winter months. Because the caravans are locked up and NOT USED for these months, there is no natural airflow (doors and windows being opened) so moist air IF let in becomes trapped in there. It's just something we have done cos it works. Of course as soon as season starts un tape the vents

[John Kelly]

Funnily the air in winter is actually drier than it is in the warmer months. Cold air can't hold moisture due to the molecules being tightly packed together. Stale air is ideal for mould and mildew to grow and should you have a moisture problem then lack of ventilation will make it much worse.

[Neil Williams]

This maybe the case inland. but definately not when a caravan is sitauted within 200 metres of a beach which is almost constantly battered by rough seas over a 4 month winter period.

Funnily the air in winter is actually drier than it is in the warmer months. Cold air can't hold moisture due to the molecules being tightly packed together.

[John Kelly]

That will be true regarding actual airborne particles of water coming from the spray if these were to actually reach the ventilation grills but doesn't change the fact that the cold air can't actually absorb moisture. The relative humidity will still be very low compared to what it is in the summer months when it is very humid. Materials reach equilibrium with the humidity of the air around them. The humidity inside the caravan will still be low but the still air encourages fungal growth.

[craigp]

Helen, The reason your caravan stops smelling when you use it is because your opening everything up and releasing the airbourne mould spawns (how mould reproduces) but the mould/fungi is still there in carpets fabrics and walls and will rise again once left unventilated. (a few days of everything shut)

I see what your saying but its based on purely anadotal (sp) evidence.

I dont know everything on this subject but I do know ventilation is KEY in preventing mould. (and therefore a musty smell )

[patriciaanne]

Hi again folks, sorry not been on got stuck in egypt for a week lol .... anyway i use my caravan 12 months of the year i go every wkend and i open all windows and doors ,i also bought dehumidifiers (throw away ones) which did help with the moist in the air, unfortunatly the musty smell still remains . i am in the process of re-carpeting the whole place and throwing out roman blinds which i do think is holding the smell ,when i put them down they were covered in little black damp spots ? will let you know if i get rid of the smell and thankyou again for advice.
Trisha

[Kinver_Clean]

We have a touring caravan which is not used during the winter.
We have a dehumidifier ( around £80 from diy store) This is on a timeswitch to run 2 hours a day in the afternoon to allow for things to warm a bit. The outlet is piped to the sink as it stands on the draining board.
Never any problem