Emergency guides / Odor

How to find where a lingering smell is coming from

Odor · 2026-10-06

Air fresheners cover odors for a day. Finding and removing the source is the only way to get rid of them.

Odors have a source. Until it is found and removed, the smell comes back, no matter how many sprays or candles you use.

Start with the smell itself

• Musty or earthy: usually moisture. Check under sinks, around the water heater, near windows, in closets against exterior walls, and under carpet.
• Smoke or burnt: usually from a past fire, even a small one, or from soot in the walls or attic.
• Sour or rotten: often spoiled food in an appliance, a trap that has dried out, or something that died in a wall or crawlspace.
• Sewage: a dry drain trap, a cracked drain line, or a sewer backup. This one is worth calling a plumber about.

Look for these clues

• Stains, bubbling paint, or peeling wallpaper on walls and ceilings.
• Carpet that feels damp or smells stronger when you press on it.
• A smell that gets worse when the heat or air conditioning runs.
• A smell that is stronger in one room, which points toward where to look.

What helps

• Open windows and run fans if the air outside is clean.
• Remove obvious sources: old food, wet towels, trash, damp rugs.
• Clean hard surfaces near the smell.

What to avoid

• Do not cover the smell with sprays or plug-ins. They hide it for a short time and make it harder to track down.
• Do not run an ozone generator in a home where people or pets are present. Ozone can irritate the lungs.

When to call us

If you have checked the obvious places and the smell remains, or you find water damage, call us. Hidden moisture and residue inside walls need the right equipment to locate. We answer 24 hours a day at 818-877-3306.