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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 4, 2016 2:15:36 GMT
My cousin posted on Facebook that they have lived in their house for three years but their house still smells like "old people". Thyme have replaced most of the carpets and painted almost all of the rooms, as well as hung new drapes. Any suggestions?
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Post by workingclassdog on Apr 4, 2016 2:19:29 GMT
Well I thought at first just start opening windows and go from there....but it's been 3 years... Ummmm....Febreze??? I don't know!
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Post by mrssmith on Apr 4, 2016 2:20:40 GMT
Clean the vents? Not sure what kind of smell it is. Hopefully, it's not cat smell - my friends had to replace subflooring in a house due to that.
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Post by chaosisapony on Apr 4, 2016 2:21:08 GMT
Wow three years, new paint, carpets and there is still old people smell? That is some mighty strong old people smell.
When my mom had her father in law living with her she found that the Scentsy Route 66 scent was the only thing that could mask the old man smell good enough.
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Grom Pea
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Post by Grom Pea on Apr 4, 2016 2:28:28 GMT
Maybe it's something they have like vitamins? I had a drawer in my bathroom where I kept medicine and vitamins and I swear that drawer smelled like old lady and I wasin my 20s and the previous owner was probably in his 30s. Once I cleaned and painted the smell went away so it must have been a combo of things in that drawer.
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ellen
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Post by ellen on Apr 4, 2016 2:37:16 GMT
Our lake place smelled like old people the entire first year we had it. We painted and had the windows open a lot. I also had a Scentsy going every day. It took quite a while for that smell to go away.
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leeny
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Jun 27, 2014 1:55:53 GMT
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Post by leeny on Apr 4, 2016 2:43:26 GMT
Is it a moldy, musty smell? I might have someone inspect to insure they don't have mold growing somewhere. Maybe put out some dryzezz (sp). It is this stuff we used to use in our camper when it was stored and it collected the moisture in the air.
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IAmUnoriginal
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Jun 25, 2014 23:27:45 GMT
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Apr 4, 2016 2:45:16 GMT
One of my bosses flips houses on the side. I get my hands into those projects when needed. We've used Fresh Wave in some of our stinky or stale foreclosure flips. It's done a decent job. But, if it's been 3 years, your smell problem might need bigger guns. In one particularly ripe house, we called in a restoration company who used an ozone machine to get rid of the smell. Here are a couple links that explain how it works. Everything living in the house has to leave the premises during the ozone scrubbing process. We used Servpro, but many restoration companies will have the equipment. It's used after fires and long standing water claims to get rid of smoke or musty smells on large losses. The ozone flows everywhere in the house, including those not easily cleaned by hand. www.ozonesolutions.com/journal/2009/how-does-ozone-remove-odor/www.ozonesolutions.com/info/ozone-faq |
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Post by compwalla on Apr 4, 2016 2:58:04 GMT
We refloored the bedrooms and painted and that did the trick mostly. But the hall closet still has the old carpet and still smells like old people. I think we'll have to rip the carpet out in there and paint inside to get rid of the smell. But it's only one closet and we only keep the vacuum and spare paper towels and flashlights and such in there. Not towels or linens that could absorb the smell.
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Post by annabella on Apr 4, 2016 3:04:42 GMT
The other day I passed an elderly lady in the grocery store and she had "old lady smell" I wanted to ask the peas what exactly makes that smell but thought I would be roasted. It's a serious question/curiosity for me, I was trying to figure out what exactly makes that distinctive smell?
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Post by birdy on Apr 4, 2016 3:07:18 GMT
Our house was really stinky with old people smell when we bought it. We:
-replaced the carpeting
-painted every room (including ceilings)
-pitched the old curtains and bought new
-cleaned the heck out of the house before we moved in
It mostly helped but I could still smell it (and so did my mom, who frequently mentioned it when my parents came over).
What finally totally got rid of it was paying to have our ducts professionally cleaned. It was amazing what a difference that made!
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Post by compwalla on Apr 4, 2016 3:07:23 GMT
The other day I passed an elderly lady in the grocery store and she had "old lady smell" I wanted to ask the peas what exactly makes that smell but thought I would be roasted. It's a serious question/curiosity for me, I was trying to figure out what exactly makes that distinctive smell?
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 4, 2016 3:10:16 GMT
The other day I passed an elderly lady in the grocery store and she had "old lady smell" I wanted to ask the peas what exactly makes that smell but thought I would be roasted. It's a serious question/curiosity for me, I was trying to figure out what exactly makes that distinctive smell? I've always wondered this as well. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 4, 2016 3:10:52 GMT
There was a thread on here quite a while back about "old people smell" being a real thing. We have a friend who takes care of her 80-something year old mom and their house is starting to smell like that.  When we helped get MIL's house ready to sell, the realtor arranged to have an ozone machine in the house after every room was primed with Kilz and painted, all carpet was replaced and all window treatments replaced to get rid of any remaining cat box/old cigarettes/stale booze funk smell that wouldn't go away.  We did the same thing to her condo after she died because that smell permeated the condo too. When you painted, did you prime with a sealer like Kilz first? It really does a pretty good job of sealing in a lot of the stains and funky smells. And if that doesn't work the ozone machine probably will, but like other posters have mentioned you (and any pets) can't be in the house while it's running. ETA: I was posting at the same time as compwalla! Thanks for linking! |
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Sept 28, 2024 20:48:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 3:13:06 GMT
The other day I passed an elderly lady in the grocery store and she had "old lady smell" I wanted to ask the peas what exactly makes that smell but thought I would be roasted. It's a serious question/curiosity for me, I was trying to figure out what exactly makes that distinctive smell? |
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Post by 950nancy on Apr 4, 2016 3:15:50 GMT
The other day I passed an elderly lady in the grocery store and she had "old lady smell" I wanted to ask the peas what exactly makes that smell but thought I would be roasted. It's a serious question/curiosity for me, I was trying to figure out what exactly makes that distinctive smell? Do you remember sitting in a bathroom stall when you were younger and smelling that old lady smell? I always wonder if it came from someone who didn't bathe the lady garden as often as needed. Who knows! I just know when I smell it and hope that if I smell that way and don't notice it that someone would tell me. If everyone is gone at my house for a couple of days, I am all about not taking a shower. The dogs don't mind. |
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Post by anxiousmom on Apr 4, 2016 3:30:21 GMT
I am so totally going to be paranoid about smelling old. When does that start??  |
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Post by mirabelleswalker on Apr 4, 2016 4:49:11 GMT
I was going to suggest the ozone machine as well. It will get rid of any smell.
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justmer
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Post by justmer on Apr 4, 2016 4:56:03 GMT
I'm sorry but what do you mean by old people smell? I'm in my 70s and I hope I don't smell old.
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on Apr 4, 2016 5:03:23 GMT
How old are they? Maybe they have early onset Old People Smell.
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Deleted
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Sept 28, 2024 20:48:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 5:43:30 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 5:44:54 GMT
How old are they? Maybe they have early onset Old People Smell.  |
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gsquaredmom
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Post by gsquaredmom on Apr 4, 2016 7:56:28 GMT
My cousin posted on Facebook that they have lived in their house for three years but their house still smells like "old people". Thyme have replaced most of the carpets and painted almost all of the rooms, as well as hung new drapes. Any suggestions? Change the furnace filter and clean the ducts and vents. Paint with a good primer. Look for damp areas. |
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Post by littlemama on Apr 4, 2016 10:59:32 GMT
Are there mothballs in the attic by chance? I would have the ducts cleaned (if they haven't already) and then that ozone machine sounds pretty good.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Apr 4, 2016 12:03:27 GMT
I suggested the ozone machine along getting the ducts cleaned as well as painting the rest of the house and replacing the rest of the carpet. Thanks!
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Post by maryland on Apr 4, 2016 12:10:16 GMT
Great thread! But teen girl smell is what we deal with!  There was a thread last year about a smelly house. Fresh Wave odor eliminators from Bed Bath and Beyond were recommended. They are expensive ($24 for two) but they work well for us! We use them in the kitchen and in the girls bedrooms. We have a lot of older relatives and they don't smell and their houses don't. That's strange that their house still smells. I hope they can get their house smelling good! |
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Post by melanell on Apr 4, 2016 12:13:09 GMT
I am so totally going to be paranoid about smelling old. When does that start?? I don't think it's something that happens to everyone, because I know women in their 80s & 90s from whom I notice no different smells than anyone else I know. Plus, in cases where a person has a signature scent and they wear it for decades, I think that becomes the only scent I really associate with them no matter how old we all get. |
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Post by threegirls on Apr 4, 2016 12:17:46 GMT
I second the Fresh Wave eliminators. They might help. I would open the windows as much as I could as well.
My mom is 85 and she still lives in her home of 52 years. I'm so thankful that her house does not have old people smell.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 4, 2016 13:30:17 GMT
I am so totally going to be paranoid about smelling old. When does that start?? I'm not exactly sure, but we didn't start noticing it at our friend's house until about last year. The mom just turned 86 and has Alzheimer's pretty bad now. I know that is part of it because her daughter has a hard time getting her to bathe and wash her hair these days, and this lovely lady was always very meticulous about her hair, nails and clothes before.  ETA: One other thing, once my mom was moved to the nursing home we had to start buying unscented soap, deodorant, lotion, etc. When she still lived at home she always preferred something with a light scent and we never really noticed an old people smell there, so that might have something to do with it too. |
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Post by houston249 on Apr 4, 2016 13:42:45 GMT
I would suggest painting or retexturing the ceiling. People often clean walls, but a ceiling?
Having the air vents cleaned is also a great idea. My mom did this in one of her homes, wow fresher than a new house. (New homes vents often have drywall and wood dust galore in them)
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We did the same thing to her condo after she died because that smell permeated the condo too.
There was a thread last year about a smelly house. Fresh Wave odor eliminators from Bed Bath and Beyond were recommended. They are expensive ($24 for two) but they work well for us! We use them in the kitchen and in the girls bedrooms. 
