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'orrible smell

(28 Posts)
travelsafar Fri 22-Oct-21 14:07:25

I recently had spare bedroom, replastered, painted and papered, new carpets and curtains, and new bedding and bed spread. Now when i open the door to go in there i am greeted by a peculiar smell. My sister says its not unpleasant but i feel it smells musty. When window open it goes but now as colder only open for a short while each day.I have tried shake and vac on the carpets which masked the smell for a couple of days now it is back!!! Anyone else had this sort of issue?

Namsnanny Fri 22-Oct-21 14:11:02

No I'm sorry I havent, but I instinctively feel its the carpet.

crazyH Fri 22-Oct-21 14:13:56

I hope they allowed the plaster to dry completely, before they painted …..

BigBertha1 Fri 22-Oct-21 14:20:45

I think its the plaster.

Namsnanny Fri 22-Oct-21 14:23:38

I don't remember wet or drying plaster to be a horrible smell.
Plus would the paper stay up if there was something wrong g with the plaster?
I dont think I have enough experience of DIY to know for sure.

sharon103 Fri 22-Oct-21 14:24:18

crazyH

I hope they allowed the plaster to dry completely, before they painted …..

That's what I thought crazyH. through Through experience I know newly plastered walls take a long time to dry out properly.
Have you got a heater you could use in the bedroom or leave the bedroom door open all the time to let the air get to it.

grannysyb Fri 22-Oct-21 14:40:26

Neutradol gel air fresheners are the best. When one of my dogs had hemorrhagic gastroenteritis it got rid of the pong!

MayBeMaw Fri 22-Oct-21 15:13:38

I really think airing the room properly should be the first step - open the windows wide but shut the door so you dont freeze all day then the opposite at night (leaving a window ajar if you can) Is the room heated?
You could burn air freshener candles but covering up the smell is not the answer.
(I tried Shake n Vac only once ever and the smell from that was worse than anything else!)

cornergran Fri 22-Oct-21 15:38:25

The only time we had this issue a new wool carpet in our dining room had been stain proofed to protect from to two small boys who seemed to spill more than they ate and an elderly dog. It certainly worked, anything liquid dropped on it just stayed on the top of the carpet and other spillages were wiped up easily. The initial, must have been chemical, smell lingered for about a month then disappeared. Agree with maw , keep the door closed, turn off the radiator and open the windows for a few days. Hopefully whatever it is will clear.

LadyGracie Fri 22-Oct-21 15:51:40

I think it's the plaster too. Carpets can have a funny smell depending where they've been stored but it's not unpleasant.

MissAdventure Fri 22-Oct-21 16:08:40

I think it's the plaster.
I had my bathroom walls skimmed, and the smell lasted a good few weeks.
It smelled like damp newspapers.

Oopsadaisy1 Fri 22-Oct-21 16:29:22

Plaster needs a while to dry before being papered, sometimes a couple of weeks, maybe the wet plaster has reacted with the paper and paste? If it smelly musty it must be mould. Carpets would smell different I would think.

Fennel Fri 22-Oct-21 16:50:00

I agree it's the plaster. needs time to dry out and it does have a strange smell when fresh.

muse Fri 22-Oct-21 19:06:08

You could try putting some cat litter down to absorb the smell. Replace it every few days.

Kim19 Fri 22-Oct-21 19:20:22

I had the same experience recently and the only change was a new fitted carpet. When I mentioned off to my son he said it was some kind of 'preservative' used for warehouse storage longevity. Much better now but certainly lingered for a few months. Hope this is of some help.

Mattsmum2 Fri 22-Oct-21 19:25:22

Maybe get a dehumidifier. When we had rooms plastered a lot of water is used. We had a whole house done and the builder said it can take a year for the walls to dry out.
We got a dehumidifier and it did the trick, I was amazed by the level of water that was being captured.

Audi10 Fri 22-Oct-21 19:27:42

It’s the plaster I’d say

Scones Fri 22-Oct-21 20:23:54

Have you changed the duvet or pillows? I had to take a pair of new pillows back recently as they just stank. A musty, sprouty, damp smell. They made the whole room smell and airing them in the garden for days didn't help.

travelsafar Sat 23-Oct-21 15:03:38

Am currently trying out the cat litter idea. I used this before when i had left a back car window slightly open and the rain soaked the back seat, it totally absorbed all the wet it took a few goes. I put the litter inside old socks and just lay on the seats. Then i just threw the whole damp sock and contains away.

VioletSky Sat 23-Oct-21 15:09:53

The plastering we had done smelt like off eggs for a long time. It wasn't strong but it was constantly there

GillT57 Sat 23-Oct-21 15:31:50

Some paints are reported to leave a bad smell, was it an old tin? Bacteria can be in it and that is what smells so bad.

MayBeMaw Sat 23-Oct-21 18:53:14

When window open it goes but now as colder only open for a short while each day

If OP has found the smell recedes when the window is open, that is surely the answer. Keep the door shut and open the windows as wide as you can all day.
Repeat over a few days.
“Covering up” is unlikely to be the answer. .

lemongrove Sat 23-Oct-21 19:56:00

I agree Maw

One thing....did you wash the new bedding before putting it on the bed?

mokryna Sun 24-Oct-21 00:29:27

I remember that there was a problem with a paint company a few years ago. I had stayed at friend’s repaint bedroom and it smelt like ‘cat’s pee’.

^ “It's a well known issue in the paint industry. The bacteria grow in the can and release hydrogen sulphide gas which is the bad egg small, and ammonia which is the urine smell."^

grandtanteJE65 Sun 24-Oct-21 14:32:52

If the carpets are not fitted ones, I would take them out of the room for a week or so. If the smell disappears then it probably was coming from the carpet, and you will know it did if it appears where you store the carpets.

I would be inclined to suspect the wallpaper paste, myself, as surely OP like the rest of us can recognize the smell of damp plaster?

Have you tried phoning the decorator and getting him to come and sniff? If it is plaster, paint, wallpaper, or paste, he should know.

You could go back to the shop where you bought the carpets and see if it smells like your room too.