04 August 2011

ask Clean Mama




I received this Facebook question yesterday from Amy:

Question for Clean Mama...when we come home from after being gone for awhile, my house smells "musty". I smell the same smell coming out of the ac vents. We have lived here for 8 months, and I have never smelled this before. I thought maybe since it is so hot out, and the ac is running, that there may be moisture in the vent system? It is driving me crazy. I put a dryer sheet in one of the vents to see if it would be any better, but it doesn't really help. I know that is just masking the smell anyway. Have you heard of anything like this before? Thanks!

Here's my answer (disclaimer: Please realize that I am not an expert, I just play one on this blog):

I'm guessing it's moisture somewhere - do you use a dehumidifier? Or if you have a crawl space that's damp from a lot of rain, it could be travelling through from your basement/crawlspace into your vents if your furnace is in the same general vicinity. I'd start with a dehumidifier and see if that helps with the musty smell. Hope this helps!


It got me thinking that maybe it'd be fun to have a little Q and A here on the blog.  Sound like fun?  

Here are the oh-so-simple rules:
1. Leave a cleaning, organizing, or meal planning question in the comments section of this post.   Depending on how many questions I receive, I'll answer the questions in future posts over the next day, week, weeks, or month. 

2. If you have a blog, leave the blog address with  your comment so I can link your blog in the post that features your question.

3. When I post my answer to your questions, you will have an opportunity to help others with their questions as well. 

So leave your question and if you have a suggestion for Amy, you can leave that as well.  I can't wait to hear from you!

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10 comments:

  1. Maggie Massey04 August, 2011 05:05

    AWESOME idea! Hope I don't flood your comments with my questions...;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. McMom04 August, 2011 05:29

    Would love to get your suggestions for green cleaning in the bathroom. I want to get things clean, but seems if you look at the store, the answer is usually to cover everything in the harshest, smelliest chemicals imaginable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lizzy04 August, 2011 06:34

    Awesome Idea! I have 3 small boys who are very active. I have tried menu planning and it works on most days, however, I am usually the only one eating. Do you have any suggestions? What are some meals that picky kids will eat?
    Thanks,
    Lizzy
    http://www.gender-dreams.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jodi @ Organizing Dolo04 August, 2011 09:29

    Hope you don't mind a couple of questions!

    What is the best daily cleaner for a glass stovetop? For a thorough cleaning, I wipe down with a baking soda/water paste. But for daily cleaning, I constantly see streaks even though it seems clean.

    What would you recommend for cleaning a microfiber couch thoroughly. Water is great when I catch dribbles but once in awhile, the couch will feel grimy. Vacuuming isn't enough. Doing a complete wipe down with a sponge and water isn't enough.

    Thanks!
    Jodi @ Make Three blog
    http://makethree.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Christina04 August, 2011 15:43

    Great idea! My question is pretty general. I like to be organized. Clutter and messes make me grumpy. But the reason why I'm not where I want to be is because getting there costs so much money! Containers here, baskets there, etc.

    Is there a cost-effective way to organize a home?

    I have an entire basement that the hubs and I will be tackling soon, but I'm terrified of what it's going to cost us to get it nice and organized. HELP!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Roxcy04 August, 2011 17:23

    Hi Becky,

    I am expecting baby #3 in a couple months and I am trying to get a few things organized before she comes. I am looking forward to any ideas you have. My question…

    What are some good ways to organize clothes for kids if we don’t have enough room for everyone to have a dresser?

    Our other two children share a dresser, but it only has five drawers and our little guys clothes are getting bigger and he really needs another drawer.

    I would like to figure something out so that whatever we do will work for baby #3 clothes too. I have thought about getting rid of the dresser all together and building shelves with cubbies in the closet, and maybe using the cloth baskets.

    I had someone who does this with older kids tell me that it doesn’t have enough space for their clothes and they just use the baskets for underwear and socks, and the clothes end up just in the spaces.

    I am open to any ideas!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Marcie Chavez05 August, 2011 07:13

    I have a question - I have wood laminate floors throughout my house. I have tried several different mops, but it seems like most just spread the dirt around in the corners don't actually get it very clean, then I end up touching up the floors with a rag on my hands and knees. Is there any mop out there that does the best job? Is there any way to avoid the hands/knees routine?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jennifer06 August, 2011 07:24

    My question is, what is the quickest, most efficient way to clean wooden blinds? I just can't get my groove on with these things - they drive me CRAZY!!

    Thanks!
    Jennifer (http://jenbell37.blogspot.com)

    ReplyDelete
  9. sadie60714 August, 2011 21:35

    1.) How do you organize all your paper documents? I feel like no matter what I do or what I try I have tons of piles of paper everywhere. I've tried just a filing cabinet but I find that we just shove things in there and it just becomes another place of clutter.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jodi @ Organizing Dolo22 August, 2011 12:10

    Any suggestions on how to clean wood paneling? Maybe one day I'll paint it or put drywall up but for now, I'm stuck with it and want to make sure my walls in our finished basement are clean.

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments! If you have a specific question, please feel free to email me (see contact tab).