10 Most Common Causes of Bad Smells at Home

No one wants to live in a stinky house. Even the cleanest homes can hide common household smells in places you might not expect, especially at night. Wondering what’s behind those musty odors in certain rooms? You’re not alone. If you’re struggling to pinpoint that mysterious nighttime smell, start with these common sources.  Then, use our practical tips to track it down and kick it out for good.

Why Does My House Smell Worse at Night? Causes and Solutions

You are lying in bed when you suddenly smell something bad coming from the hallway. Many homeowners say that bad smells get worse at night, even in clean, well-kept rooms. The cause is usually a mix of temperature drops, poor ventilation and hidden sources of musty aromas in spaces like closets, basements or behind appliances. In the next section, we’ll talk about the most common reasons for nighttime odors and provide useful tips on how to make the air in your home cleaner.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a place where aromas tend to stick around, especially at night when heat and humidity can make smells from food, oil or equipment worse.

Stinky dishwasher

The moisture inside your dishwasher can easily turn into a breeding ground for smelly mold, mildew and food residue—one of the more overlooked common household smells. To keep things fresh, wipe down the interior regularly and try this simple deodorizing trick: Place a small bowl of white vinegar on the lower rack of an empty dishwasher. Run a normal cycle without detergent, selecting hot rinse or extra rinse if available. This helps neutralize odors from smelly dishwashers and improve your kitchen’s overall air quality.

Garbage disposal

You might not think of cleaning your garbage disposal when doing everyday cleaning. Over time, food particles can build up grease under the blades, leading to one of the most common household smells. To fix it, you can use a trusted garbage disposal cleaner like these popular Affresh tablets. Prefer a DIY approach? Drop a cup of ice into the disposal, followed by 1/2 cup of table salt. Turn on the cold water, run the disposal and let it scrub itself clean. Tackling these hidden odor sources is a simple way to freshen up your kitchen and improve air quality.

Fridge

If the funky smell is coming from the refrigerator, there are a few things you can do. First, the obvious: Clean up spills immediately, regularly discard spoiled food and wipe down the interior as needed. If a stubborn smell persists, KitchenAid recommends using activated charcoal or, oddly enough, newspaper.

For the charcoal solution: Place some activated charcoal in two paper bowls (or use these charcoal bags), then place one in the fridge and one in the freezer. For the newspaper option: Roll the pages into two loose paper balls, add one drop of vanilla extract to each, then place one in the fridge and one in the freezer.

Living Room

The living room may not seem like a problem, but smells from carpets, furniture or new furniture can stick around and get stronger after dark, especially if there isn’t much airflow or cleaning.

Stinky carpet

Do your carpeted rooms have a mysterious odor? The schmutz brought indoors on shoes, pet hair and food and beverage spills can all combine to leave your carpet looking dirty and smelling awful. Professional carpet cleaners recommend having your carpet cleaned once annually. (Of course, you can also clean it yourself!)

In between deep cleanings, you can freshen carpet with baking soda (a proven odor absorber). Sprinkle baking soda liberally over the carpet, wait a couple of hours and then vacuum it up using slow back-and-forth passes.

New furniture

That bad smell coming from your new furniture isn’t just unpleasant; it could also be harmful. Some vinyl materials and flame retardants in upholstery release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are known to pollute indoor air and are a frequent cause of bad smells in homes at night. According to the EPA, VOC levels can be up to 10 times higher indoors compared to outdoors, especially after bringing in new furniture.

To reduce the odor, open windows, run a fan and let the room breathe. Concerned about long-term exposure? A high-efficiency air purifier with a carbon filter, like the Levoit Core 400S or Coway Airmega, can help trap VOCs and dramatically improve air quality in your living space.

Bedroom

Even if your bedroom is clean, you could smell something awful at night. Bedding, stale air and bad ventilation can all cause smells that get worse when the room is locked up for the night.

Stale sheets

Bed sheets absorb our body oil and sweat. Cleaning experts agree that sheets and other bedding that touch your skin should be washed once a week. Be sure to use hot water (above 140° F) to kill any bacteria, especially if the person sleeping in the bed has been sick. For extra freshness, make your own linen spray to use between washes. Fill a small spray bottle with six tablespoons of water, two tablespoons of witch hazel and 10 drops of lavender essential oil; shake to combine.

Smelly closet

If you keep your dirty clothes hamper in your closet, it can smell musty or bad. These frequent scents in the house tend to get stronger at night when the air isn’t moving as much, which is why the house smells unpleasant just at night. To stop this from happening, leave closet doors open during the day so that moisture doesn’t get trapped, and wash filthy clothes on a regular basis. If you live in a place with a lot of humidity, too much moisture can make the problem worse and make rooms smell musty. A tiny dehumidifier hanging in the closet can get rid of moisture and make the air inside a lot better.

Bathroom

Bathrooms might smell musty because of moisture buildup, bad airflow and concealed mildew. These scents can get worse and spread to adjoining rooms at night when there is no airflow.

Musty mildew

Mildew loves moisture, which is why you’ll often find it in the bathroom. If you smell that signature musty smell (like wet socks), here’s what to do. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar (don’t dilute!), spray the affected surfaces and wait one hour. Open a window or run the bathroom fan for ventilation. Then wipe the areas with a sponge and hot water.

Laundry Room

If the laundry room is always damp and hot, it can smell like mold or bacteria from the washing machines and wet clothes. These smells tend to get worse at night when the air doesn’t move.

Stinky front-load washer

Unfortunately, front-load washers are known for their tendency to smell bad if not maintained correctly. Moisture gets caught in the door seal and detergent drawer, causing smelly mildew and mold. After running a wash cycle, leave the door and the detergent drawer slightly open to let everything dry completely. If you detect a bad smell, mix a solution of 3/4-cup bleach and one gallon warm water. Using a cloth dampened with solution, wipe the washer drum and door seal or try these popular Affresh front-load washer tablets.

Mudroom

The mudroom can smell bad if you keep shoes, wet clothes and sports gear in there. If you smell something weird at your front door at night, you should check it out.

Shoes and outerwear

The mudroom is where wet coats, stinky shoes and kids’ sports equipment are usually stashed. Consequently, it can start to smell bad right inside the door. Besides keeping the mudroom tidy and coats regularly washed, you can also get rid of that stinky shoe smell with a couple of DIY tips. Sprinkle baking soda inside the offending shoes, let them sit overnight, then dump out the baking soda the next morning. Or, try sticking dryer sheets in the stinky shoes.

FAQ

Could bad smells at night be a sign of mold or pests?

Yes. If you smell something bad at night that won’t go away, it could be mold growing in wet places or pests hiding behind walls or under floors.

Sources:

• Amazon: “Affresh Garbage Disposal Cleaner, Removes Odor-Causing Residues”
• KitchenAid: “Removing and Preventing Odors”
• Amazon: “Tenby Living Newsprint Packing Paper”
• Amazon: “Hardwood Activated Charcoal Powder”
• Amazon: “Charcoal Odor Absorber for Strong Odor”
• USEPA: “Volatile Organic Compounds’ Impact on Indoor Air Quality”
• Amazon: “IQAir HealthPro Plus XE Air Purifier”
• Amazon: “Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner”
• USEPA: “What are volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?”
• Amazon: “Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier with True HEPA and Eco Mode”
• Amazon: “LEVOIT Air Purifiers”
• Amazon: “Eva-Dry Wireless Mini Dehumidifier”