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Is that Stinky Water Smell Bad to Breathe from a Flooded Basement?

After your basement has flooded a musty smell may linger. If you smell a stinky odor in your basement, don’t ignore it. This smell is an indication that there is still water trapped inside or behind home materials like drywall and baseboards or under flooring. Water can also be hiding inside upholstered furniture or valuables. While this smell is unpleasant and annoying, it isn’t a danger itself. However, a wet smell indicates that mold and bacteria can be growing inside your home.

After flooding, naturally occurring mold spores have the right conditions needed to grow in as little as 24 hours. Damp enclosed areas allow mold to grow and spread quickly, threatening your family’s health. The longer mold grows, the harder it is to remove, resulting in costly whole home mold remediation services.

If you cleaned up flood damage yourself instead of having a water restoration company do it, you’re more likely to end up with lingering water afterwards that can smell. The reason for this is because restoration experts have the kind of industrial equipment and tools needed to thoroughly remove water and clean up damage. No matter how long ago you experienced flooding, call a local water restoration company to address your wet basement smell.

Additional resources:
Do I smell mold in my basement?
Stopping home mold growth
The cost of basement mold removal
Removing black mold
What should you do if you find black mold in your home?
Is that mold growing in my home?
Do I need to remove wet carpet?
Should you replace drywall after water damage?
Is it dangerous to live with a wet basement?
What kind of damage does a flood cause?
Is that water damage I see?
Why is it wet along the wall on my basement floor?