That sounds way too familiar... I just started redoing my bedroom and found a weird musty smell near the closet. At first, I thought it was just old shoes or maybe a gym bag I forgot about, but nope—turns out there was a tiny crack in the wall letting in moisture. Did you have to pull up the carpet to dry it out? I’m debating if I should just go for it or try one of those moisture absorber things first. Also, does baking soda really help long-term, or is it more of a temporary fix?
Title: If your closet could talk: the saga of the missing shoe
Did you have to pull up the carpet to dry it out? I’m debating if I should just go for it or try one of those moisture absorber things first. Also, does baking soda really help long-term, or is it more of a temporary fix?
I’ve run into this exact scenario more times than I’d like to admit. The musty smell is usually a red flag that there’s more going on under the surface. In my experience, if you’ve got a crack letting in moisture, those absorbers and baking soda are only going to mask the problem for a little while. Baking soda’s great for quick odor control, but it won’t do much once the moisture keeps coming back.
Last year, I helped a friend with a similar issue—he tried every trick in the book before finally pulling up the carpet. Turned out there was some mild mold growth underneath that none of us expected. If you’re seeing any discoloration or if the carpet feels damp at all, I’d lean toward pulling it up sooner rather than later. It’s a pain, but catching it early can save you from bigger headaches (and costs) down the line.
Curious—does your closet back up to an exterior wall? That can make a big difference in how much moisture gets in and how fast things escalate.
That’s spot on—musty smell is never just “airing out.” I’ve lived in old houses most my life, and every time I tried to shortcut with baking soda or those little moisture tubs, it just bought me a few weeks. Once I finally yanked up the carpet in our 1920s place, there was this gnarly patch of black mold hiding out. It’s a hassle, but honestly, nothing beats getting eyes on what’s underneath. If your closet sits on an outside wall, you might even find some old insulation that’s soaked through... seen that more than once.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had a few places where the musty smell wasn’t mold or soaked insulation—it was just years of stuffiness and zero airflow. Before ripping up floors or walls, I usually try a step-by-step: first, deep clean everything, then run a dehumidifier for a week or two. Sometimes that’s all it takes. If the smell sticks around after that, then yeah, time to start pulling things apart. No sense in demo work if you don’t have to, right?
That’s pretty much my approach too—no point in tearing into walls unless you’ve ruled out the easy fixes. Have you ever tried those moisture absorber packs? I stick a few in closets and they seem to help, especially in older houses where airflow is basically nonexistent. Curious if you’ve noticed any difference with just fans versus a dehumidifier? Sometimes I wonder if I’m overthinking it, but I’d rather not spend money on demo unless it’s really necessary.