Beyond Blue Home Improvement Thread

[geoff]

Hi everyone. I'm Geoff and have been a dedicated Volunteer on the forums for 13 years. I am proud to have stopped some of the stigmas that are associated with mental health as well as doing my best to help others too

Before my health went south I was a builder in all aspects of home construction and renovation. If you don't have a handyman around I hope I can offer you some tips that may be of help. I have had many years of experience in home renovation and will do my best to help you out if you are stuck and need some advice

I hope my experience may be of help to the people on Beyond Blue and make their life a little bit better. Even if you need help with the most basic painting job or putting up a shelf I can help there too with some tips

I will do my best to get back to anyone that has a question when I can as this is social yet important thread

Geoff

[Birdy77]

Hey rx,

Whenever my brother used to walk through my front door he'd always say aaw man, your house always smells so good, so here's my two cents:

• I often burn those glasshouse or ecoya candles, and their aroma sort of starts permeating everything is my theory.
• Those diffuser sticks work well too if you get a good quality one and a nice flavour, you know the ones with a bottle of liquid and the wooden sticks draw up the aroma into the room (not those plug-ins).

• I put a few drops of peppermint oil in the water when I mop my floors.
• I use a linen/air spray called "organic choice: air freshener and linen spray - west Indian lime and coconut" made in Dandenong by Aware Environmental Products.
• I highly recommend this stuff called "nilodour" if you have a specific gross smell you want to neutralise. It is magical stuff, you only need a few drops e.g. on a cotton ball. You can get it at the supermarket and/or hardware I think.

They're my suggestions!

🌻birdy

[Ggrand]

Hello Randomx,

I know the odour your talking about, my house being an older home had that same musty smell, I tried everything I could think of, week after week, What worked for me..was so really simple, but not many people use the product today...Bleach. I put a couple of cups of bleach into hot waster and added som eucalyptus wool wash. Then it was walls, ceilings, floors, doors, event the carpet got washed with it.. It worked a treat, no more musty smell..weekly I use....No Vac carpet room deodoriser, I spray on my lounge, curtains, ect..it's really for carpet, but I took mine up.....The carpet I took up 2 years ago and put venal tiles down..

Grandy..

[Birdy77]

Coffee beans are supposed to absorb odour as well, I keep a saucer of them in my old 1920's kitchen dresser as it had that old musty smell, seems to work. Could put them around the house in little ramekins, give it a try.

[Guest_1584]

Thanks very much for the tips and ideas with all that guys , very appreciated.

Unfortunately things took a nasty turn this last week or so and a stiky house is the least of my problems now but l will be onto it and trying some of this out and thanks again. Even when l walked in tonight l thought damn , gotta do something about that it's really bad when you've been out all day. Weird to l let heaps of air in even in winter because the halls are separate so l leave the doors open. Doesn't seem to help much though as soon as they've been closed a few hours it all comes back.

CAn't wait to try some of this though , just gotta get onto this other crap that's sprung up now but l'll be back to let you know how it's gone in a week or two when l can get back onto it.

Thanks again

rx

[geoff]

Hi Everyone, sorry I will reply and apologise.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hi Birdy, now a days there is a great choice between different brands of interior and exterior paints that now have anti-mould and mildew added to their paint, the list is endless, but for the bathroom you definitely need it.

There is a supplement, a very small bottle that you can purchase, it's not much or if you go to a regular paint shop then they will most likely give it to you for nothing, but it has to be stirred into the paint to stop mould/mildew for both interior/exterior paint that's for acrylic paint.

If you use oil based paint then the mould shouldn't appear, if by chance after a long time it appears then it can easily be wiped off, not get me wrong it can also be wiped off if you use a good acrylic paint.

Mould/mildew can't breathe through oil based paint so it disappears but it does with acrylic, not if the supplement is added.

Music_Freak is right the m/m has to be removed first with White King or another strong disinfectant because this kills the spores. Geoff.

[geoff]

Hi RX, a very good question because yes, older houses seem to get this musty smell, so here are some other ideas, and what all of these wonderful people above me have said are also great suggestions.

-sprinkle 'baking soda' on carpets, let it settle in for as long as you want, then clean the carpets, watch the colour of the water

-check draps and old furniture may need a clean

-oranges and lemons cut up helps, this depends on how much you like fruit laying around the house, the kids may pick pieces up and eat them!

-potpourri sticks burning and also bags of potpourri laying around

-cat litter is quite good

-install a doggie door

-sorry to those who smoke but smoking outside helps if your house smells

-a pile of newspapers causes a smell, throw them out

-unused sinks, pour some baking powder/disinfectant down let it sit for 5 mins rinse it, then put a plug in

-check in your attic for dead mice/rats/possums/birds/bird nestings, and any luggage stored in the attic, it maybe old and sat there for years

-white vinegar, disinfectant, and baking soda to wipe down walls, ceilings and a cheap way is to mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle, or experiment with what you like

-painting ceiling walls with oil-based paint will stop smell, whereas the smell will come through acrylic paint ( oil-based paint will have its own strong smell but will dissipate)

-sometimes someone who doesn't live in the house may have a better idea where the smell comes from

will continue

[geoff]

Hi RX and everyone else, the last suggestion at the moment is

-is the under of your house open to air passing through or have you had trouble growing shrubs around your house, don't grow, struggle or turn to dry wood, then possibly the soil has m/m growing in the dirt.

M/m can grow and then make your house smell even though windows/doors are open, then it could be caused by the soil.

One thing you can do if your house is on stumps, if you haven't run out of money after all these suggestions, is to lay some plastic, the thicker the better, over the dirt under your house, if you can get under it, then place some sand over it, the sand will absorb any fumes, I know that will be hard work and I certainly couldn't get under this flat.

You can do this with your garden beds and make a hole in it to plant a shrub.

Phew.

Good luck and any questions please ask me.

Geoff.

[Guest_1584]

Thanks for geoff.

Geez eh , if l was gonna keep the house l could de stink it one way or another with all these great suggestions and thanks again to all.

l'll try the light simple stuff will do , get me through 6mths and then l don't care haha.Seems to have a sorta dusty tinge geoff l reckon it is , as well as a bit kinda stale'ish might be another description.

Funny Geoff , l was doing up and antique set of bedroom draws twelve mths ago. l had them 3 or 4 yrs before , the stink never wnet l even left them out in the yard full weather rain the lot 6mths once , they didn't fall apart but they still stunk. l even fill the draws with the hose and let it soak out, didn't fall apart , still stunk. Sanded them back to bare wood hosed all the crap off, left dry , repainted , still stunk. 3 years they were out on the deck or yard , still stunk. Painted them and finally put them in the bedroom , still stunk. Poured 1/2 a bottle of vinigar all through the draws, let dry few weeks , still stunk. Sprayed a can of deodorant right through every nook and cranny inside and under , 2 wks late , still stunk.

Ok , l give up , through them out in the garage and use them for tools now.

rx

[geoff]

Hi RX, a very annoying problem especially when you buy or get a beautiful old piece of furniture.

If you paint them it needs to be in 'oil based paint' that seals marks on walls and smells in furniture, acrylic paint WILL NOT get rid of the smells, they will seep through the paint, whereas it won't happen with oil based paint.

-put bowls of baking soda in the drawers, close the drawers and leave for several days, you may need to change the baking soda after a few days

-cat litter is good in absorbing odours

-trays or bottles full of white vinegar

-charcoal is a great absorber

-'apple cider vinegar' does many functions, if you read what it can do you will be amazed

-products in hardware stores may also help you but you have to buy them, all the above are cheap

Leave these in the drawers, on top or spray what you can, and please let me know how these go or wait for 'Guy Fawkes' night a bonfire night.

Geoff.