My Couch Smells Musty. What Now?

You sit down after the kids are finally asleep, lean back into the cushions, and there it is. A stale, damp smell that wasn't there in the summer. Or maybe it was, and you only notice now because the windows are shut.

A couch is a big, soft sponge. It soaks up spills, sweat, pet hair, and whatever moisture is in the room. When it starts smelling musty, the cause is usually one of a few things, and most of them you can handle yourself.

Take every cushion off. Smell each one, front and back. Then smell the frame where the cushions sat, the arms, and the back.

- **One cushion smells?** It's probably a spill, a pet accident, or a drink that soaked in and never dried. - **The whole couch smells?** It's probably the room or the spot where the couch sits. - **Only the back smells?** Pull the couch out and look at the wall.

Slide the couch away from the wall. Look at:

- The wall behind it, especially low down. Dark spots or a damp feel on an outside wall mean the couch was blocking air in front of a cold wall. - The floor under it. Damp carpet, a water stain, or a dark ring mean water came from somewhere. - The back of the couch fabric. Spots there tell you the wall and the couch were sharing moisture.

If the couch is in a basement, this is extra important. Basement air is often damper, and a couch on a basement floor picks it up.

First, check the cleaning tag under the cushions or on the frame. It usually has a letter code. "W" means water-based cleaner is OK. "S" means solvent only. "WS" means either. "X" means vacuum only. Follow it, because the wrong cleaner can leave a ring or ruin fabric.

Then:

1. **Vacuum everything** with the upholstery tool, including the crevices and under the cushions. 2. **Wash cushion covers** if they zip off and the tag says they can be washed. Dry them fully. Put them back on slightly damp only if the tag says so, to avoid shrinking. 3. **Baking soda.** Sprinkle it on the fabric, leave it for several hours or overnight, and vacuum it up. It helps with smell. It won't fix damp. 4. **Spot clean** spills with the right cleaner for your tag, using as little liquid as possible. 5. **Dry it.** This is the step people skip. A fan pointed at the couch, an open window on a dry day, or a few hours in the sun on a porch for cushions all help.

Don't soak the couch. Too much water gets into the foam and makes the problem worse.

If the couch smell came back after cleaning, the room is the likely source.

- Leave a few inches between the couch and outside walls. - Get a cheap humidity gauge and watch it for a week. If it's high, a dehumidifier helps, especially in a basement. - Don't dry laundry on a rack right next to the couch. - Open the room up on dry days.

If a cushion still smells after a real clean and full dry, the foam inside may be the problem. Many couches let you buy new foam inserts. If the frame or the whole couch got wet from a flood or a leak, it's often not worth saving.

This is about the couch and the room, not anyone's health. If someone is having symptoms, talk to a doctor. A wet wall or floor behind it goes to a licensed pro.

When Your House Doesn't Feel Right is a picture book that shows the furniture-off-the-wall check, where to put a humidity gauge, and the other room checks one photo at a time. It's $2.99 at https://clearnestair.com/book.