Can anyone help me with getting rid of a mildew smell?

Your dehumidifier may not be able to keep up with all the moisture in the air. You might have to wait ‘til it’s done raining to see (smell?) much improvement. In the meantime, you could try the newer Febreeze for the air and/or baking soda. Good luck!

Use a bleach to wash all surfaces, it will kill the mould spores. They are there even if you can’t see them.

I use two de-humidifiers in my basement for the same reasons. One has a hose that drains into the shower; the other one I have to remember to empty. I dump that water in the garden. It does seem like a lot of wasted energy but the system works.

@DarkScribe; I just learned that “mould” is the British spelling. Thanks – my new fact-of-the-day.

@gailcalled I’ve lived here 5 years and have never had the problem, but then, we have never had this much rain at one time. The ground is saturated. At this point, I do not need to dump my water in the garden! I may invest in another de-humidifer though. This one is working overtime.

look in your home improvement stores like “home depot.” menard’s” or lowe’s” for WET AND FORGET. spray on the mixture and go on with your life. works best outside with natural rainfall, but it just might work inside as well.

@chyna: A second one is well-worth the investment. Breathing mold and mildew is very bad for you.

With all the rain, could it be stink causing insects or pests that have taken shelter in your basement?

“it’s the woollf,it’s the woolf”.

1 tsp Tea Tree essential oil
1 cup of water

Mix the two and spritz your walls. I use this to remove mold and mildew. My friends have used this method and are happy with it. It may smell a bit strong though since your problem is in the basement. You may have to air your basement a bit. Good luck.

Mildew in the basement is what gives basements a bad name. It is not normal to have a wet / mildew smelling basement. Dehumidifiers do not solve the problem they just help lessen the problem.

The first thing to think about is where is the water coming from. Do you have a gutter or downspout problem? Is your soil settling around your foundation? Once you figure out where the problems source is you can solve the real problem. If you visit www.mywaterproofing.com you will learn about the possible sources and solutions to your problem.