Musty basement odor
problems are created during the warmer summer months and linger throughout the rest of the year. Because your basement is below ground level, it stays cooler than the rest of your home and cooler than the air outside your home in the warmer seasons.
Warmer air that is allowed to come into your basement through open windows, doors or air leaks in the home shrinks or "condenses" as it comes in contact with cooler basement walls, floors and furnishings. As the air volume shrinks in size, the natural moisture starts to saturate the air causing higher humidity levels.
Excessive moisture or humidity can create the setting for unpleasant odors and a musty basement. When humidity levels are high, excessive moisture from the air is absorbed deep into the fibers or porous materials like wood, insulation, paneling, carpeting, cardboard boxes and your masonry floors and walls. Microbial agents breed in this environment and create the unpleasant smelly odors.
Simply cleaning or shampooing your basement carpeting or cleaning the areas with disinfectant and bleach is not enough. Unless you permanently fix the source of the problem, your musty basement odor will come back.