Last week, I noticed a wet area on the indoor-outdoor carpeting in front of my kitchen sink. Why the owner of the home put carpeting in the kitchen is beyond me but I digress. Anyway, upon investigating, I found water in the cabinet under the sink coming from an obvious leak at the elbow connection as water drained out from the sink. I put a pan underneath, called the property management people the next morning and by noon the leak was fixed. I should have been more aggressive with the wet carpet to get it dry but since this had happened before without mishap, I didn't think too much about it.
However, Saturday, I began to notice a "moldy" smell coming from the dining and kitchen area. The rug was still damp and I thought for sure that mold and mildew had set in. I consulted my son who used to work for Stanley Steemer and knows about all things "carpet". He suggested using a vinegar and water solution and spraying to kill the bacteria.
That evening, I began to spray the area and also use a box fan to finish drying the carpet. Sunday morning - still the same but when I came home from church and walked in the door and into the kitchen, no smell! I was elated. However, later on, when I walked to the kitchen area past the dining room table, there it was again as strong as ever.
I was very puzzled! I felt the carpet and it was dry. I sniffed my hand after rubbing it over the affected area and smelled only vinegar. Why wouldn't I smell mold on my hand?
I kept spraying the vinegar solution since I was told it could take several days for the smell to be gone. I lamented that I might have to call a professional since my sinuses and nose had began to also feel the strain of the odor.
Then on Monday, I began to put two and two together and used the functioning part of my brain. I discovered to my delight and embarrassment that it was not the carpet at all!
The culprit????
On Saturday, my mother, too anxious to wait until my birthday next week decided to give me my gift then - a very nice brown, leather purse. I was very pleased, because I needed a new purse anyway and it had that nice leather smell - although a bit of a different leather smell than I had encountered before. I changed over to my new purse and put it on the chair near the dining area table at the entrance to the kitchen. On Sunday, as I picked up my purse to go to church, I thought to myself that it was strange that my purse had a "similar" odor to the moldy carpet! Upon coming home, I flung my purse on a living room chair and then noticed no odor in the kitchen. It was later after the purse was returned to it's customary resting place near the kitchen that I again noticed the odor.
Long story short, the light bulb went on yesterday morning and I thought...
"Wouldn't it be funny if it was not the carpet all along??"
So, I put my purse in the back room and guess what.
No more "moldy" smell in the kitchen.
Now the smell is in the back room. But at least my mind is at ease and I'm not breathing in mold spores.
I wonder if I spray the vinegar and water solution on my purse, if that would help?
oh my gosh, that is rather funny Melanie! So it's not even mold you smell? but a funny leather smell? Surely the new bag isn't moldy!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it will wear off if it's just the leather smelling!
A nice relief though knowing you don't have a moldy carpet ;-)