Why does a closed room always smell musty?
Closed rooms trap humidity and lack air circulation, causing a persistent damp cardboard smell that returns as soon as windows are closed or candles are blown out. Temporary fixes like scented candles and airing out the room only mask the odor rather than resolving the trapped moisture.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Leaving the room door open
- 2Switching the thermostat fan from ON to AUTO
- 3Cutting an inch off the bottom of the door
- 4Using a dehumidifier
- 5Leaving the window open
- 6Using scented candles
- 7Heating up the place and improving ventilation
- 8Reducing humidity
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Florida, room we keep closed smells musty every time we open it - what do I do?”source ↗
“Every time we open the door it smells like damp cardboard.”source ↗
“It’s been over a month now, and I’ve tried scented candles and having the window open and the smell is gone while the window is open or the candle is burning but as soon as I close it or blow out the candle it returns.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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