Hi. We just moved to a rental apartment , it’s only been 2 weeks and the storage unit under the kitchen sink has been smelling something like dampness and mold since day 1. We left some plates in the unit on day 1 and had to wash them few times the next day because they also started smelling the same.
The smell hits you right in the nose when you open the storage unit doors, but after a minute of keeping the doors open, it kinda fades away.
I called the management company and they sent some people to check the water pipes in the kitchen. A guy came and had to make his way to the area between the storage unit and the floor, and said that some kind of lid down there had been left open. He closed it and said that that should stop the smell. We left the storage unit doors open overnight, but that didnt help at all. Called the management company again and they sent another person who, after some inspection, said that he doesnt think the smell is related to the water pipe at all because “everything is completely fine with the pipe”. I called the management company one more time, relayed to them what the last plumber said and after some time they called back and said “we checked the photos that the plumbers took and we still think its the pipe that is the problem. We will send another plumber”. He came yesterday, I asked him if he can smell it and he said that his nose was stuffed, so he couldnt smell anything. He then spent a long time inspecting the pipe and asked me to check if the smell is still there, i closed the unit doors waited a bit and opened to check – smell was still there. He went outside to call the management company, came back and said that he doesnt know what else he can do and that I should call the management company if the smell is still there.
I have not called the management company after the last plumber’s visit, but I wonder if they will keep sending plumbers over and over until I stop calling them.
Has anyone come across this smell issue in the kitchen storage unit? It’s not normal to have it smelling like mold/dampness when it’s completely empty after moving in, is it? Could the issue be with the doors/shelves/walls of the storage unit? The unit itself doesnt have any rot or mold spots or anything of that sort – from the inside it looks very clean and good. I also tried to smell the water drainage in the sink, removed all the parts to get access to the pipe opening – it has absolutely no smell.
About the apartment (not sure if it matters): 2nd floor of a 2-storey building, of lightweight steel structure built in 2008
I’d appreciate any help or tips to get rid of the smell, we’re getting tired of keeping all our kitchenware in boxes now.
3 comments
Does the pipe under the sink do an up and back down curve? If it doesn’t, there is probably gassy rot fumes flowing up the pipe. One way to stop it would be to keep the sink plugged at all times when water isn’t flowing.
An area that’s been exposed to high humidity, heat, and is primarily made from wood or plastic is going to have some kind of smell. It’s unfortunately hard to get rid of without replacing the whole unit.
I would do these four things if I were you:
1) Buy cabinet liner, the non-stick type. Get some double-sided tape and cover the entire cabinet and under sink with it, and then use regular tape to seal the gaps. This will create an air-tight seal around the material that’s likely causing most of the smell.
2) Buy moisture-sucking and smell-sucking gels. They sell a variety of these specific to cabinets as well as shoe closets.
3) Buy plastic small drawer storage for your dishes, and toss a packet of gels in there as well. So it’s protected from the elements but you can still use the space.
4) Keep the cabinet doors open overnight while running a dehumidifier fan nearby, or run a small one inside if the smell getting out is going to funk up your whole house
Good luck!
This sounds, or should I say, smells like a problem I had, or actually have to deal with periodically.
Try to narrow down the origin of the smell. In my case the smell is stronger on the hose that connects the sink with the drain pipe, so swapping this hose alleviates the issue but not for long.
What actually happens is that the waste pipes are at a very flat angle, so organic from the kitchen sink sit inside there for too long rotting away specially during the hot season. The smell has to go somewhere so it ends up permeating the sink hose.
Another way to alleviate the problem was to pressure-wash the pipes. If you have a pressure washer there are add-ons specific for washing pipes. Doing this will set you free for a while.
DM me for more details.
I hope it helps.