I’m in the process of buying a property as my primary residence, and I have an odor problem in one of the outbuildings.
The shed in question is made of concrete block, and is in very good shape. It’s long and somewhat wide, and is a bit smaller in size, but comparable to, the storage unit we’ve had for several years. Current plans are to use it to store my wife’s extensive fabric collection because it will be the last place to spring a leak.
The problem? The current owner uses it to dress and process animals that he’s shot. The smell, while not unbearable, is quite funky. The wife likes the area, but is concerned that the smell will settle in on her fabrics.
How do I get rid of it? I have a pressure washer handy, and that will be my first attempt at elimination, followed by whitewashing the walls.
Don’t know that I’d recommend any un-airconditioned outbuilding to store fabrics as mustiness is probably going to set in at some point regardless of how clean the building is.
I would power wash the inside as good as possible and then follow up with a light cleaning of a bleach & water mixture. Painting the interior after it is throughly cleaned might help too.
By “whitewashing” the walls, I hope you mean you’re going to use a few coats of a good, sealing primer, ideally oil-based. Then paint it, and for good measure there are products available at paint stores that you can add to paint that have a masking scent.
Newspaper and coffee grounds (and perhaps charcoal, too) are good at absorbing odors in very small spaces (as in smelly shoes) - perhaps they’d be of use here too? After cleaning the shed, put out a few canisters of ground coffee and just let 'em sit for a week or so.
You could tell the feds that you think Jimmy Hoffa is buried under it. They will come in, level it, and give you money to replace it. Problem solved. (This also works for farms that want their land plowed).