Get Rid Of Funky Basement Odors With An Easy Coffee Grounds Trick

Although many parts of the home can develop odor over time, it's more likely in some areas than in others. Basements, in particular, may develop foul smells easily because of the poor air circulation, dark, moisture, and potential mold growth in the home. Fortunately, if you want to get rid of a musty basement smell, there are a variety of methods you can use to do it. 

One of the hacks that's recommended anecdotally and by cleaning professionals is to set a bowl of coffee grounds in the basement. There isn't much research to prove the benefits of this hack as-is. However, a 2021 study in the Agronomy journal found that fermented coffee grounds did a great job of reducing odor in a dairy cow barn over the course of three weeks. Coffee is hygroscopic, meaning that it collects and retains moisture. It also contains nitrogen, which chemically interacts with carbon to remove sulfur and hydrogen sulfide gas, a common cause of foul smells that's often found in basements. The nitrogen can bind with these odor molecules, more or less neutralizing them. In a 2012 study in the Journal of Hazardous Material, scientists carbonized old coffee grounds and found that it worked well for removing hydrogen sulfide gas odor.

Simply setting some grounds out can help absorb odor and may greatly enhance the smell of your basement. Consider reusing some coffee grounds in the basement instead of sending them straight to the trash if you want to have a fresher-smelling home.

To try this hack for yourself, start by simply getting your hands on some coffee grounds. Any type of coffee grounds will do, so you don't have to be picky about the brand or whether the coffee grounds are used or unused. However, you should be sure that they're dry first. You can easily dry coffee grounds by baking them in your oven for a few minutes.

Once you have some dry coffee grounds that are ready to use, add them to a bowl or to a sachet made of mesh or a similar material. Place around the basement wherever the odor is strong. More bowls or bags will likely help you get even better results. Be aware that you'll probably need to replace the grounds every one to two weeks to continue reducing odor since their effectiveness will diminish over time. Remember that you can use this trick elsewhere — coffee grounds may also fight smelly bathroom odors and eliminate odor from other areas of the home, if needed.

Also, keep in mind that coffee grounds shouldn't necessarily be your only method of getting rid of basement odor. You can also set out some baking soda. However, more effective than simply using these ingredients is to eliminate sources of foul smells in the first place. To improve basement odor, clean thoroughly on a regular basis and work to fix plumbing leaks, eliminate mold growth, and increase air circulation. This will be the most effective long-term solution for improving basement odor and keeping it as comfortable as possible.