The water is gone, the carpets are out, and the house still smells. After a flood or hurricane, that smell is your home telling you something. Before you try to get rid of it, it’s important to know what it means.
What Causes Flood Odor
- Materials that are still wet inside walls, under flooring, or in cabinets, even when surfaces feel dry.
- Mold growth. In Florida’s heat, mold can start growing within days after water damage.
- Contaminated floodwater residue. Outside floodwater carries dirt, debris and sewage that leave odor behind.
- Odor soaked into what’s left: furniture, fabrics, cabinets and the AC system.
Step 1: Make Sure the House Is Actually Dry
This is the step people skip. Drywall, insulation, and the bottoms of cabinets can hold water for weeks after the surface looks dry. A professional uses moisture meters and an infrared (thermal) camera to find it. Our guides on how long water damage takes to dry and finding hidden water damage explain more.
Step 2: Check for Mold
A musty or earthy smell after a flood often means mold is growing somewhere you can’t see. If so, it needs to be properly removed. In Florida, mold remediation over 10 square feet done for pay must be handled by a licensed mold remediator. A mold inspection tells you where you stand, and licensed mold remediation takes care of it.
Step 3: Get Rid of the Odor That’s Left
Once the house is dry, wet materials are out, and any mold has been handled, a smell can still linger in the air, furniture and AC system. That’s when our whole-home odor removal treatment makes sense. It treats the air throughout the entire home, including one AC system, to remove lingering odors. You’ll be out of the home for about 8 hours.
To be clear: it’s an odor treatment. It doesn’t dry a house or replace mold remediation, which is why the first two steps come first.
Insurance Tip
Take photos of everything before it’s removed, and keep receipts. Flood damage from rising outside water is usually covered by flood insurance, not regular homeowners insurance, so check both policies. We help document the job for your claim.
Get Help in South Florida
Not sure if the house is dry? Request a free visual inspection with moisture readings and an infrared (thermal) camera. Already dry and mold-free but the smell stays? Our Whole-Home Odor Removal Treatment is $997 and includes one AC system ($550 for each additional AC unit), and you can buy and schedule it online. Call 877-224-2532. We answer 24/7, and hablamos español.
About the author: James Rice-Peña is the owner of FL Cleanup and a Florida-licensed Mold Assessor (MRSA4035) and Mold Remediator (MRSR4158). He has worked in property restoration in South Florida since 2012, and FL Cleanup has earned 200+ five-star Google reviews.
