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Hi DIY Stack Exchange!

I had a fun wintertime question about moisture and mold. My bedroom has been getting dry lately and with that comes dry hands, and small furniture cracks. Fun! So I went to go buy a humidifier and set the gauge to 45rh.

A few hours later, when I walk into my room, it has a very peculiar sour cheese like smell. I've smelt this before on and off during the summer but it's stronger today than normal. And before I had the humidifier running, it wasn't an issue at all. The problem is that I live in a very new building, and that I'm the only tenant to have ever lived in this unit. And it's my bedroom.

I am a fairly clean person, so this has come as a pretty strong shock to me. I don't really leave anything laying on the floor, especially anything damp, and I'm not really sure where the mold could have came from. Are there mold spores in my walls that the humidifier is bringing to life? Are they in my carpet? Is this even mold? What can I do?

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    A "few hours" seems like too quick for latent mold to kick in. Are you sure the smell isn't coming from the humidifier and/or supply water?
    – Daniel Griscom
    Jan 20, 2016 at 3:05

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No, it's you. "Fairly clean" doesn't avoid foot greases. Actually, the real problem is carpet, it catches & holds EVERYTHING...if floors could talk.

Including you & mold & allergens & viruses & enormous amounts of bacteria if it isn't literally shampooed semi-annually.

The likes of Wood floors, Tile, Finished concrete & Vinyl flooring harbor almost nothing & can easily be sanitized or even sterilized compared to rugs & carpets.

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  • Man, some great home owning tips here. Rugs+hardwood sound much easier to take care of.
    – Kyle Hotchkiss
    Jan 21, 2016 at 2:57

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