The Room Starts to Smell

Rahul notices his room has started to smell musty from closed windows and a pile of unwashed clothes. He spends the evening airing it out and cleaning up.

Meanings in Rahul

Key words and phrases

mustyhaving a stale, damp smell, often from lack of fresh airThe room smelled musty after being shut for days.

stuffylacking fresh air, uncomfortably closed inThe room felt stuffy with the windows closed.

air outto let fresh air into a room to remove a bad smellHe opened the windows to air out the room.

odoura smell, usually an unpleasant oneA strange odour hung in the air.

ventilationthe flow of fresh air through a spacePoor ventilation made the room feel damp.

unwashed clothesclothes that have been worn but not yet cleanedA pile of unwashed clothes sat in the corner.

laundry basketa container used to collect dirty clothes before washingHe tossed the clothes into the laundry basket.

dustfine dry particles that settle on surfacesA layer of dust had built up on the shelf.

clutteran untidy collection of things lying aroundHe cleared the clutter from his desk.

air freshenera product used to make a room smell pleasantHe sprayed some air freshener around the room.

moulda fungus that can grow in damp, poorly ventilated placesHe checked the corners for any signs of mould.

dampslightly wet, often causing a musty smellThe curtains felt a little damp.

sweepto clean a floor using a broomHe swept the floor before mopping it.

mopto clean a floor with a wet cloth or mopHe mopped the floor to freshen up the room.

tidy upto make a place neat and organisedHe decided to tidy up before guests arrived.

bina container used to throw away rubbishHe emptied the bin, which had started to smell.

change the sheetsto replace bedsheets with clean onesHe decided to change the sheets while cleaning.

fresh airclean, unpolluted air, usually from outsideFresh air made a big difference in the room.

deep cleana thorough cleaning that goes beyond the usual routineThe room needed a deep clean after weeks of neglect.

neglectfailure to take care of somethingThe mess was a result of weeks of neglect.

Useful sentences

Ask Why does your room smell so musty?
Answer I haven't opened the windows in a few days.
Ask Should we air it out?
Answer Yes, let's open all the windows for a while.
Ask What's causing the smell?
Answer I think it's the pile of unwashed clothes in the corner.
Ask Where should I put my dirty clothes?
Answer Just put them in the laundry basket over there.
Ask Have you checked for any mould?
Answer Yes, I checked the corners, and there's none.
Ask Should I sweep the floor first?
Answer Yes, and then mop it once it's swept.
Ask Do you have an air freshener?
Answer Yes, I'll spray some once the room is clean.
Ask Why does it feel so stuffy in here?
Answer The ventilation isn't great with the door closed.
Ask Will you change the sheets today?
Answer Yes, they've needed changing for a while.
Ask Does the room feel better now?
Answer Much better — the fresh air really helped.

Dialogue

RahulThis room really smells musty.

RahulI think it's time to air it out properly.

RahulLet me open the windows for some fresh air.

RahulThis pile of unwashed clothes isn't helping either.

RahulI'll put them all in the laundry basket right now.

RahulLet me sweep the floor before I mop it.

RahulThere's quite a bit of dust on this shelf too.

RahulI should really tidy up more often.

RahulA little air freshener should finish things off nicely.

RahulThere, much better — no more musty smell.

Common mistakes

Saying "the room is smelling" instead of "the room smells" (avoid unnecessary continuous tense with "smell").
Saying "open the room" instead of "air out the room" or "open the windows" (be specific about what's being opened).
Saying "clothes are smelling bad" instead of "the clothes smell bad" or "the clothes have a bad smell" (same continuous-tense mistake with "smell").
Saying "clean the smell" instead of "get rid of the smell" or "remove the smell" (a smell can't be "cleaned," only removed).
Saying "the room has fungus" instead of "the room has mould" (in everyday English, "mould" is the natural word, not "fungus").
Saying "wash the room" instead of "clean the room" or "tidy up the room" (a room is cleaned or tidied, not washed).

Quick quiz

1. What does "musty" mean?

2. What does "air out" mean?

3. Where do you put dirty clothes before washing them?

4. Complete: "A layer of ___ had built up on the shelf."

5. What can grow in damp, poorly ventilated places?

6. What does "tidy up" mean?

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