M.B., Rockland

A. Cleaning the microwave should do it. Use a solution of baking soda and water. Or make a paste of baking soda and water and scrub it on all surfaces of the microwave compartment. Or, wet all surfaces of the compartment and sprinkle lots of baking soda on the wet surfaces, leave it for awhile, then scrub and rinse. Repeat if necessary.

One more thing might work: There is a new deodorizer on the market called Natural Magic Odor Blaster, which oxidizes the source of the odor instead of masking the odor. It is sold in retail and hardware stores and supermarkets. Call 800-376-2442 for locations.

Q. Whenever I close up my vacation house in New Hampshire, and then open it up when I visit, I get this dank, musty odor, winter or summer. How can I prevent that?

J.I., Wellesley

A. It's an old story: Houses, vacation or not, smell musty when they are not occupied, summer or winter. The same thing happens when people seal up their basements, although the basement mustiness occurs more in summer than in winter. All of this is because a sealed area builds up moisture until the air is saturated, then a certain amount condenses on cool surfaces, hence the mustiness and possible growth of mildew. You may not even see that condensation, but it is there. And where moisture is, mildew is not far behind.

The cure is ventilation. Open windows in the house, several for proper cross-ventilation. Just an inch or less will do, but several windows should be open to allow water vapor to escape, preventing it from building up indoors. Opening a double-hung window at the top will hasten the escape of water vapor.

Of course, with windows opened, even as little as an inch or less, you have to devise a secure closure. The easiest windows to handle are double-hung, the ones that slide up and down. Casement windows, the ones that open like a door, are tougher to secure. If you have a kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan and the duct leads to the outdoors, you could keep open one or both ducts.

The Handyman used to say, ``Crack a window a bit,'' meaning open the window a half-inch to 1 inch. He stopped saying that after a call from a homeowner who actually broke a window. That's like the Handyman working on a project, installing something or other, and saying to his assistant: ``When I nod my head, hit it with a hammer.''

Q. One of my kitchen cabinets smells to high heaven. Apparently the previous owners stored spices in it, and a lot of the spices spilled. The kids appear to be allergic to it, and it smells bad to boot. I tried washing it with a number of different cleaners, without success. The cabinet is on a wall, separate from its neighbors. Can I remove it?

KAREN WILLIAMS, Hopkinton

A. If you can't wash the odor away, you can try sealing it. Since the cabinet must be clean from all that washing, try this: Apply an oil-based primer (Kilz will do) and finish with one or two coats of oil-based, indoor-outdoor enamel. Actually, instead of oil you can use water-based products such as latex enamel undercoater and two coats of a water-based wall paint. Replace all movable shelves.

The paint should seal in the odor, although the oil-based paints might cause another odor that won't go away.

To answer your final question, that individual cabinet can be taken down. Look for screws in the back, where it is fastened onto the wall, and on the sides, if there is anything adjoining it. I checked my own cabinets and easily spotted the screws, so I know that when you release the appropriate screws you can take the cabinet down.

Now you can work on it more comfortably than when it was in place, either for painting or cleaning. If you need to clean some more, wet down all surfaces; you might try doing one surface at a time. Then sprinkle lots of baking soda on the wet surface; really pile it up. The baking soda will absorb the water, which has dissolved, it is hoped, the spice residue or the source of the odor. After an hour, sweep up that baking soda and throw it away.

Another possibility: If the cabinet is solid wood or plywood, you can sand it to the bare wood, which will also remove the odor. Then paint or varnish the wood. You cannot sand a plastic-coated surface for this purpose.

Sometimes you can get rid of most of the odor, then when you close the door for a time and open it again, the odor is back. In that case, replace the cabinet.

Q. I'm getting sewer gas odors on my deck, but none in the attic or the house. The soil pipe goes through the attic, and the bathroom exhaust fan vents into the soil pipe. How can I get rid of that odor?

B.B., Maine

A. First, disconnect the bathroom exhaust vent from the soil pipe, cover the hole, and vent the exhaust fan to the outdoors. That vent going into the soil pipe is aggravating the odor problem. What's happening: Air flowing up or down the roof is wafting the sewer gases to the ground as they come out the soil pipe.

Disconnecting the exhaust fan vent from the soil pipe may do it; that vent is pushing air into the soil pipe under power, and more than a normal amount is coming out. The second thing to do is to put an upside-down U-shaped extension on the soil pipe so that its end is facing downward. This will disrupt the flow of air. If it doesn't, turn the ``U'' extension 45 to 90 degrees; if odors persist, turn it again 45 degrees; keep turning it until the odors stop.

Q. My first-floor apartment is pretty close to the street, and I am plagued by auto exhaust fumes. I tried sealing the windows with blow-dry plastic, which didn't work. How can I seal the wall, at least the wall facing the street, against those fumes?

L.L., Lynn

A. Sealing the windows probably did some good, but not enough that you could detect, because there are other areas of the wall that are admitting the fumes. If the building is very old, it might be a hopeless job to seal everything, but you can try sealing obvious areas -- the window frames. Caulk along the edges of the frames on the inside, where the wood meets the wall, with a flexible caulking (Phenoseal or Polyseamseal are good ones that are easily used in a caulking gun). Also, caulk under the inside sill and at the bottom of the apron that is just below the inside sill. It's amazing how many nooks and crannies that fumes can get into.

And since those fumes contain carbon monoxide, I suggest you invest in a carbon-monoxide detector. If the detector detects any carbon monoxide, then you can go to the landlord and ask him to do something about it. It wouldn't hurt to go to the landlord even before you do all that caulking.

Odors
Here's one for the books: Bill Achorn of Stoneham had a terrible odor in his garage after paint that had been spilled on the concrete floor was removed and then scrubbed with a heavy-duty detergent and water. Nothing helped to get rid of the odor (really bad, he said) except by keeping the door open, not very practical. He even asked the Handyman, who was of little help. So he did some sleuthing himself.

``Along one side of the concrete floor is an expansion joint [a deep groove in the concrete], with some sort of filler material in it. I found out that the material is sugar cane and asphalt. I noticed it was wet; when I scraped it out about half an inch, I found that it smelled bad. Really stank. Apparently the stuff had decayed.

``A mason suggested scraping out as much as possible, then filling the joint with hydraulic cement. How does that sound to you?''

The Handyman could only reply: ``Gee, why didn't I think of that!''

It's a good idea, and try to get as much of that rotten stuff out as possible. Sealing the joint with hydraulic cement will seal in the odor, but you might as well get rid of the source of the smell anyway, and there is also a chance that the odor could come up through the hydraulic cement. I believe all the water and detergent used to clean up the paint spill caused the stuff to decay, but it might have been well on its way even before you had the problem.

You can fill the joint with ordinary mortar, which is less expensive than hydraulic cement, but be sure to compact the mortar heavily into the joint.

Q. I moved into a house with a Heatilator fireplace, an all-metal box with at least four vents, two at the top of the opening and two at the bottom. The whole thing smells of old smoke. How can I get rid of that odor?

ELIZABETH BISHOP, Sudbury

A. I think the only way to get rid of the odor is the same way you'd get rid of the odor in an ordinary fireplace. And that is to block the firebox opening, and also block those four vents.

It is not a matter of getting rid of the odor (impossible) but keeping it from wafting into the room; air coming down the chimney in a downdraft picks up the odor in the chimney and blows it right into the room. To close the opening in the throat of the chimney, cut a piece of Styrofoam to fit. Being metal, it should be easy to secure the Styrofoam tightly with duct tape. Make sure the damper is closed.

For the vent openings, cover them with polyethylene plastic or any airtight material, and tape the edges.

The point of this is that the firebox opening and the vents must be completely sealed to stop that downdraft. Trying to clean the chimney and the inside of the Heatilator (which you can't get to anyway) is impossible. However, you can make a solution of baking soda and water and wipe down the front of the fireplace and all exposed metal parts with this solution. This may reduce the odor a bit.

Q. I have some old magazines that smell of the cellar: musty and mildewy. They seem dry, and the pages are not stuck together by moisture. How can I get rid of that odor?

KARL HEIDENRICH, Tewksbury

A. You can be thankful they are not stuck together, because if they were, chances are pretty high that they would stay stuck together. So, first things first; get them out of the cellar; the moisture in the cellar is doing them no good, and it is difficult to get all the moisture out of the cellar. To do that, ventilate the cellar; keep those windows open during the summer. But avoid storing paper goods in the cellar.

As for the magazines, place them in the sun and keep them there as long as practicable. The drier they get, the less they will smell. Also, open the magazines and sprinkle a bit of baking soda on each page. You can do a few pages at a time. Let the baking soda sit on the pages for an hour or so, then brush it off with a soft brush. With luck, the magazines will be dry, readable, and without that annoying odor.

Q. Here's one for the books. In rainy weather, more in winter than summer, I get an awful stench under the kitchen sink on the second floor. It smells like rotten canteloupes, and often permeates to the first floor. There are no leaks that I know of, and the walls are not wet. I can't find any dead animals, stopped-up drains, or anything that might cause the odor. It is strong. What might it be, and how can I get rid of it? The house is vinyl sided, and there is Rockwool insulation in the attic floor and possibly in the walls.

S.S., Stoughton

A. Finding the source is a matter of elimination. You have eliminated sewer gas and animals. So, I suggest it is wet insulation in the walls, from a leak that never showed itself. Rainy weather increases the emission of the odor from the already wet insulation. It occurs more in winter when the house is closed up. In summer, you get plenty of ventilation, which gets rid of most odors. The siding has sealed the house even more, aggravating the problem.

The only way to find this out is to remove the wall covering under the sink and anywhere else you think the insulation (or the wall cavity if there is no insulation) is wet. Wet wood smells weird. Old wet plaster can also smell weird. You might find other organic decay there as well. Incidentally, once insulation gets wet in a wall cavity, or the wall itself is wet, it will take forever to dry out because there is no way to ventilate it.

If you find the insulation is wet, pull it out and throw it away. Then let the wall cavity dry out and fix the leak if you can before putting in new -- dry! -- insulation.

Q. I have a large cedar closet that I don't want to use to store clothes; but the cedar smell is horrendous. How can I get rid of it?

J.T., Lawrence

A. That's a new one. Usually the Handyman is asked how to restore the aroma. There are two ways to get rid of the smell: 1. Apply two coats of a high-gloss, oil-based polyurethane varnish. 2. Apply glue size to the walls and apply a vinyl-coated wallpaper. I think the second idea is better because it allows a future owner of your house, or you yourself, to restore the wood's aroma easily by soaking and scraping off the paper.

Q. I am thinking of buying a house that has been standing empty for some time. But the stench of cat and dog urine is overwhelming. The house had been rented for some time to somewhat sloppy cat and dog owners. How can I get rid of that stench?

L.B., Newport, R.I.

A. Frankly, I would find another house. While ventilation will help in reducing the odor, it is likely to remain for a long time, because the urine has penetrated flooring and other wood items, and as such is virtually impossible to remove without removing the flooring and possibly the subflooring, if the urine has penetrated there, too. And it sounds as if the doggy-woggy renter let his pets go all ovr the house, not in just one area. Sometimes sanding floors and varnishing will seal in the urine, but sometimes it won't. Urine can also penetrate concrete. I really don't think it's worth the effort.

There are companies that deodorize houses, but I am not convinced when it comes to urine. Many deodorizers treat the symptom but not the source. But a shot in the dark for you, if you buy this house, is to try some deodorizers on the market. One widely-sold product is Nature's Miracle, which uses liquid enzymes to treat both odors and stains. The manufacturer, Pets 'n People Inc. of Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., also makes a special Blacklite light for detecting the sources of various pet odors. Another often-recommended treatment for all types of odors is Odor Gone, made by Natural Products Inc., of Jeffersonville, Pa. (800-324-9920). Odor Gone can be ordered from the manufacturer.

There is one faint hope. Get the seller to knock off $20,000 or so from the price so you can replace the flooring.

Q. I have an aroma problem; in one case, not enough aroma and the other too much aroma. My cedar closet was put in 50 years ago but there is not much of a cedar odor. How can I restore that aroma? On the other hand, the inside and drawers of a bureau have too much odor, not of cedar but an unpleasant smell. I tried baking soda and alcohol, not at the same time, without success.

M.B., Hopkinton

A. The non-aromatic cedar closet is an old problem, caused by 50 years of buildup of dirt and other pollutants that have sealed off the cedar and its aroma. Sand the cedar to the bare wood; use medium coarse paper, or medium fine. That done, the cedar should be good for another 50 years. Incidentally, the cedar repels moths, but does not kill them or their larvae. So, if you have moths, the closet should be treated with moth crystals before storing clothes in it. By the way, don't varnish the cedar; that will seal in the aroma.

The odiferous drawers are also an old problem, probably due to excessive drying of the wood. Baking soda should help remove the odor, but you may not be using it quite right: Try thoroughly wetting all of the inside surfaces of the bureau, and then spread soda on the wet surfaces. The baking soda should absorb a lot of the material that is causing the odor. If the second trick helps, repeat. The more you ventilate the bureau, the better.

Washing with a half-and-half solution of liquid chlorine bleach also should help.

A last resort: Coat all bare wood, inside surfaces of the bureau, and the drawers, with varnish. For this purpose, use a water-based polyurethane varnish. You will seal in the odor for a while, maybe for good.

Q. I inherited a nice recliner, covered with Naugahyde or vinyl, but with a terrible odor of tobacco smoke. I tried Lysol and a deodorant soap without success. What will work?

A.G., Brookline

A. No promises, but try one of these tricks, one at a time: 1. Make a strong solution of baking soda and water, wash and leave the solution on the vinyl for as long as practicable, then wipe off with a dry cloth. 2. Wash with a strong solution of salt and water; that is, dissolve half a cup of salt in a bucket of water. Wash and wipe dry. 3. Wash with white vinegar and water. Start with equal parts water and vinegar, strengthen that solution if necessary. In all three cases, if any one reduces the odor, repeat.

If the smoke has gotten into the upholstery under the vinyl, it is a whole different ballgame. You might have to remove the vinyl cover and treat the insides, then reupholster.

Q. The latex paint I painted the inside of my house with has dried nicely, but emitted a foul odor last summer. When autumn came, it stopped. I don't know if it will be back this summer, but I don't want it to. Is there something wrong with the paint? What can I do?

D.S., Needham

A. A good question, which means the Handyman may not have much of an answer. It sounds as if moisture in the summer is activating something in the paint. A solution? Start with the paint manufacturer, who might find something. You have nothing to lose. Then again it might not smell so bad this summer. And if all else fails, repaint with a different brand. This will seal the old paint and, it is fervently hoped, seal in the odor.

Q. Carburetor cleaner was accidentally sprayed under a sink, and now there is a terrible smell there, just awful, like chemicals. How can I get rid of it? The inside of the cabinet looks as if it has been stained by a wood stain; there is no shine on the wood. I tried baking soda without success.

MARTHA O'MARA, Waltham

A. It certainly is a chemical smell, because what's causing it is a pretty strong solvent. Ventilation will help, but will take awhile. Baking soda will also work, I think, but you have to do it this way: Dampen the affected wood with paint thinner, then immediately sprinkle lots of baking soda on it. Let it really pile up, leave it for an hour or so and sweep up and throw away. Repeat. If the spray is on the sides of the cabinet, make a paste of the baking soda and a little paint thinner and smear it on the side so that it sticks. Wait a while and scrub off.

A temporary cure might be to cover the affected surfaces with contact paper. I think this will seal in the odor. Finally, if all these tricks fail, apply two coats of an oil-based urethane varnish on the inside of the cabinet. Of course, the varnish will smell for a while, so you have to use lots of ventilation while the varnish cures, a matter of days, or until the odor (of the varnish) dissipates.

Q. How can I get a smoke odor out of an upholstered sofa?

JUDITH MAYER, Halifax

A. Dampen the upholstery with a wet sponge, then sprinkle a whole bunch of baking soda on the damp surface. Leave it for an hour, then sweep up and throw away. You can use instead carpet freshener, which is perfumed baking soda. You could mound up salt over the damp surface, let dry, and throw away.

The reason you wet or dampen the upholstery: Baking soda will not absorb dry materials very well, but will do a good job of pulling dampness out, thereby pulling the smoke odor out, too.

Q. I have some old wood furniture that is musty smelling. How can I get rid of that odor?

L.C., Winthrop

A. A number of people have called on the same issue, most of them frustrated by the mustiness, especially on furniture stored in the basement.

So, for those several callers, here is what to do: Let the furniture dry out; it has gotten damp; such a surface is the ideal growth medium for mildew. Take the furniture out of the basement, if possible, and store in a dry, warm space. This may be all that is needed, but when the furniture is returned to the house, the odor returns.

OK, then you make a mix of one part bleach and three parts water and paint this on all surfaces of the furniture, especially unvarnished or unpainted surfaces, such as the inside and outside of all drawers and all surfaces inside bureaus. This solution, lightly applied, will not hurt painted or varnished surfaces, either. If this treatment doesn't work, then rinse the bleached areas and sand them lightly. Then apply one or two coats of oil-based polyurethane varnish. This is designed to seal in the musty smell.

Upholstery is another matter. You can try treating it with a milder solution of one part bleach and five or more parts water, but you have to test a small area first to make sure the upholstery does not bleach out. If that cannot be done, then the upholstery should be ripped out and new installed.

Always wear skin and eye protection when working with bleach.

One more thing: The makers of Lysol Disinfectant Spray say that the routine application of the spray on hard surfaces associated with moisture significantly reduced the presence of mold and mildew and suppressed regrowth for up to six weeks.

If this works, all the better. The Handyman might try some himself.

Q. I bought a house with a strong odor of stale smoke. I cleaned the carpet, and that seems OK, but the smell is coming from the paneling. Someone suggested washing the paneling with ammonia and water. I also bought water-based polyurethane varnish, hoping to seal in the odor. Anything else I can do?

MIKE, from Medfield

A. The ammonia and water sounds OK to do because washing the paneling will do the most good. But instead, I suggest a standard solution of Spic and Span and water; I think it is still one of the better cleaners on the market. Wash the paneling thoroughly; the finish should not be affected, although it might become dull. Rinse. If that does it, you will not have to seal it.

If you have to seal the paneling, do not use water-based polyurethane; it is incompatible with the oil-based finish on the paneling. One coat of a satin finish should do it; before coating the paneling, sand it lightly to roughen the finish. The paneling will look terrible after that sanding, but after you wipe it with a damp cloth and let it dry, the new finish should look very good. I think brushing is best.

Another good cleaner is paint thinner. Use lots of ventilation when working with it.

Q. When I cleaned up a white marble mantel with soap and water, it continued to smell like heating oil. How can I get rid of that odor?

GEORGE PERESMAN, Newburyport

A. Marble is absorbent, so you must use an absorbent material to pull out the oil, and you must use a solvent to activate the oil in the marble. So, dampen the marble with paint thinner, and sprinkle baking soda over it, at least half an inch thick. Let it sit for an hour (you may see the baking soda turn yellow, which means it is absorbing the oil). Sweep it up and throw it away. Repeat as necessary.

Repetition is the secret to success. And rest assured it will work. The handyman spilled some diesel oil in the trunk of his car years ago during the energy crisis. But he wiped up as much as he could, then gave everything the baking soda treatment. Eventually, every trace of oil -- and odor -- was gone. Other absorbents you can use are Speedy Dry and cat litter. Both are absorbent clays.

Q. Whenever I close up my vacation house in New Hampshire, and then open it up when I visit, I get a dank, musty odor, winter or summer. How can I prevent that?

J.I., Wellesley, Mass.

A. It's an old story: Houses, vacation or not, smell musty when they are not occupied, summer or winter. This is because a sealed area builds up moisture until the air is saturated, then a certain amount condenses on cool surfaces, hence the mustiness and possible growth of mildew. And where moisture is, mildew is not far behind.

The cure is ventilation. Open windows in the house, several for proper cross-ventilation. Just an inch or less will do, but several windows should be open to allow water vapor to escape, preventing it from building up indoors. Opening a double-hung window at the top will hasten the escape of water vapor.

Of course, with windows opened, even as little as an inch or less, you have to devise a secure closure. The easiest windows to handle are double-hung, the ones that slide up and down. Casement windows, the ones that open like a door, are tougher to secure. If you have a kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan and the duct leads to the outdoors, you could keep open one or both ducts.

Q. I bought a thick wool runner, which is nice looking, but the glued-on backing stinks. What can I do to get rid of that permeating smell?

GABRIELE COLAO, Bedford

A. Wait. It will dissipate over time, a long time, but probably not enough for the odor to go away completely. Take it back, return it or exchange it for one that does not have a backing; you can get wool runners and rugs without this odious backing. Then put down a pad of some kind that does not stink.

Q. My brand-new house had a sewer backup in the basement. The backup has been fixed and the sewage has ebbed, but the odor is powerful. Adding insult to injury, the basement is finished. Should I call in a fogger or a pest-control person? Otherwise, how can I get rid of the odor?

ANONYMOUS CALLER

A. It's an old story, sewer backups and, during floods, release of sewage in the basement. It is of course new to you, but the treatment remains the same. And that treatment is bleach -- lots of it, although the more you let the basement dry out, by ventilating, the better off you will be. You can use Lysol disinfectant spray as an alternative, but it is likely to be more expensive than store-brand bleach, which is a bargain at about a dollar a gallon. You can use it straight, but cut half and half with water should be adequate for disinfecting purposes. Paint or pour it on the floor, sweep it up, and throw it away. Or, spread it on the floor and spread a lot of Speedy Dry or other kind of absorbent clay to absorb the sewage-bleach solution. Sweep it up and throw it away. Repeat as necessary.

Fogging is similar to fumigation, which has to be done by an exterminator, is expensive, and requires getting out of the house for a day or more.

Now for the finished basement. If the sewage rose along the walls, the wet part of the walls must be cut out, any wet insulation removed and disposed of, and the wall area disinfected and allowed to dry out. Then install a new insulation and wall finish. If you no longer can smell any odor, chances are excellent that you have beaten the rap, or at least sanitized the place.

Q. I bought a fine old sideboard with many doors and drawers. It has a horrendous odor of mothballs. How can I get rid of that odor?

SANDY BLINN, Andover

Q. There's a pretty strong mothball smell in two drawers of an old chest. How can I get rid of that odor?

STUART MONROE, Hudson

A. Two questions within a month make it appropriate to answer. I imagine there are other people with the same problem.

So, for starters, ventilate those drawers or the whole piece, by placing them outdoors on a dry, sunny day. This will help somewhat, but the odor is likely to come back when the piece is brought indoors.

Next, sand all bare wood, including the inside of the piece as well as the inside and outside of all drawers. This will take the very top of the wood off, and some of the odor.

If not all the odor, wet all bare wood surfaces with water, and sprinkle baking soda heavily on all wet surfaces. If this makes a difference, repeat.

Another possible ``cure:'' Natural Magic Odor Blaster, a deodorizer that oxidizes the source rather than covering it up or paralyzing the smeller (you and me). It is sold in hardware, grocery, and retail stores. For a nearby location, call 800-376-2442.

A last resort is to coat all bare wood surfaces with two coats of an oil-based polyurethane varnish to seal in the odor. And hope that the varnish odor will not linger too long.

Q. When I bought a house in Edgartown last year, there was water in the basement and a lot of condensation. I moved the downspouts so they would not pour water into the foundation, and opened the windows and doors in the house and the basement. The moisture went away and everything was OK. I closed it up at the end of the season, and when I went back to open it again, I was hit by this horrible mold smell. What did I do wrong?

A.M., Concord

A. Ah, it's the classic syndrome that Americans get into when they close up a house or basement; they (we) think that when everything is tight and tightly closed, everything will be OK, until they get hit by the mildew smell. Similarly, we close up our basements, then wonder why they are so dank and smelly.

OK, what you did right is to relocate the downspouts and other things to keep water out of the basement. But moisture comes in other forms than water. What you did wrong is seal the house and basement when you went away. Tightly sealed, the house just sits there, collecting moisture (water vapor) that is constantly coming up through the basement floor and into the basement and eventually into the house. Water vapor will also build up all by itself in the house itself. This water vapor eventually saturates the air until it condenses on cool surfaces. Result: Mildew and that dank smell.

Another thing you did right was to open doors and windows, and you got good results. But you should have continued ventilating the basement and the house while you were away, to allow that water vapor to escape. You can open windows just a bit in the basement (or use vents); screen the windows and secure them as necessary. Do the same in the living area; the windows need not be open more than an inch or so. Secure windows with burglar bars or a window lock that does not allow them to be opened. The more ventilating you can do, the better. Venting the basement is not necessary in cold weather but the house itself should be.

Q. In my finished basement room, I get an awful smell when the heat is turned on. The system is hot air fired by oil, and the heating company said there is nothing wrong with the system. The odor is not an oil smell or a burned oil smell, and, as far as I can determine, it is not a chemical smell. The ducts that serve this room are not far from the furnace.

DENISE RABINOWITZ, Milford

A. Check out the ducts (the pipes that take the air from the furnace to the room) for mildew. Take the ducts apart if necessary and clean them -- or have them cleaned professionally. This may help remove the cause of the odor, whether it is mildew or not.

Q. How can I get the musty, rather dank odor out of my garbage disposal?

LARRY O'CONNOR, Woburn

A. Grind through pieces of lemon, orange, lime, or grapefruit, including rind. Sprinkle baking soda into dispsal once a day.

For further treatment, remove rubber baffle, and with a paper towel dampened with bleach, reach under rim and remove scum. Wear skin and eye protection when working with bleach.

Here's a treatment, for maintenance: Once a week, put two trays of ice cubes and half a cup of washing soda in disposal and let 'er rip.