air purifiers and old musty cabins

[ProudGrandma]

My husband's family owns an old hunting cabin in the woods.  Like all old cabins in the woods, it has a strong musty, moldy smell that penetrates everything. 

Our daughter is allergic to mold and dust.  We were wondering if bringing a couple free standing air purifiers might help with that while we were there.   It would be like we might all go there for a couple days and stay, not like my husband and I would live there for a while before she would get there so we could clean the air before she arrived.  

I am just not sure that can be done when the cabin itself is old and has been there for 100 years.  It has running water and electricity, but beyond that, it's not modern in anyway.  

What do you guys think? Could this be done? 

[PeterPan]

Sometimes wood is its own allergen. I would think taking a vacuum (miele, something with a good filter) and giving it a clean when you arrive would make a big difference. If you go when the weather is good, you can open the windows and run fans. Might be the mold of the woods is worse than the cabin. And you could take a pup tent as a backup so if she gets there and is miserable she has somewhere to go. 

We stayed at a beach house where they had air fresheners with some kind of dampx stuff in the closets. Sometimes the cure is worse than the problem.

Adding: If you could time it to go *after rain* the air might be cleaner.

Edited February 10, 2021 by PeterPan

[fairfarmhand]

You can get buckets of this stuff called Damp Rid that absorbs excess water and humidity. The stuff I used had NO fragrance. It simply absorbed excess moisture from the air in my bathrooms. Maybe you should leave several buckets of damp rid there when you leave? You can get giant containers of this stuff. 

[Pawz4me]

For musty moisture I'd think a dehumidifier might do much more good than an air purifier. 

[MerryAtHope]

In my experience, no, air cleaners are not going to be enough. They may help some, but the problem is probably in the walls, flooring materials, furniture etc... A dehumidifier is also a good idea, but I suspect it will take a lot more to really remedy the problem. Maybe go up with a camper or tents the first time to clean and investigate further what it would take to make it habitable for her. I wouldn’t chance having to sleep there personally, especially if you really suspect mold. 

[4atHome]

Have her start taking meds a week before going.  At the least, a zyrtec or claritin, or something like singulair if you have it.

Edited February 11, 2021 by 4atHome