I never had a sensitive sense of smell until recent years, and it would drive me insane as a kid because my mom was the opposite.
People used to say she had a “nuclear nose” because she could detect things that you’d think only a dog could sense.
When we were looking for a new home to rent in my middle school years, she drove my dad insane saying no to a handful of homes that she claimed smelled like mold. We came to find out that she was right on all of those properties after my father started doing detailed inspections in the places where she detected the most odor. I was amazed by the flagrant amount of water damage that landlords and home sellers try to hide from their renters or customers. And you could say what you want about my mom, but she always rooted out issues in homes we came across and toured. Not to mention, mom’s diligence resulted in us waiting longer than dad wanted and we found the perfect home at the absolute last minute. On top of that, she had dad buy a new heating and cooling system for the house that included a dehumidifier as well. Not only does drier air reduce fungal growth indoors, it leads to fewer odors as well. I still use dehumidifiers to this day, although my current one simply plugs into the wall and I run a hose out the back to a drain in the floor of my bathroom. It’s continuously draining because of the hose, making it extremely easy to use. The maintenance is simply cleaning the washable filter every two to three months or so.