Odor Removal Techniques

2/2/2021 (Permalink)

If you have ever had a fire at your home or business you know the difficulties that come with it. One of the major issues that can linger for a long time after is the odor. Here at SERVPRO we have many different techniques for removing odors. This blog will spotlight on how we deal with unwanted odors.  

Homeowners who wish to eliminate unpleasant smells from their home can often succeed in doing so by using some very basic odor removal techniques.  Some of the most common sources of unpleasant smells include smoke from cigarettes or fires, and biological waste produced by pets.  To some extent, basic cleaning methods can successfully neutralize these foreign agents from carpets and upholstery.  Provided the contaminants are located, and have not soaked into materials completely, enzymatic cleaners and wet paper towels that can be bought in any retail store may possibly restore a fresh smell to the air.  However, products that cover up odors with more pleasant smells offer only temporary relief from contaminants that have not been actually removed.  Homeowners should be careful not to mistakenly purchase products that simply cover up bad smells.  They must also be willing to contact professionals when their best efforts prove unsuccessful in completely clearing the offensive odors in a room.

The success of any odor removal project depends on properly identifying the contaminants producing the bad smell.  Smoke and pet wastes are easily identified and often can be handled by individuals who apply determination and ingenuity to a home remedy cleaning project.  However, other contaminants, ranging from sewer gas that creeps back up into pipes, and smells produced by decaying protein, food products, and various oil-based substances, are not only difficult to eliminate, they are also difficult to pinpoint. Professional carpet cleaners are trained, and often certified, in determining the nature of contamination first.  Once the diagnosis has been made, specialized tools and procedures available only to properly trained technicians, that are most often certified, are then employed to purify the surfaces that have been affected.

While it is always good to apply basic odor removal techniques to whatever extent they can be successfully implemented, homeowners should also be willing to pay for professional cleaning in order to make sure that contaminants that produce bad smells have been correctly and thoroughly removed.