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Odor Control
Don’t just mask the smell. Eliminate it.
Unseen odors are nearly impossible to track down on your own.
Our IICRC-certified technicians look past the surface to neutralize severe smoke, mold, and organic stenches at the source for good. Contact us today for an immediate quote!
What are the issues associated with odor control in the home?
Because distasteful odors cannot be seen, it is often extremely difficult to pinpoint their source.
Excess moisture, smoke, pet urine, food, and tracked-in soil can all cause stenches, and they may remain indefinitely unless treated. Carpeting, upholstery, and other textiles are often breeding grounds for bacteria that cause foul odors, and eliminating them can be tough for someone untrained in the field.
What are the best ways to deal with different odor sources?
The worst odors are often associated with damage caused by disasters
Flood damage often leaves behind mold and bacteria, while fires create huge amounts of smoke. Molds and bacteria must be eliminated before their odors can be removed. Extensive cleaning and the use of appropriate antimicrobial agents can eliminate the source and the stench-causing microbe.
Smoke is particularly difficult to remove because it penetrates nearly every material in the home. Carpet, furniture, walls, and ceilings can all harbor smoke odors, and they can quickly spread throughout the building. Smoke smells also tend to return even after they seem to be gone. The only way to ensure their elimination is a thorough cleaning of all surfaces the smoke came into contact with and the use of a professional neutralizer calibrated for the affected material.
Organic sources often require a targeted solution to eliminate because bacteria will quickly return if any part of the source remains. The best way to do this is with an oxidizer or enzyme that can break down the organic matter. Finding the right compound can be difficult without proper training.
When should a professional be contacted to perform odor control?
While some isolated odors can be eliminated with concerted effort, any smell that lingers after cleaning or is caused by water, smoke, or organic material should be left to a professional. Most likely, the homeowner is not getting to the source of the problem and completely eradicating it.
What kind of training do odor control professionals have?
Professionals certified through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) are able to quickly detect and isolate the source of the smell using their extensive knowledge. During their seven-hour course, technicians are taught the theory behind odor removal, including the latest technologies and substances used to eliminate unpleasant smells. Technicians who are trained in fire and smoke restoration are capable of finding smoke infiltration and selecting the correct countermeasure. These professionals can also seal off certain materials to contain any lingering smells.
Water damage restoration technicians trained through the IICRC are able to detect and eliminate the molds and bacteria that may be the factor behind unwanted smells. Water damage restoration professionals are also trained in the proper drying of materials, which is an essential part of the odor removal process.
These professionals can all help a home or business owner eliminate a lingering odor for good. With the help of a professional, carpet, furniture, and a home can be rescued from this frustrating problem.
The Best Way To Approach Pet Odor Removal
For many dog and cat owners, pet odor removal from carpets is a fact of life
Puppies and kittens tend to mess up flooring quite a bit before they are properly trained, and by the time they’re going outside or in the litter box, the floor may resemble an unattended latrine. There are, however, a few ways a homeowner can eliminate the odors and stains that animals leave behind. In some cases, a professional may be needed to handle a particularly difficult and soiled situation.
The first thing to do when attempting pet odor removal is to locate the problem area on the carpet.
This is easier said than done, as some flooring can make the area practically invisible. If finding the spot is too hard to do with the naked eye, one can use the help of a black light. This type of bulb will highlight areas where Woofy or Meowzer have been doing their business and provide a starting point for tackling the problem. Another way to track down soiled spots is to watch how other animals track through the home. If there are multiple dogs or cats in the house, they will stop and thoroughly investigate and sniff any area where other animals have evacuated. Cleaning these spots thoroughly can abate the problem.
It’s important to fix the issue as soon as it is detected, for multiple reasons. Animals tend to use the bathroom where they detect the scent of urine or feces, so the problem could worsen, and training the pup or kitten will be that much more difficult. Pet odor removal must also be done immediately, because if the sullied patch of carpet is left too long, it will require more drastic methods to eliminate it. If the animals are allowed to soil the flooring for weeks at a time, and the fabric is not cleaned thoroughly every time, the carpet may need to be replaced, which is significantly more costly and inconvenient than dealing with the issue in the first place.
The best way to approach pet odor removal is to clean from the outside of the stain in; starting from the center may push the stain out further and deeper into the flooring. Scrub inward with a bristle brush and paper towels. Use the paper towels to absorb liquid, and don’t scrub with them, as they may tear and get tangled with the carpet fibers.
Natural pet odor removal substances include vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, lemon, or club soda. Rubbing alcohol can be applied directly to the area and blotted up after a few minutes. Vinegar, baking soda, or lemon juice mixed with water can also be applied this way. If the problem is more widespread and/or doesn’t respond to these gentle methods, consider purchasing an enzyme solution from the pet store. These solutions digest the proteins found in dog and cat urine and fecal matter.
However, even that is often insufficient to overcome the problem, especially with more potent feline urine. If the smell persists after a few cleaning attempts, hire a professional to sanitize the flooring. This is a cost-effective and quick solution that will leave the carpet improved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the odor questions Austin homeowners ask before the smell comes back.
Masking covers a smell temporarily with fragrance, while true odor elimination removes the source that’s creating it. Air fresheners and carpet powders only hide the problem, which is why the smell always returns. Our IICRC-certified technicians locate and neutralize the actual source, whether it’s mold, smoke, or organic matter, so the odor is gone for good rather than covered up.
A returning odor almost always means the source was never fully removed. Smoke penetrates walls, carpet, and upholstery; pet urine soaks into the carpet pad and subfloor; and mold and bacteria keep producing odor until they’re eliminated. Surface cleaning treats the symptom, not the source, so the smell resurfaces. Reaching the root of it usually takes professional equipment and the right antimicrobial or enzyme treatment.
In most cases, yes. Pet urine is stubborn because it soaks past the carpet into the pad and subfloor, and cat urine especially resists household remedies. We locate the affected areas, then use enzyme and oxidizing treatments that break down the proteins causing the smell rather than just covering it. Acting quickly matters, since urine left too long can saturate the carpet to the point where replacement becomes the only option.
Yes. Smoke is one of the hardest odors to eliminate because it works its way into nearly every surface, including carpet, furniture, walls, and ceilings, and it tends to return even when it seems gone. Our fire and smoke restoration training lets us find where the smoke penetrated, apply the correct treatment for each material, and seal surfaces where needed to lock out any remaining odor.
Any smell that lingers after cleaning, or one caused by water, smoke, or organic material, is worth having a professional handle. Isolated surface odors can sometimes be managed at home, but if the smell keeps returning, you’re most likely not reaching the source. This is especially true in Austin, where humidity feeds mold and bacteria growth that keep odors alive until they’re properly treated.
Contact Us
When you contact us for immediate help in Austin, Texas, you will receive the following:
- Swift emergency response
- 24/7 live support from friendly experts
- Expertly trained and experienced restoration specialists ready to serve you
- Detailed and thorough documentation for property owners and insurance companies
- Email Us
info@wowtotalcleaning.com - Contact Us
Phone: (512) 291-0048 - Our Location
1116 Regal Row, Austin, TX 78748
We are happy to help. Let us know what we can do
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