Odors
Inviting Friends to Your Home?
Do People think, "What’s that smell"?
Some homes get old and musty. Some smell like fish. Sometimes a pest dies in the attic. You may have found a great house but the people selling it smoked cigarettes. People with pets often get used to the smell of urine in the carpet or dog or cat dander in the sofa. Over time, you may get used to the odors but when your friends or family come over, they think, “What’s that smell”, but are too embarrassed to say anything. These are natural occurrences, especially after living inside all Winter. If you think your house smells or you are afraid it does but can’t really tell, give us a call. The FreshStart process is very effective at removing surface odors. Odors from heavy smokers over years and years may take multiple treatments over 6 months to a year as the smoke is embeded deeply into the wood and drywall of the structure.
Pet Odors
The FreshStart process is effective in biological pet odor removal such as urine from non-absorbent surfaces. In addition to the toxicity of many room deodorizers, another problem with air fresheners and cover-up sprays is that they eventually dissipate or dry out, and the urine pet odor re-emerges. Another problem with urine pet odors in bathrooms adjacent to carpeted flooring can be indirect or incidental contamination. In this case, a small application of enzymatic cleaner should precede the FreshStart treatment.
If there has been repeated contamination of the carpet, even these steps may not penetrate deep enough into the carpet for the pet odor removal to be completely successful. When the urine pet odor is caused by prolonged exposure by proximity, an enzymatic cleaner can often be applied to the urine affected area, and a FreshStart pet odor removal treatment will usually eliminate the residual pet odor.
In the case of deep and prolonged urine saturation, the carpeting should be pulled back, inspected for physical damage and all affected padding removed. If the carpet, flooring and/or sub-flooring have been physically damaged, ALL damaged materials and padding should be replaced and a FreshStart treatment done immediately.
Food Odors
What is sweet and wonderful to some is an unpleasant odor to others. Due to cultural taste differences, the aroma of a fine cuisine curry shrimp dinner or the aroma of a spicy hot Ortega Chili dish that are sensed as “scrumptious” to some can be perceived as a pungent odor to others. More than one Real Estate Agent has employed the FreshStart process to eliminate a negative reaction that turned a, “No way!” into a, “What a wonderful home!”
Smoke Odors
When looking for a new place to live, have you ever walked into a “Dream Home”, only to immediately turn around and run out because the odor of years of Aunt Tilley’s smoking caused you to get sick? Many Real Estate Agents, including Coldwell Banker® Concierge™ and First Team® have successfully used the FreshStart process to eliminate this problem. With years of occupants smoking in a building, the smoke can actually cast an oily yellow color on the walls, ceilings and contents of the structure. The complex carbon chain bonds of the smoke can actually penetrate several microns into the sheet-rock, plaster, various building materials and content and a single treatment can only penetrate one to two microns. Between seven and ten days following the first treatment, the odors may start to re-emerge, since the deeper odors could not be reached, penetrated and broken down at the molecular level by the FreshStart treatment. In these cases, a second treatment usually provides complete elimination of any residual cigarette or cigar smoke odors, and at this point the building’s interior can be painted to cover the smoke’s staining without fear of the odor re-emerging from behind the new coat of paint.
Dead Animal Odors
URFresh has successfully eliminated the odors caused by dead rodents, pets and a variety of cases of decomposition. Once the dead and/or decomposing body has been removed appropriately, the odor of the decomposing organism can remain indefinitely and be overwhelming to most people. Whether the cause was frozen meat left in a freezer that lost its electrical power, a rodent trapped during construction, abandoned baby animals under a school building, or even a call from the Coroner’s Office, the final step for reuse of the property is a FreshStart by Prompt Care® treatment.
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Preparation for the FreshStart Process
Preparation for the FreshStart Process is very important.
In order to ensure the safety of your home, its occupants and contents please comply with the following:
Our FreshStart treatment requires about 5 hours from the time we initially arrive until the time you are able to return to your home. No people or pets can be in the premises while it is being treated. Therefore all occupants (residents, guests, maids, care givers, etc.) must be alerted to the time and date of your home’s treatment. Special attention should be given to children or other family members that could return home and attempt to enter the house before completion of the treatment. Alternative locations must be arranged before treatment. All pets, except fish, must be removed from the area during the treatment. Although most house plants thrive following the FreshStart treatment, if you have delicate plants, such as orchids, you may want to remove them from the area to be treated, as some lightening of pedal color may occur.
Our process doesn’t go through walls or closet doors. In order to treat your home effectively, we ask that the following steps be taken.
Checklist
- Wet and soiled clothing with elastic (jogging outfits, undergarments, baby clothing, etc.) should be placed in drawers or cabinets that will be kept closed during treatment.
- When the Technician first arrives at your home please point out any specific problem areas, i.e. visible mold, smoke odors, pet odors, etc., so that they may receive special attention.
- Open drawers, cupboards, vanities and closet doors fully for a thorough treatment.
- Spread out the closet clothes as much as possible to ensure a thorough treatment.
- Pre-treat, repair or replace any material (carpets, sofa materials, etc) that has absorbed urine, feces, mold, etc as these may otherwise continue to emit odors.
- Remove all bedding, including pads, from the mattresses and drape the bedding over chairs, doors, etc. to ensure maximum expose to the treatment. This will allow for the most effective treatment of dust mites, allergens and other microorganisms while leaving the bedding smelling fresh.
- To further eliminate the effects of dust mites you may want to wash your bedding linen in very hot water, above 130F. Note that this is hotter than is generally delivered by a standard hot water heater. Therefore to achieve this high temperature in your washing machine it is suggested that you half fill the tub with the hottest water available and then add several quarts of boiling water into the tub.
Warning signs will be posted on all entrances. In the event of an emergency, call toll free (866) 873-7374, or the Technician’s cell phone number, which is also indicated on these signs.
Do not enter the home for any reason until it has been tested and cleared for occupancy by Prompt Care’s trained and Certified Technician!
CALL US TODAY!
Call (714) 287-7601 to Schedule a FreshStart Treatment.