Why Air Fresheners do not Remove Fire Odors in Augusta Homes

10/21/2019 (Permalink)

Home Remedies That Do Not Work for Fire Damage Odor in Augusta Homes 

After a small fire in a home, once the cleanup of the fire damage completes, many people assume the odor diminishes over time. They could not be more wrong.  

When fire damage odor is left behind in an Augusta home, the method of treating the smell successfully depends on the type of fire. Common culprits are a fire on a stove or a candle catching something nearby on fire. These are two different fire types; protein fires that mostly occur in the kitchen respond to distinct cleanup and odor control methods from other kinds of fire loss, for the successful eradication of pungent scents.  

Why Waiting It Out Does Not Work

Once homeowners clean up fire loss in a home, just because it is not visible does not mean it is not there. Soot holds odors, and some particles are smaller than the human eye can see. Cross-contamination occurs when the particles find their way to other areas of the home via foot traffic or the HVAC ductwork. While homeowners wait for the odor to diminish, it is spreading. 

Spray Fresheners

Most spray fabric fresheners work by having chemicals that attach to odors, and when the spray evaporates, so does the smell. The problem with treating smoke odors in this manner comes when deeply embedded scents are the culprit as the sprays do not reach them and are ineffective.  

What Works for Fire Damage Cleanup?

In cases of protein fires, there is a nearly invisible but very pungent mist that coats almost everything in the vicinity. If any remains, so does the odor. SERVPRO technicians use specific cleaning agents such as solvents that cause the residue to release from surfaces and removes them. Technicians also inspect the ductwork to determine if it necessitates cleaning to rid the home of smoke odors. 

Special Applications for Stubborn Odors 

SERVPRO uses professional equipment such as air scrubbers with HEPA filtration, hydroxyl generators that neutralize odorous molecules with the power of UV rays or thermal fogging, which attacks and eradicates deeply embedded odors with a heated solvent that behaves as the smoke did during the fire.  

When you have a fire damage odor in your property, contact SERVPRO of Columbia County at (706) 868-5441. The certified technicians have both the knowledge and equipment to neutralize odors and leave your home smelling like new, "Like it never even happened." 

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