Trying to remove a pungent odor from within your home can be a bit of a wild goose chase. With the wide array of products available in store to mask or absorb odors, it is difficult to know if a product you choose will work as effectively as you need it to. In many instances, especially when it comes to wildfire or protein fire smoke damage, rather than trying store-bought products, the easiest decision you can make is to hire a professional restoration company, like Dry Kings. Given smells are highly subjective, professional smoke and odor remediation comes down to experience, methodology, and equipment.

Unfortunately, there are no tools or meters able to measure smell or track if an odor is dissipating but when it comes to fire-related smoke damage, at least the source is known. Protein fires, usually cooking-related fires, can be the culprits of very strong odors because in the aftermath everything in the surrounding area will have a sticky film that is a combination of burnt grease and food. Of course, for wildfire or structures fires there will be charring, soot and ash throughout the damaged area. Regardless of what type of fire damaged your property, these odors are being absorbed by every porous material inside your home and even drywall and the structure. For properties affected with soot and ash, the first step is to remove anything and everything with visible smoke damage from inside. The longer any affected furniture, carpets, clothing, drapes etc. remain inside the more permeated they and the building materials become, and it will extend the timeline for an odor-free property.

At the heart of smoke odor remediation is cleaning. Every single nook and cranny--absolutely everything--in the affected area must be thoroughly hand wiped with microfiber cloths and a special cleaning solution. This is also why smoke odor remediation should be turned over to professionals because the usual everyday cleaning and cleaning solutions will not remove this type of grease or soot and ash. A lot of patience and care is taken into hand wiping surfaces, faucets, light fixtures, windows, walls etc. to expunge the odor. While remediating a property, it may take two or more complete passes before all visible soot and ash or grease are removed. If the property is not thoroughly cleaned, once the machines have been removed, odor can begin to form again especially when warmer weather starts and porous materials “open.”

While your property is being hand cleaned, hydroxyl machines and air scrubbers equipped with HEPA and charcoal filters, are placed throughout the affected area to begin breaking down odor molecules and capture any minute particles that are floating around. Hydroxyl machines generate oxidizing gases which work wonderfully to break down odor molecules--and are safe to use around adults, children and pets—without creating ozone. With an attached air mover, hydroxyl generators disperse the oxidizing gases and penetrate porous surfaces, including drywall and wood framing, to eliminate odor molecules. Meanwhile, the air scrubbers are capturing any soot or ash particulates, and dust, and other allergens, and improving air quality. The charcoal filter ensures captured odor particles are being neutralized. In the end, an extremely thorough cleaning and efficient and well-placed equipment will lead you to an odor-free property.

Although we know the work has been performed to industry standard, ultimately the only way to know if our job is done is if you cannot smell it anymore! Dry Kings has been a professional and certified water and fire damage restoration company for over a decade. We put our heart and time into making sure your property is restored to pre-loss condition if not better so that your life and routine can go back to normal. If you need professional odor remediation do not hesitate to contact us today.