Misleading Advertisements
Today's consumer is barraged with advertisements from companies that claim their products neutralize household odors. Since deodorizer and air freshener products are not currently government regulated or controlled, manufacturers can make any claims they want to regarding the effectiveness of their products, regardless of the actual effectiveness of the product.
Consumers are persuaded to believe they can rid their house of malodors (unpleasant odors) by sprinkling a powder on their carpet before vacuuming, lighting a scented candle, plugging a scented oil device into an electrical outlet, spraying an aerosol air freshener, or misting upholstered furniture with a variety of products.
Masking Agents
The catch is that these consumer products are "masking agents", meaning they mask or cover sources of odor, without actually removing the source of malodors. In time, malodors will reappear, requiring further use of the preferred masking agent.
Psychological Malodors
There are two types of malodors to be dealt with: "psychological" and "real" odors. Psychological malodors can be much harder to remove than real malodors because the consumer perceives the odor exists, not because there is an actual odor source, but because they are responding to past experiences, suggestions, and memories of malodors.
One way to combat psychological malodors is to reintroduce a new, pleasant odor the consumer can associate with a clean home.
Real Malodors
Real malodors are happening now. Odor molecules become airborne, reaching the nose and the olfactory (smell-sensing) lobe of the brain. In fact, there are seven real odor categories the human brain can detect.
They are:
Pungent
Peppermint
Putrid
Camphor
Musky
Floral
Ethereal (smells like ether)
Unpleasant real odors are produced by an odor source such as pet urine, fire or cigarette smoke, rotting food, mustiness, etc. There are a variety of methods professional cleaners use to remove real malodors, depending on the environment, severity, and type of odor. No one cleaning method will remove all odors all the time, so the cleaning professional must understand what professional cleaning products and equipment will neutralize various real odors in varied circumstances.
Odor Migration
Odor molecules must be airborne in order to be detected. It stands to reason that if odor molecules can reach a person's nose, and therefore the sense of smell, those same odor molecules can settle on and be absorbed into furniture, walls, and ventilation systems. Unless the molecules are neutralized on all surfaces possible, malodors will return.
Smoke Malodors
Smoke malodors are among the most difficult to remove, as the smoke molecules are very small, and therefore can be deeply embedded into surfaces and fabrics. In order to neutralize smoke molecules, the odor neutralizer molecules must be just as small as the smoke molecules, in order to reach them and neutralize them.
In such cases, smoke odors are best removed by a carpet and upholstery cleaner using fogging equipment that aerates odor neutralizing products into such a fine mist that they can reach and neutralize deeply embedded smoke molecules.
In severe cases, such as after a fire, a pigmented sealer can be applied to cover charred surfaces.
Amplification of odors
Moisture can reactivate and amplify sources of odor. Unpleasant odors can reappear when humidity is introduced into the environment, either through ambient humidity or through steam cleaning carpets and upholstery.
Warmer temperatures also amplify sources of odor. The warmer the temperature, odor molecules embed more deeply into upholstery and fabrics, evaporate into the air at a faster rate, and accelerate the growth of odor producing microorganisms.
Once moisture and temperature are reduced, odor molecules will return to a dormant state.
Conclusion
Malodors can be difficult to remove, and may require the use of professional equipment and practices. A professional carpet cleaner can effectively remove most malodors in a home.
Jeff Parsons is a professional carpet, upholstery, and pet problem cleaner in Colorado Springs, CO. He holds IICRC certifications in Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, and Odor Control.
Jeff may be contacted at [http://www.barkleyscs.com].