How can I find where that odor is coming from?
My name is Tim Fain and I am the owner of Exceptional Carpet Cleaning. I am a IICRC certified Master Textile Cleaner, the highest level of education and training available in our industry. I mention this, not to brag, but to help you understand why the information offered in this blog is credible. Part of the certification process is becoming a certified Odor Control Technician as well as certified in Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, Repair and Reinstallation, Color Repair, Water Restoration and others.
In the previous blog, we discussed why odor seems increase and decrease in intensity. We also discussed why carpet cleaning alone will not remove odors that have reached the carpet backing and pad. Now I am going to tell you how we can identify where the odor is and how much treatment will be required to rectify the problem.
Urine and other body fluids will illuminate under UV black lights. This is how we identify the areas to inspect for odor. You can get a fluorescent black light, dim the house lights one evening and see for yourself! Just because it illumninates, it does not necessarily mean that there is odor present but it does give us a starting place! We then use a moisture probe to penetrate into the pad to discover if any moisture is present. Remember our previous blog when we discussed uric salt remaining after the water content of urine had evaporated? When the salt is in large enough quantities it will draw humidity or moisture from the air. When this happens bacteria begins to grow and gives off the unpleasant odor we assosciate with urine. No moisture, no odor. Odor has to have moisture present to carry to our olfactory senses. When our moisture meter identifies moisture, we have identified the source of the odor.
The next step is to see how large the affected areas are. Usually, if a spot is on the surface of the carpet, the affected area underneath is at least twice as large! Thats because it spreads out as it sinks down into the pad and subfloor. Our moisture probe help us to identify how large the areas are so they can be marked for removal. This is important because if we dont reach all the affected areas with our treatment, odor will remain. Once the areas have been identifed, we are now ready to remove the urine salts and restore your home to the fresh and clean environment you can enjoy again!
Remember, even if you replace the carpet and pad, you still need to clean the subfloor with disinfectant or bleach and it is best to follow up with a sealant such as Kilz or BIN to ensure and odor free home. Feel free to call Exceptional Carpet Cleaning in Edmond for a free inspection and estimate 405-326-5487. Until next time, thanks for visiting our website and have an Exceptional Day!!
