PuroClean of Evanston 
The traumatic event of a residential fire unleashes chaos, uncertainty, and loss. Once the smoke clears and an inspection reveals the full extent of damage, the noxious odors permeating your home present another hurdle to getting your life back to normal.
Eliminating lingering smells from fire, smoke, soot, and chemicals is essential for your family’s health, comfort, and ability to move forward.
PuroClean of Evanston has years of experience helping homeowners with a comprehensive restoration process that addresses and eliminates unpleasant odors from a fire. Our Paramedics of Property Damage™ are ready with a high-tech tool kit of proven odor-removing methods — let’s pull back the curtain and reveal some of our most effective strategies for restoring your home.
Understanding the Science Behind the Smell
What’s behind the distressing smells that plague fire-damaged properties?
During a blaze, super-heated and chemical-laden air permeates porous materials via tiny openings and gets into the fibers. Drywall, insulation, fabrics, carpets, and HVAC systems readily absorb smoke, which contains countless VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and particulates concentrated in microscopic droplets. These can include formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, lead, and carbon monoxide.
Even after a thorough cleaning, traces can remain deeply trapped and gradually re-emit odors.
Molecules from other airborne irritants during fires also penetrate surfaces and linger stubbornly. These include:
- Toxic fumes from burning synthetic and construction materials
- Soot and vaporized carbon residue
- Caustic odors from fire-suppressant chemicals
- Gasoline or chemical vapors, if those ignited the fire
With so many ingredients to the stench cocktail, ridding all traces requires a multi-pronged odor elimination approach. Smoke damage and unwelcoming aromas have the potential to affect the value of your home, so it’s vital to take action immediately.
Breathing Life Back Into Your Home
The battle against fire damage odors begins with a thorough assessment. Our specialized technicians start by identifying the sources of the odors, as different materials burn in distinct ways, releasing various compounds. By understanding the unique characteristics of the fire’s aftermath, we tailor our attack to ensure a targeted and vigorous odor-removal process.
It’s crucial to enhance ventilation and start purifying your indoor air as soon as possible. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are employed to trap even the tiniest particles. Strategically placed fans help circulate fresh air throughout the affected spaces, expediting the removal of lingering odors.
Hydroxyl Treatment
One of the most compelling weapons in our odor-removal arsenal is a hydroxyl generator. These powerful, high-tech machines blast strong concentrations of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UV-C) into affected areas to remove smells, VOCs, virus particles, fungal spores, and bacteria from the air.
This disinfection method replicates how the sun’s ultraviolet rays break apart water vapor and create neutrally charged hydroxyl radicals (OH), which react with cell membranes, lipids, and nucleic acids, and are often referred to as “nature’s broom,” keeping the Earth’s air free of harmful compounds.
Unlike ozone, hydroxyls are safe for people, animals, and plants in your home and destroy unpleasant odors safely.
Getting Foggy
Thermal fogging is another powerful technique to combat the fire damage miasma at its source.
This method involves using a machine to disperse a deodorizing fog that penetrates every nook and cranny, neutralizing stink-causing molecules. The result is a comprehensive and long-lasting indoor air purification, leaving your home smelling clean and fresh.
Recommended fogging agents to disrupt post-fire odors include:
- Oxidizing water solutions like aqueous ozone or hydrogen peroxide
- Plant-based deodorizing oils such as eucalyptus, lemon, and bergamot
- Anti-microbial treatments to inhibit bacteria growth
Scrub and Seal
Scrubbing the air and the affected surfaces in your home such as walls, ceilings, and floors also helps eradicate resistant funk.
Industrial-grade negative air machines use multi-stage HEPA filtration to remove airborne particulates. Activated carbon filters then adsorb gaseous odor molecules.
We also deploy commercial-strength air purifiers equipped with UV light chambers. The UV rays destroy microscopic odor-causing pathogens and radicals by disrupting their molecular bonds.
In some cases, sealing surfaces is necessary to prevent the re-emergence of odors. Our experts use advanced sealants that create a barrier, locking in any remaining airborne particles. This proactive approach adds an extra layer of protection, ensuring that your home remains free from unwanted scents in the long term.
Empowering Homeowners
While home air fresheners, fans, and scented candles may temporarily mask smoky smells, true elimination requires professional deodorizing skills and equipment — attempting it DIY-style just isn’t going to cut it.
At PuroClean of Evanston, we believe in strengthening our community by sharing our knowledge. By understanding the dynamics of fire damage and odor removal, homeowners are more actively involved in the restoration of their homes.
Our experienced and compassionate staff members take the time to truly listen to clients after a traumatic house fire, explaining the steps involved in the remediation and odor removal process and offering tips for ongoing maintenance. Don’t hesitate to call PuroClean of Evanston today for effective, long-lasting solutions!
PuroClean of Evanston 