For this R&R Roundtable, we asked four odor removal professionals — Tony Macaluso, Jeff May, Sean Scott and Andrea Stenberg — the same five questions on topics including common missteps or misconceptions, top tools, memorable projects and future predictions.

We all have had at least one tricky customer with severe reactions to unfamiliar smells, or allergies to cleaning solutions. The methods listed here are not your average restoration practices, but they can make chemical- and odor-sensitive customers very happy while also providing effective odor-removing remedies.

Specialized teams of artists, electronic technicians or textile restoration personnel are trained to analyze items based on many types of damage: heat, soot, smoke, humidity, breakage and water. The most elusive damage is from soot. Short term, lingering soot in items will cause a smoke smell to persist in the room. Medium to longer term, up to six months or a year, these soot particles can cause corrosion in electronics and the item can stop working.

Every fire has its own chemical makeup or DNA – the fuels that burned, the types of chemicals that have reacted or interacted, the duration of the fire, the intensity of the heat, the odors and gases the fire generates all contribute to the uniqueness and toxicity of structure fire environments. 

We all have had at least one tricky customer with severe reactions to unfamiliar smells, or allergies to cleaning solutions. The methods listed here are not your average restoration practices, but they can make chemical- and odor-sensitive customers very happy while also providing effective odor-removing remedies.

Abby and Brent Thompson own and operate Paul Davis Emergency Services of the Golden Triangle, located in Starkville, Miss. They recently sat down with R&R to share tips on removal of the most common sources of odor they treat.

Not having textiles tested after a cleaning could expose people to a wide range of chemicals and health risks. This could, in turn, expose restoration contractors and insurance companies to considerable liability.

A sewage back-up can wreak havoc on a property. Even small back-ups like in the bathroom of a single-family home can create lasting issues for the property owner or manager.