Posts Tagged ‘Odor’

Smoke odor removal can be very difficult in homes, offices, and even vehicles. If you have just purchased a home that smokers had previously lived in, it is really difficult to rid the home of the smell. Many homeowners replace the carpet and even paint the walls, but still cannot seem to get the smell out. For some reason it is one of those scents that seems to just hang in the air forever. Opening the windows helps, but as soon as they are closed again the scent seems to be back. Unfortunately, this scent is not appealing to homeowners or their guests, and can actually make some people feel unwell.

Instead of living in what smells like a smoker's house, there are some steps that you can take. First, before you ever move in you should keep the windows open and the ceiling fans on for as long as possible. It is also a superb idea to have the carpets professionally cleaned, as this can be a great approach to smoke odor removal. Unfortunately, if the smokers that lived in the home before you lived there for a long time, the carpet cleaning will only be a temporary fix. The reason for this is that the smells have probably permeated the carpet padding, so after a few days or weeks the smell will gradually become more and more obvious again.

Your smoke odor removal attempts do not have to be over yet. Many home owners find that simply washing the walls with an antibacterial cleaner can help them cut through the grime on the walls of the home that is contributing to the scents in the home. This can be a long and time consuming process, but washing the walls is often very effective. If this doesn't work, you may want to consider having the walls painted to simply cover up any of the lingering smells. Of course, repainting a whole house can simply replace the smoky smells with paint smells. Painting is also a costly option for most, if they really want to do away with the lingering smells.

Just because your home smells like a smoker's home after all of your attempts does not mean that you have to deal with it or move. Instead, you need to think about getting to the root of the problem, which is the contaminants that are lingering in the air no matter what you do. If you really want to nip your smoke odor removal problem in the bud, consider a Quantum Pure Aire purifier. These air purifiers are state of the art units that can effectively remove unwanted smells from just about any area in less time than you might think. These air purifiers are perfect for use in the home, a car, a boat, and even the office, and come in several different sizes to fit the needs of any consumer. Simply visit http://www.quantumpureaire.com to learn more about how you can clear the air in your home once and for all.

Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons and more than 40 of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals.

Every time someone smokes, poisons such as benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide are released into the air landing on walls, furniture and other objects inside your room.

The toxins can also stick to carpet, bedding and light bulbs in the room. Once attached the pollutants start to out gas their toxins making it impossible for air cleaner alone (if one is used) to purify the air efficiently. That is why eliminating smoke odor requires several steps and your dedication to improve your health.

On top of the medical issues associated with smoking a lot of people find smoke odor offensive and inappropriate. Don't get surprised if non-smoking people or even ones who usually smoke outside would try to avoid you invitations and for a very good reason. The bad odors created by tobacco smoke penetrate the fabric of their clothes and body and stay on for a long while.

Smoke odor may cause irritation to people who suffer from chemical sensitivity. The chemicals associated with smoking may cause sore throats, headaches, digestive problems, nervous system problems, respiratory problems, various allergic reactions, and even cancer in some cases.

Eliminating smoke odor and toxins may become a tedious project. Your major steps should be prevention, cleaning and even masking the odor.

If you are ready to take your indoor air quality under control you should stop smoking inside your house.

1. Step outside for smoke or designate a special isolated room where other members of your family won't be exposed to a secondhand smoke.

2. Your entire house and your car should be scrubbed from top to bottom. Use highly effective cleaning products like ODOBAN

3. If smoke pollution is too strong you may need to replace your carpet, repaint ceiling and walls and even hire professional upholstery cleaner.

4. Get a lot of fresh air by opening doors and windows.

You may consider buying an air purifier, specifically if you relapse at some point and occasionally start smoking indoor again. In this case spend some time on research and get educated on the best available allergy and smoke odor relief air purifiers and that specifically designed for eliminating smoke odor and toxins.

The IQAir GC Multigas, BlueAir air purifiers with SmokeStop filters, and The Austin Air Plus air cleaners, are all designed by the makers to address this problem. You may also consider getting a small air purifier for your car.

Do smoky cigars, lingering pet odors, or strong fumes pollute the air in your home? Although odors and foul smells are a natural part of life, they don't have to be a part of your indoor air!

Anyone with small children, pets, or a smoker in the house knows all too well that room deodorizers and air fresheners only mask the smell temporarily and don't solve your real air cleaning needs. In fact, many of them release toxic chemicals into the air (not good!). To gain fresh, clean air, the odors in your home must be neutralized and cleaned completely. Odors like strong cooking smells, chemical fumes, and tobacco smoke are particularly dangerous for people suffering from asthma and allergies. As the air reaches the lungs, these bothersome odors and fumes trigger allergic reactions.

When deciding which air purifiers will be most effective against household odors, first consider the amount of air each air purifier can effectively process. The CADR, or Clean Air Delivery Rate, is used to measure the overall effectiveness of an air purifier and is tested and certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).

As air cycles through the air cleaner, the CADR measures the volume of air actually moving through the system, and the percentage and size of the particles being removed. CADR tests for pollutants like tobacco smoke, dust and pollen. These tests determine, in cubic feet per minute (CFM), how effective the air cleaner is at removing specific pollutants.

CADR results are recognized as accurate and impartial measurements by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Lung Association. Although some manufacturers use the air exchange rate to qualify their air cleaners, it is not comparable to the CADR tests. Air exchange rates only indicate the total volume of air that is processed by the air purifier in a given time and does not account for the particles being filtered or the overall effectiveness of the air purifier. Ensure that your air purifier has been tested and certified by the AHAM for optimal CADR results to guarantee that you will receive an air cleaner that has the ability to remove airborne contaminates, odors, and fumes.

Air purifiers utilize various methods of filtration for neutralizing and cleaning the awful odors in indoor air. Activated carbon filters are the most widely used type of filter to remove gases, odors, and chemical toxins. The carbon that is contained in activated carbon filters is basically charcoal. When charcoal is treated with oxygen, millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms are created, enabling the activated carbon to adsorb odorous substances from gases or liquids.

The term "adsorb" refers to the process by which the material attaches itself to the charcoals by way of chemical attraction. Large surface areas with tiny pores of activated charcoal attract odors, gases, and chemical toxins, and the pores trap these impurities. As the carbon filter becomes full with airborne contaminants, the charcoal becomes less effective, requiring replacement. Impregnated carbon filters contain an additional chemical (a chemisorbent), allowing them to eliminate Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as well as odors and fumes.

Many AllerAir air purifiers are especially equipped to remove VOCs, offensive odors, smoke, and smog. With an optional UV light to kill bacteria and sterilize the air, AllerAir air purifiers are comprised of an all-metal housing that does not produce off-gassing or ozone. AllerAir air purifiers offer heavy-duty air cleaning for industrial or residential settings.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, by definition, are required to filter at least 99.97% of all airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, including dust, pollen, and pet dander. However, the size, material, and construction of the HEPA filter media will determine the amount of particulates that will be filtered. If the filtration media is too small, some ultra-fine particles like foul odors and chemical fumes can be missed.

To tackle odor control, HEPA air purifiers usually combine the HEPA filter with additional filtration systems. Manufacturers like Austin Air combine the HEPA filtration technology with their own carbon/zeolite filter to effectively remove airborne pollutants and lingering odors and smells. The carbon/zeolite filter is impregnated with potassium iodide for enhanced removal of chemically reactive gases, providing your home with air that's free of allergens, toxins, and odors.

Charged Media filters are also effective against nasty odors. Through the use of electrostatic energy and synthetic fiber filters, many charged media filters can collect particles as small as 0.1 microns. The media filter, made from synthetic fibers, is charged through the manufacturing process and attracts airborne contaminants electrostatically before trapping them inside the fibers of the filter.

However, charged media filters lose their charge frequently and become less effective after every use, requiring a filter replacement to regain efficiency. In fact, some charged media filters emit ozone, a dangerous lung irritant that pollutes your air and should be avoided by allergy and asthma sufferers.

Some charged media filters like Blueair air purifiers offer optional smoke, odor, and gas removal filters. Known for their stylish and sleek design, Blueair air purifiers offer low energy consumption and easy-to-replace filters. With either a Smokestop filter or a particle and gas filter, Blueair air purifiers remove 99.97% of particles at 0.1 micron, and they don't emit ozone.

Like charged media filters, electrostatic precipitators use electrostatic charges to safely clean air and neutralize odors. As air is pushed through many static prone fibers, electronic cells charge airborne particles and capture them inside of collector plates. As electrostatic precipitators don't require filters, you don't have to worry about replacing the filters. Simply wash the collector plates and insert them back into the air purifier for fresh, clean air.

Although some electrostatic precipitators emit dangerous levels of ozone, the Friedrich electrostatic air purifier emits only a trace amount, and it's the best deal for your money. Friedrich electrostatic air purifiers have been tested and certified by the AHAM to outperform 99% of competing air purifiers at removing pollen, dust, and tobacco smoke. Proven effective against aerosols, odors, and fumes, Friedrich air cleaners provide an affordable solution to your polluted air.

So if you're trying to rid your home of disgusting odors, noxious gases, or foul fumes, don't spray air fresheners that will only contribute to your indoor air pollution. Instead, freshen your air with a quality air purifier. Your nose will appreciate it!