The Best Odour Neutralisers for Eliminating Bad Smells

We all smell things differently, whether it’s a field of manure or the overwhelming stench of petrol.

But when there’s a lingering smell at home or even at work, and the domestically available odour removers just don’t budge it, where do you turn to next?

The first step to odour removal is identifying the source of the bad smell. But even when that’s been removed, the lingering odour can remain. The only way to permanently and successfully get rid of it, is to neutralise it.

Interesting Fact: The human nose is very sensitive. It has on average over 5 million scent receptors.

Identifying The Source

The identification of bad smells is the first step to eliminating them. You could throw every cleanup product in the world at a smelly room, but without working out where the odour is coming from and combatting that, you will never get rid of the problem.

There are various methods for detecting the source of odours, from the humble human nose right up to specialist ultraviolet lamps which can detect, for example, domestic animal urine stains. Once this has been established you will be able to choose which odour neutraliser will work best.

Neutralising Foul Odours

The only way to eliminate odours is to neutralise them, not just mask them. The effective removal of the cause of the odour is paramount and the method of removing bad smells will depend upon the cause.

When domestic odour neutralisers just aren’t enough, the following various methods can be the most effective:

• Vapour diffusers
• ULV foggers which are ideal for the diffusion of repellents/disinfectants
• Thermal foggers which are best used for odour abatement and pest control
• Ozone generators which are particularly good at eliminating cigarette and smoke odours

 

What causes bad odours anyway?

There are many sources for bad odours and some examples include:

• Human waste, body odour, trauma (body fluids, blood)
• Domestic such as compost, sludge, green waste, household refuse, paints, pets
• Commercial industrial/ chemical waste, kitchens, sewage, solvents, or livestock
• Environmental wildlife (e.g. rat droppings), bacteria, fungi etc.

Or, the cause of an odour could be the release of an otherwise contained chemical due to a spillage or poor storage. In almost all of these instances, a clean up operation will happen, but lingering smells also need to be eliminated through an odour neutraliser, like outlined above.

Interesting fact: The sense of smell is an evolutionary response to potential dangers such as rotten food or harmful airborne contaminants.  

But how do you know if your business is emitting a foul odour?

The Environment Agency (2002) Assessment of Community Response to Odorous Emissions established that the factors determining whether an odour is unwanted are:

• Offensiveness of the odour
• Intensity of the odour
• Duration of exposure to the odour
• Frequency of odour exposure
• Tolerance and expectation of the person exposed to the odour

In other words, we all react differently to different odours. Whilst some people can “live with” a bad smell, others can’t tolerate it. Think of farmyard smells or petrol. Both are divisive smells that are pleasing to some and unpleasant for others. Either way, a bad odour can be a warning sign of a public health concern whether domestic or commercial.

Did you know? Odours can be classed as a Statutory Nuisance. Commercial, trade, and business premises must adhere to strict rules about odours. Your local authority can advise further on regulations.

100% Odour Removal Guaranteed

If you have tried all the domestic odour removal products on the market and you are still struggling to remove lingering foul smells, you may benefit from our odour removal service. By using the industry-leading Biosweep technology, we are able to 100% guarantee odour removal.