Hi, I have an odor problem which has resisted numerous different products. It’s embarrassing but here goes: basically, for years I had a real problem with flatulence and the odor has been absorbed by the walls of my apt. Years after I changed my diet and eliminated the problem the smell is still there and it’s pretty awful. I’ve tried numerous solutions to remove it to no avail, and I am now trying to sell the apt. and it’s a problem. I’ve always kept the windows open to deal with the constant smell but it’s gotten too cold to do that. A number of people who have looked at the apt. have commented on it. What do you think would be the best solution to counteract this odor? How effective would it be, honestly? I can’t afford to throw away more money on something that won’t work. Many thanks.
If you read through our ODOR CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll see a product called NNZ which is mentioned several times. No doubt this product would both break down and eliminate the odor where applied. But the key here is applying to where the odor resides. In cases where we’ve dealt with this type of situation, it was learned that the key to a quick resolution was to get the treatment on the item(s) holding the most odor. In most cases this has turned out to be furniture; basically anything fabric in the apartment is likely to withhold the smell. This would include carpeting, drapery, couches, chairs, blankets and pretty much everything in the unit that can harbor or host an odor. Walls – especially painted walls – have not commonly been the source of the odor but don’t rule them out just yet.
For starters, I suggest you get a jug of the NNZ and do a thorough treatment in a room you can isolate like a bedroom. Basically anything with a door. This way you can remove most everything in the room but the items with fabric should be left. You should then treat the room (focusing in on carpet and furniture) and let it sit for a day with the door closed. In most cases you’ll see a dramatic change; bad cases may warrant a followup application but this is why you should start small.
As for usage; expect a 1/2 gallon jug to cover about 500-1000 sq/ft of area (this would be mixing it at the rate of 4-8 oz per gallon of water). But I say to start with a small room if possible that’s in the range of 100-150 sq/ft. This way you can apply the NNZ at a controlled rate to determine just how much will be needed to get rid of the odor in this very specific area. If it turns out you need 8 oz of NNZ per 100 sq/ft, you would then expect the 1/2 gallon jug to treat upwards of 800 sq/ft of your apartment. And then if you know your apartment is 1600 sq/ft total, you’d need 2 jugs of the NNZ to get the job done. But if you need a whole pint to knock the odor out in this same 100 sq/ft of area, you’ll only get about 400 sq/ft of apartment done per jug so in the end you’ll need 4 jugs. The point here is by starting small you can both identify the rate of product you’ll need to use along with gaining experience of how to best treat without being overwhelmed which can happen when trying to tackle the whole apartment from your initial treatment.
In the end, doing the work yourself will prove cost effective and worth your time and effort. If you start small and treat the items most likely to harbor the scent, you should learn exactly what you’ll need to accomplish a treatment throughout the entire unit. At that point you can plan on tackling the rest of the unit by breaking it up into 2-3 parts over the course of 1-2 days. In most cases, treating the items with fabric (furniture and carpets) will prove to solve the problem but if needed, the NNZ can be wiped over walls and ceilings to remove any lingering odor detected on these surfaces. So for starters, don’t plan on having to treat the walls and ceilings but in some cases this may be warranted. The bottom line is where the NNZ is applied, it will neutralize the smell. The key is simple: you must be precise in knowing where to apply the NNZ so it can have a shot at neutralizing the smell.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Odor Control Article: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page200.html
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