During a structure fire, toxic smoke, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter are generated from the vast array of building materials, contents, and household products that combust. These chemicals mix and interact with each other to create a vast array of carcinogens, poisonous gasses, acids, and other toxins that can cause acute and chronic illnesses, cancer, and even death.

In our industry, we face jobsite odor problems almost daily, and no matter how much experience we gain, how much training we get, or how many of these educational articles we read, controlling odors can still be a challenge. So, here’s a quick summary of the various odor control tools at your disposal and some tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way to help you decide what tools to use and when to use them.

Every week, Annissa answers questions from R&R readers across the U.S. and Canada. In this special article, she sits down with R&R to answer some of our questions (and yours) about odor removal – and how she has truly become a master at odor remediation throughout her years in business.

Evans Garment Restoration of Minnesota recently announced that they are offering a new way to restore textiles.

In chemistry, we represent elements with letters (for example “O” stands for the element “oxygen”), and the small numbers to the lower-right of the element indicate the number of atoms of that element in the molecule.