This will depend on the how much nicotine has penatrated the furniture, Most of the time if you have a professional upholstry cleaning company clean all leather surfaces and then ozone several times in 2 to 3 hours intervals this will usually remove the odor. Again the length of time (years) furniture has been exposed will determine overall outcome. If you need more info please contact my office. 831-899-3938 ext 20   « less

Thank you for your question. Mold growing in a building is the result of moisture being present without proper ventilation. Even if you clean the mold yourself, you are only treating the surface symptom - but the root cause is the most important thing that needs addressing. Mold on a wall can be the result of a variety of scenarios, for instance, a water leak inside the wall. It is a good idea to be proactive when you find mold in a building to prevent a larger issue later on. If you would like more information, please feel free to give me a call at (831) 899-3938.   « less

First of all, I am sorry for your loss. But thank you for asking. Your local restoration professional can treat your items with ozone - which is a powerful deodorizer. That treatment should be able to take the tobacco smell out of the items - and is quite effective with paper items. Since you are in Salt Lake City, I would recommend calling Utah Disaster Kleenup for assistance at (801) 553-1010.    « less

A certified Industrial Hygienist can take indoor air samples and can determine if the air quality in a building is safe for occupancy. The indoor air is tested against outdoor air - so in simplicity, if there is more bacterial/spores/etc indoor than outdoor, the structure will need cleaning and mitigation. The Industrial Hygienist will determine the level and kind of contaminants in a building. For standards of air quality, a source for information is the Indoor Air Quality Council. They provide certification for restoration professionals and help advance the industry of indoor air quality management and mitigation through training, research, and education. Check out their website at www.iagcouncil.org If you would like more information, please feel free to call my office at (831) 899-3938.   « less

Thank you for the question. Cigarette smoke can have varying effects on a building. The type of interior walls (unfinished wood, tile, plaster, etc) and the flooring type (tile, wood, carpet, etc) will determine how much of the smoke residue and odor can be removed. Also the length of time that the building has been exposed and without professional cleaning will determine how much can be removed. A thorough cleaning of all surfaces can help, but professional assistance may be needed depending on the amount of smoke and odor. An ozone treatment will help with residual odor. As far as the impact on the building's value, that will also be affected by the potential buyer and how adverse they are to cigarette smoke. Bottom line, indoor smoking will generally hurt a building's value and will never help. It is also a fire hazard. If you would like more information about removing smoke odor and stains, please call me at (831) 899-3938.   « less

This is considered a protein fire and yes this is a very hard odor to remove but it can be. Yes, your Microwave is a total loss. The entire kitchen areas should be cleaned, all the contents should be pulled out of the cabinets and cleaned, the cabinets will require several cleaning and possible ozoning is odor still presist. The odor may also be behind the cabinets. Please call me direct if you need further info. 831-899-3938.   « less

Thank you for your question! The likely reason of why your clothes still have a residual odor is due to the type of machine that was used to generate the ozone molecules. Some types of ozone machines use a glass plate to generate the ozone molecules, which end up leaving a metallic odor of oxidized nitrogen behind. Having your clothing professionally cleaned should help mitigate the odor. Please feel free to contact me with further questions at (831) 899-3938.   « less

Thank you for your question! Ozone is a very effective deodorizing agent, as you have discovered. Ozone gas is a molecule made up of 3 oxygen atoms. It is a naturally occurring compound found in the atmosphere that is structurally unstable (which means that it is much "happier" being an O2 oxygen molecule, and will readily "give" the third oxygen atom to other molecules it encounters). Ozone molecules will generally break up back into oxygen molecules with 45 minutes. Once back in oxygen form (2 oxygen atoms), it is perfectly safe and non-toxic. Ozone gas is harmful in high concentrations, so be sure to give ample time for the boat to air out before going back in. Ozone works as a deodorizer because the ozone molecules quickly oxidize molecules it comes in contact with - effectively killing biological matter. When the viruses, fungi, and mold is killed, the odor is eliminated. I hope this answered your question satisfactorily, and if you would like more information, please feel free to give me a call at (831) 899-3938.   « less

All metals can be cleaned - these items should be sprayed down with a WD-40 and let sit, this will stop any further damages caused by soot and rust.

In order to be sure your contents have been impacted by mold spores I highly recommend having a couple of pieces tested by a certified Environmental Hygienist. They will be able to tell you if your contents are contaminated. Please contact me direct if you need further information.   « less