We all love things that smell good; just check out the success of the perfume industry. What man in his right mind would want to ask a woman for a date if she didn’t smell good? And how many women have refused to date men because of an odor problem? After all, the sense of smell is the most sensitive of the senses.
The Sense of Smell
Gloria Rodriguez, Education Specialist says that our sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other of our senses. The recognition of smell is immediate while other senses like touch and taste must travel through the body via neurons and the spinal cord before reaching the brain. People can remember smells with 65% accuracy after a year, while visual recall is about 50% after three months. The part of the brain responsible for our sense of smell—the limbic system—is related to feelings and memory.
If your property looks good and smells good, it’s only a short amount of time before someone moves in. Conversely, nothing will drive a prospective renter away faster than a bad odor. The following three offenders are the most common:
Cat and Dog Urine
We all love our pets, but some of the things they leave behind when they move out are not so lovable. Cat and dog urine odors are very offensive and they can’t be covered up or masked by a spray deodorant you find at the market. The problem can be relatively mild or extreme. The good news is that every case of animal urine can be resolved, just be sure to find a professional who knows what he’s doing.
Cigarette Smoke Odors
We all know how bad cigarette smoke odors can be, they permeate every room of an apartment or house. The bad odor is sucked into the air duct system and supply vents carry the offensive air from room to room. Over years, cigarette smoke actually sticks to ceilings and walls. Cleaning and painting often help to mitigate the problem, however, in many cases of very strong cigarette smoke odors, ozone generators and professional thermal fog deodorization is necessary.
Cooking Odors
Who doesn’t love the aroma of a home cooked meal? We all do. But if a renter has been using certain spices for years and suddenly decides to move, the owner of the rental property could be in for a real problem as these mal-odors are airborne and very difficult to remove.
All it takes is a hint of any of these common mal-odors to keep renters from moving in. Don’t waste your time and money trying to temporarily cover up bad odors with air fresheners – they will come back. Call an odor control expert; get a permanent resolve to the problem and rent that vacancy!
The above article was written by John Riordan. John is the owner of OdorKare and has over 30 years experience in the business. For more information, please call 818-231-2229.