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Photograph of toxic gas testing devices. How to Remove MVOCs, Moldy or Musty Odors
Toxic Mold Gas Removal, Cleaning, Sealing Guide

MVOC odor & smell removal suggestions for buildings:

This article provides suggestions for the removal of MVOCs or "mold odors" or other MVOCS from sewage or similar sources in buildings. When simply cleaning up or removing an odor source has not been enough to stop mold smells or MVOC odor and gas complaints indoors, additional steps are needed.

These are detailed in the article below and include steps such as odor source isolation, removal of additional materials, use of odor sealants or deodorants and other measures to stop an indoor MVOC problem.

This article series explains MVOCs or mold volatile organic compounds, what makes MVOCs, the meaning of the presence or absence of moldy smells in buildings, and MVOC testing.

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MVOC Smell or Odor Removal Suggestions

Spraying a biocide at a mold remediation project (C) Daniel Friedman

Here are the basic steps in curing a moldy smell or MVOC odor complaint or getting rid of indoor MVOCs from other sources such as a sewage backup:

  1. Find and remove the mold that is the source of MVOCs or odors.

     This may involve both visible mold contamination and hidden mold reservoirs.

    So if you've removed visible mold but MVOC odors remain troublesome at a property, do not rule out the possibility that you have not found and removed all of the problem mold reservoirs. Be sure that all the mold reservoirs have been found and removed and that the causes of mold growth have been corrected.

    If there are wall, floor or ceiling cavities that are suspected of harboring hidden mold reservoirs, a reasonable strategy is to make a few small test cuts into the most-suspect areas - areas that have been wet, for example.

    On occasion we've had to make a strip cut of 12" in width across an entire ceiling or wall top or bottom to find which ceiling joist bay or wall stud bay suffered the passage of water from a leak or fire extinguishment.

    See MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD

    Watch out: from first hand experience I warn that the MVOC output as well as airborne spore-release levels from many fungi are very dependent on the ambient environment.

    Changes in temperature and humidity indoors and other factors such as air movement indoors or outside, changes even in barometric pressure, all affect the development and release of both mold spores and MVOCs into the air.

    Furthermore the same genera and species of mold may behave differently when growing on different substrates. Lowering the humidity, for example, may increase the release of some Aspergillus species spores such as A. flavus. Other research (Korpi 1998) documented surges in microbial activity at increased levels of RH.
  2. Remove items:

    removing items from the room(s) of most severe odor complaint can help sort out the remaining odor sources and makes cleaning easier.
  3. Clean hard surfaces that remain:

    using a low VOC cleaner used in the mold or fire remediation industries. Some cleaners include citrus-based cleaners or "extreme-duty" cleaners.
  4. Wash or dry-clean removable soft goods:

    such as curtains, bedding, linens that are a suspected odor source.

    Professional cleaning of thick upholstered furnishings using HEPA vacuuming or ozone have been widely used but in my OPINION it is very difficult if not impossible to deodorize thick upholstered couches, stuffed chairs, carpets and carpet padding if if they have been exposed to prolonged high MVOC odors or worse, an over-treatment by ozone generators.
  5. Ventilate

     the areas where MVOC odors persist.
  6. Use heat

     to speed offgassing of soft goods that may have absorbed MVOC gases and odors.

    Both heat and humidity are important factors in the rate of offgassing of gases that have been absorbed into building materials.

    Gases tend to be absorbed into soft goods much more than hard materials: carpets, draperies, upholstered furnishings may need fresh air or even sun exposure to speed offgassing.
  7. Dispose of items 

    that may absorb MVOCs and whose value may not justify further remediation expenses. Usually MVOC odors offgas out of curtains and furnishings when the space is ventilated with fresh air. However some mistakes, such as over-dosing a building interior with ozone can cause further chemical changes that produce chemical smells that are very persistent.

    A "cooked" carpet or carpet padding, for example resulting from excessive ozone exposure, may have to be disposed-of.

    See OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS
  8. Seal odor-emitting surfaces: w

    e have had a few reports of persistent MVOC (or Ozone-caused) odors even in rooms where carpeting, furnishings, drapes, and all contents have been removed.

    I suspect that paints or floor coatings may have been affected by ozone-treatment.

    For a reader who intended to remove all interior wall and ceiling drywall, wall and ceiling insulation, clean exposed surfaces, apply a sealant, re-insulate and install new drywall, we suggested first performing a smell patch test kit to identify odor-emitting surfaces and then if she confirmed the walls or ceilings as the odor source, trying the application of a post-fire odor sealant paint on the drywall.

    See SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE

Photograph of clear fungicidal sealant on building framing and subflooring

Also see DISINFECTANTS, SANITIZERS, FUNGICIDAL-SEALANTS SOURCES for a list of sealants and deodorizing products to consider when curing an MVOC problem.

MVOC Odor Causes, Sources, Removal Articles & Products

MVOC Hazard & MVOC Removal Research


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