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Stinky - Stinky

There have been a few posts lately about bad odors in properties and how to get them out. This is a continuous fight in our rentals and reo listings here in Columbus.

Sometimes it is an overpowering pet smell and there is no way to get rid of it other than to rip out the carpet and pad and start over. If you are going to do this, I strongly suggest that you take a few additional steps.

1. Wash the decking with water and Pine Sol. Let it dry.
2. Paint the entire floor with Kilz primer. I like 2 coats.

If you are trying to freshen up a property I like to use a product called OdorXit. It costs about $25 for a small bottle, but you can get about 4 houses out of a single bottle. Mix with water according to the instructions and apply with a garden sprayer. Just spray it on the carpet or other flooring. It will kill smells and leave a faint odor of bubble gum.

This is not the magic bullet as you also need to clean the place!!

Richard F. Kruse is the President of Columbus, Ohio based Gryphon USA, Ltd. (www.gryphonusa.com). The Gryphon Organization includes Gryphon Asset Management providing receivership and consulting services in the distressed marketplace, United Country Ohio Realty & Auction Group (www.ucohiorealty.com & www.ucohioauctions.com) providing real estate brokerage and auction services throughout Ohio and OnlineAuctionUSA.com (www.onlineauctionusa.com) providing commercial asset liquidations from the Midwest to East Coast.

United Country Ohio Realty & Auction Career Opportunities Available. Call 614-885-0020 x 17

Posted by Rich Kruse on 07/22/2007 10:40 AM

Comments (13)

columbus oh, stinky, odor, smell, reo, cleaning

Originally posted at: Asset Management & Recovery: Stinky - Stinky

This post has been included in Ohio Information Franklin County, OH Information Columbus, OH Information
Post is included in group: Property Management

13 Comments on Stinky - Stinky

JUL

2007

I've seen houses where the pet stain went through the carpet AND the pad and even into the subfloor. I think you have to get to the source or it may not do any good to replace carpet and padding.

Both great products - I have used them both with great success - I have a client painting with KILZ today as a matter of fact...

Kilz works amazingly....our son has a house where one of the toilets backed up and sprayed like a gizer all over the bathroom...my husband being the great dad he is went in and cleaned it all up for him, repainted using the kilz and then repainted over that. Oh what we don't do for our kids...but our son lets him know he's forever greatful and that's all that counts!

Why does it smell like bubblegum? Is this intentional or just how the chemicals smell? Also, is this stuff safe for kids and pets?

Not sure. It just smells a little like gum to me. I would check their website at www.odorxit.com for info on safety. I only have used it in vacants.

Evil (Rich)...

We bought a house last year and we knew we were going to have to gut the place before we could rent it out. But what we didn't expect was the dog pee on one of the walls in a bedroom.

No matter what I did I could not get rid of the small. I finally told the handyman to rip the wall out and replace it. Once that pee gets into the sheet rock there's no getting it out.

Do you believe it...The previous owner of the house kept his male dog locked in the bedroom all the time. Yah. I know. You've seen worse :)

TLW...ROAR!

Ok... I have this funny picture in my head of you in a house with a house attached to a bottle watering the carpet... thanks for the tip...

Rich,

How about a house where the owner passed away, the dogs were in the home at the time and it wasn't discovered for awhile? Kilz or OdorXit?

Fran

JUL

2007

I read about a product called nanozorb for when someone has passed away and left odors. A little pricey, but probably well worth it.

JUL

2007

Hi Rich,

Been there, done that. Only stopped to say hello.

This blog does inspire me, I need to write about my first sale and the amazing disappearing, 12 foot, naked woman! It's a story about a surprise gift from the seller's former tenant.

Bill

JUL

2007

Good, quality information. Thanks, Rich.

AUG

2007

My brother is a funeral director and they use tomato juice to cut the smell of dead humans on them and the house. In his business a little natural enzyme beats another chemical....Kuckily my dead person in the house rotted away on the couch....did somone say yardsale?

DEC

2008

Thank you for the advice! Very good to know! Thanks for sharing that with all of us. We definitely deal with tenants that leave the place with a pretty foul smell!

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