CI02 treatment to remove cat urine odor - now I smell the chemical?
September 19, 2021 8:35 PM Subscribe
Bought a house that had a serious cat urine odor in the partially-finished basement. Hired a contractor to treat it with chlorine dioxide (CIO2) and it worked wonderfully. No more cat urine. Unfortunately, it's been a couple weeks and the smell of the chemicals is still very strong. Strong enough that I smell like a swimming pool after being in the house. Anyone do this treatment on their own home? How long did it take for the chlorine/bleach smell to go away?
Ozone generators are rentable in a lot of places like Home Depot. They come in different sizes (volume per minute or something) so do a little research to determine how large of one to get.
posted by rhizome at 10:31 AM on September 20, 2021
posted by rhizome at 10:31 AM on September 20, 2021
Looks like you can buy a neutralizing kit. I would immediately open any windows and doors and run several fans. Even a few cheap box fans can move a surprising amount of air.
posted by theora55 at 11:50 AM on September 20, 2021
posted by theora55 at 11:50 AM on September 20, 2021
I think ventilation is your best bet, but you would probably want to vent your basement directly to the outside using an air to air heat exchanger if it’s cold out.
Chlorine dioxide is soluble in cold water, so if you happen to have a dehumidifier, you could run it in the basement and that would probably pull it out of the air.
But dehumidifiers are expensive to run, and you could get the same effect with an aquarium air pump running into a bucket or a sink full of water.
Activated charcoal would also work, but you’d need an air purifier with no less than several pounds of carbon, which would cost ~$200 at a minimum
posted by jamjam at 11:56 AM on September 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Chlorine dioxide is soluble in cold water, so if you happen to have a dehumidifier, you could run it in the basement and that would probably pull it out of the air.
But dehumidifiers are expensive to run, and you could get the same effect with an aquarium air pump running into a bucket or a sink full of water.
Activated charcoal would also work, but you’d need an air purifier with no less than several pounds of carbon, which would cost ~$200 at a minimum
posted by jamjam at 11:56 AM on September 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Ventilation and time, do not rent or use an ozone generator without looking up health effects.
posted by esoteric things at 5:58 PM on September 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by esoteric things at 5:58 PM on September 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
If you go the ozone generator route, you have to do your research beforehand. They are highly effective at neutralizing odors, but not safe for anything living (pets, plants, humans), and can damage inanimate objects too, eg electronics. Don't want to put you off, the stuff likely to be affected is easily removed beforehand, just want to ensure you don't end up in heartbreak
posted by Zaire at 2:39 AM on September 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Zaire at 2:39 AM on September 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by kschang at 10:26 PM on September 19, 2021