For this R&R Roundtable, we asked four odor removal professionals — Tony Macaluso, Jeff May, Sean Scott and Andrea Stenberg — the same five questions on topics including common missteps or misconceptions, top tools, memorable projects and future predictions.

We all have had at least one tricky customer with severe reactions to unfamiliar smells, or allergies to cleaning solutions. The methods listed here are not your average restoration practices, but they can make chemical- and odor-sensitive customers very happy while also providing effective odor-removing remedies.

Specialized teams of artists, electronic technicians or textile restoration personnel are trained to analyze items based on many types of damage: heat, soot, smoke, humidity, breakage and water. The most elusive damage is from soot. Short term, lingering soot in items will cause a smoke smell to persist in the room. Medium to longer term, up to six months or a year, these soot particles can cause corrosion in electronics and the item can stop working.

We all have had at least one tricky customer with severe reactions to unfamiliar smells, or allergies to cleaning solutions. The methods listed here are not your average restoration practices, but they can make chemical- and odor-sensitive customers very happy while also providing effective odor-removing remedies.

In the fire restoration industry today, very little attention is given to the toxicity of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), heavy metals, or the composition of particulate matter and smoke residues.