Odor removal – how does it work?
Hang, spray, repeat is our short instruction for biological spray washing. But what exactly is odor, and how does Pure Effect’s odor removal work?
Why does it smell?
Odor occurs when organic residues are broken down by odor-producing bacteria. All surfaces around us are colonized by microorganisms that biologically decompose organic matter. That’s their job – it’s happening all the time, everywhere.
Gram-negative bacteria release foul-smelling compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide and esters, during the decomposition process. This is what creates bad odors – in your shoe, underarm, or as bad breath, for example.
You can read more on our blog about sweat and smell, microbial ecology, biotechnology, and genetics.
Four ways to remove odor
1. Washing. Dissolving the organic residues and rinsing the dirt out of the textile.
2. Some try to mask the odor with perfume. (Airing out clothes might also help if the smell isn’t strong.) But the organic residue — the dirt — that attracts odor-producing bacteria remains, and the smell returns.
3. Other methods aim to eliminate the bacteria using antibacterial agents like silver, alcohol, or ozone. But a surface can’t remain bacteria-free over time; the organic residue stays behind, and the odor comes back.
4. Pure Effect’s method for odor removal is based on biologically breaking down the source of the smell by applying an odor-neutral bacterial flora to the surface — one that also outcompetes the odor-producing bacteria.
This is what happens when you spray a garment with Pure Effect:
1. You notice a subtle, pleasant scent. The perfume is there for your sensory experience — but it doesn’t contribute to the actual function of our fabric mist.
2. Biologically produced enzymes begin breaking down the volatile compounds you perceive as bad odor. The smell fades as the enzymes get to work.
3. The bacteria activate. Our bacterial culture wakes up and starts consuming the organic matter that previously fed a microbiome of odor-producing microorganisms.
4. The bacteria get to work, digesting the organic material and breaking it down into odorless components. Their efficiency leads to the odor-producing microbes being outcompeted and prevented from growing. This is a local, strategic cleaning process that continues while the garment hangs — ideally overnight.
5. The garment is now refreshed, biologically cleaned, and ready to wear again.
If you feel it hasn’t worked:
Microorganisms need certain conditions to perform optimally. This involves moisture, temperature, and nutrients in order to grow.
- Is it too hot or too cold? The odor-fighting bacteria thrive and multiply at room temperature. Their activity stops if it’s freezing (e.g. a cold garage in winter) or too hot (e.g. steam from a steamer).
- Is it too dry? The odor-fighting bacteria need moisture to grow. Spray more to create a humid environment.
- Is the material too thick (like a hockey glove) so that the textile spray doesn’t reach all the way through? Spray more to help it penetrate deeper.
- Is the material multi-layered? Remove the insole of a shoe and spray all surfaces to win the microbial battle on all fronts and push back the odor-producing bacteria.
Have questions?
We’re happy to guide you – give us a call!
Joachim Åhlander +46 70-781 04 64
Linda Rosendahl Nordin +46 70-378 43 55
If you come across words that are new to you and would like them explained, feel free to visit our Glossary. Under INSPIRATION, you will find more listening and reading through podcasts and articles. We continuously update the site with more information and additional links for those who want to dive deeper, and you are always welcome to contact us via email, phone, or our social channels.