Activated Carbon

Activated carbon is commonly used for water filters. This useful element has proved effective in removing containments from water in homes and in establishments. However, activated charcoal is also an effective deodorizer as well.

... amazing odor-eliminating qualities offered by activated carbon ...

I discovered the amazing odor-eliminating qualities offered by activated carbon after moving into my new home. The old house was in pretty good shape but the basement was damp and musty. The previous owner also had two large dogs and three cats that left evidence of their stay in the home in a number of ways.

I tried everything to get rid of the pet and mildew odors to no avail.  I made a solution out of mild dish soap, bleach and water. This concoction was always effective in removing stains and odors in the past but the home had been overcome with the mildew and pet odors for far too long.

... I sprayed bottle after bottle of commercial pet odor removers ...

Commercial pet odor removers were not nearly as effective as activated carbon. I sprayed bottle after bottle of commercial pet odor removers in our basement. Although the solutions took care of the very strong odors, there was still the olfactory evidence of previous pet occupancy.

The pet odor remover did virtually nothing for the mildew smell. We installed a dehumidifier in the basement that worked wonders but we were still faced with the musty smell that had accumulated over the years. Aside from painting, there was little we could do.

... find her secret to a remarkably fresh-smelling home ...

I discussed my problem with a friend of mine who lives in a Victorian home that was built during the turn of the 20th century. The structure suffered water damage over the years and my friend owns several pets that stay indoors. I had to find her secret to a remarkably fresh-smelling home.

... attributed her fine-smelling home to activated carbon ...

She attributed her fine-smelling home to activated carbon. I was a little skeptical at first. Actually, I didn’t believe a word of it. I had to find out for myself. It took me awhile to find activated carbon in stores but once I did, I tested the product on my challenging home.

The activated carbon worked. It seemed to soak up all of the musty, stale odors and the pet odors practically vanished upon my opening the package. I have no idea how it works and I really don’t care. All I know is that I am going to always keep activated carbon on hand to absorb odors in my home.

This article was written by Abbe Checkford.