We do this work without judgement and without unnecessary questions. The price is set after an inspection, because the scope of these jobs varies enormously.
This is about flats and houses where waste, packaging, food remains or simply a very large quantity of belongings have built up over a long period, and the premises can no longer be cleaned normally.
One thing first, because it matters to us. This is almost never a matter of laziness. Behind it there is usually illness, age, a loss of strength, or someone who has lived alone for a long time with nobody to help. We do not judge that and we do not discuss it.
Our job is to put the premises right, not to have an opinion on how they got that way. If you are calling as a relative, a neighbour or the owner, it is enough to say that treatment is needed — we will not ask you for the fuller story.
In sanitary terms there are usually several problems at once in premises like these:
Because of these, washing the surfaces in a flat like this gives no result. The source of the smell is almost always deeper — in porous materials, under the covering or behind the skirting boards.
It is enough to state that treatment is needed. We do not ask further questions about the situation.
We assess the scope, the affected materials and whether there is mould. We prepare a quote.
If there are documents, photographs or other important items, we set them aside before clearing.
We clear out waste and porous materials that cannot be saved.
We wash the surfaces — disinfection does not work on a dirty surface.
If fungal growth is revealed behind the belongings, we treat it and remove the affected material.
We treat every affected surface, the skirting boards and the gaps.
We treat the grilles and the accessible section of the duct.
We remove the odour remaining in the space and in hard-to-reach places.
We air the premises and tell you what else should be done so the smell does not return.
Another thing worth knowing in advance: the work is almost never done in one pass. First, whatever is blocking access to the surfaces has to come out, and only then does the true state of the premises become visible.
Often, under a layer of belongings, there turns out to be a damaged floor covering, a long-standing leak under the sink or mould on an external wall that nobody has seen for years. So at the inspection we always say that the final scope may be refined after the first round of clearing — and by how much it could change.
This is a conversation better had at the start than in the middle of the job. Hard, smooth surfaces can usually be fully restored. Porous materials that have been in long contact with organic remains and moisture usually cannot.
| Material | Salvageable | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tiles, concrete, metal, plastic | Yes | Can be washed and treated |
| Painted walls | Often yes | If the paint has not absorbed |
| Wallpaper | Rarely | Paper absorbs odour and moisture |
| Laminate | We assess | Depends on whether liquid got under the covering |
| Carpet with backing | No | The backing holds the contamination |
| Mattress | No | Filling cannot be reliably treated |
| Upholstered furniture | Usually no | The smell stays in the filling |
| Solid timber furniture | Often yes | Can be washed and treated |
| Chipboard furniture | Rarely | The edges absorb moisture and odour |
| Skirting boards | Often have to be removed | Contamination collects behind them |
With furniture the situation is partly solvable. Timber and metal furniture can usually be washed and treated, even when it looks bad. Chipboard furniture whose edges have absorbed moisture practically cannot — it swells and the smell stays in the board. The owner makes the decision here; we simply say honestly what can realistically be restored.
The reason is technical, not a matter of taste: a treatment product does not reach the full depth of a porous material. A mattress or a sofa can look clean and start to smell again a few weeks later, because the contamination has stayed in the filling.
We say this openly rather than treating something that will keep causing a problem afterwards. If there are belongings in the premises with personal or financial value — documents, photographs, jewellery — say so before the work starts. We set things like that aside rather than clearing them out with the rest.
Ventilation is another point that almost always needs checking in these situations. In a flat that has been packed for a long time the air does not move, the ventilation grilles are blocked, and even after everything has been cleared the premises keep holding the smell, simply because it has nowhere to go. If the ventilation does not work, it has to be put right — otherwise even the best treatment gives a short-lived result.
If there has been moisture in the premises, checking for mould is a necessary part of the job. Fungal growth behind furniture and under rugs is more common in flats like these than usual, and it cannot be treated along with everything else — it has its own method and its own material assessment. There is more on the Mould removal page.
Situations like these almost always occur in apartment buildings, where the neighbours notice everything. So:
And one more honest note about the result. In premises like these, visible damage often remains after treatment: peeling wallpaper, a damaged floor covering, stains that can no longer be removed. If the aim includes a visual result, redecoration will be needed afterwards, and that is separate work which we do not carry out.
Sanitary treatment means the premises are clean and safe to use, not that they will look as though they have been renovated.
In terms of time, a smaller flat is usually a single day and a larger one takes several. We give an exact schedule at the inspection, because it depends on the volume to be taken away and how quickly removal can be arranged.
For this work we set the price individually, after an inspection. That is not an evasive formulation. A price named without seeing the premises would be either exaggerated or unrealistically low.
One flat takes half a day; another takes several days with material removal.
For comparison, standard treatment without this kind of scope is priced as follows:
In this situation the final figure is made up of the size of the premises, the volume of material to be taken away, and how deeply the smell and moisture have soaked into the structure.
The inspection and the quote happen before any work begins, and we start work only once you have approved it. If the premises are to be let or sold afterwards, say so at the outset — we will then plan the treatment together with full odour removal and preparation of the premises.
Yes, we clear out materials that cannot be saved and that get in the way of treatment. If the volume is very large, we plan that separately and include it in the quote after the inspection.
We arrive in vehicles without company markings and we do not discuss the content of the work with third parties. If it matters to you, we agree a time when there are fewer people in the stairwell.
If every contaminated porous material has been cleared and the surfaces treated, usually yes. If any material is left, the smell returns over time. That is exactly why assessing the materials is the most important part of the job.
Describe the situation — we will tell you whether treatment is needed at all, and which one.
Fill in the form — we will call you on the number you provide, ask a few clarifying questions and propose a solution.
Thank you! We will contact you on the phone number you provided shortly.
