Let’s face it: Odor is part of the nature of this business. Controlling it is an ongoing challenge for every PRO. More than a simple technical problem, odor control can actually become a public relations issue if not handled well. No one wants to use a smelly restroom, and all odor control products are not equal, in makeup or effectiveness. How well PROs meet this challenge can end up reflecting on the entire industry, so it’s important to spend some time thinking about. Three contractors share their odor control strategies to provide some food for thought.
Still relatively new in the industry, Dennis Nelson and his wife, Susan, bought their business from a friend when he retired. They continued his use of Satellite Industries’ Regular Quick Scent tank additive for most of the year. They move to Quick Scent Plus in summer to boost effectiveness, opting for solid scent blocks in urinals. The Nelsons opt for Satellite’s Fresh-Form Deodorizing Oils for tougher applications, and to avoid interaction with the methanol they use as winter antifreeze. “We’re also going to try stick-up disks and paper roll spinners,” says Susan, “to see if they add anything for a more pleasant atmosphere.”
Dawn Beierle takes it personally if one of her units isn’t “up to snuff” odor-wise, and has made it her mission that no one who uses one of her restrooms will have to endure unpleasant smells. “If they start stinking, I bring them back to the yard and put bleach in them. They sit for a while full to the rim, and then we disinfect — not just deodorize — them.”
Many of Beierle’s 250 units are located “30-40 miles from civilization” on the often hot, arid flatlands along Colorado’s front range, she says. “I need to know they’re clean. It all starts with pumping it right. We don’t leave the last little bit in there. When we’re done, it’s moist but not yucky. You can touch it.” Then she gets in the corners with a pressure washer and wipes the entire unit down before replacing it in the field.
Blaine and J. P. Newberry find their greatest challenges with odor control and general cleanliness in units rented to construction clients. “We work hard to have nice units,” says J. P. “There is, unfortunately, a certain segment of the construction industry that doesn’t care, but our name is on the unit,” she adds. So, she and her husband recommend larger units to contractors, so the tanks will accommodate actual usage.
“We also try to get them to use enough toilets for the amount of people. On one jobsite, we had a crew of 80 on two units. That’s ridiculous, but it’s what they were doing, and we don’t want our units to have a bad reputation. We have a special cleaning crew that goes onsite to handle those situations, but it’s a struggle,” adds Blaine. “There are a lot of good products out there, but you can’t fault the product when there are just too many people on a unit.”
Their company also serves area parks, which can have similar issues, since park managers don’t know how many people will show up to use their facilities at any given time. “We get a lot of last-minute calls due to poor planning, though,” Blaine says.
The Newberrys use many different products to battle the unavoidable odor of overuse. They use pre-packaged chemicals that comply with state-mandated non-formaldehyde formulas.
