Pure Maintenance Austin TeamQuick answer: A whole-home dry fog treatment is done in one day. Our team arrives in the morning, walks the house with you, fogs every room and the HVAC ductwork, applies a surface protectant, and lets the home air out for 2 to 4 hours. You come home the same day.
How long will you be out of the house?
Plan to be out for the whole treatment plus a 2 to 4 hour air-out: everyone, people and pets alike, stays out while it runs. Size, layout, the HVAC system and how much prep is done all change the timing, so your Comfort Advisor will give you a clearer timeline for your home during your phone consultation. If you're still deciding whether a whole-home dry fog treatment fits your home, ask on that same call.
The day at a glance
- You prep the night before
- The team arrives and walks the home with you
- Setup, including positive pressure and HVAC settings
- You head out for the day
- Step 1: dry fog through the whole home and ductwork
- Wait time while the fog works
- Step 2: surface protectant
- Packing up, 2 to 4 hours of airing out, and handoff
How do I prepare the night before?
Open closets, drawers and cabinets, put food away, and decide where people and pets will spend the day. Before the team arrives, run your AC down to 68 degrees. The AC pulls moisture out as it runs, which matters in a humid Austin house. Our preparation guide has the full checklist, and most of it takes less than an hour.
Morning: arrival
Our team arrives at the time we set together. They'll park, introduce themselves and bring the equipment to the door. If you have a gate code, an alarm or a pet that likes to slip out, tell them now.
A quick walk-through with you
Before anything is set up, a team member walks the home with you. It usually takes a few minutes and covers:
- Each room, closet and bathroom, so the team knows the layout
- Your HVAC system, including where the air handler (the indoor unit), filter and thermostat are
- Anything that needs special care, such as a piano, artwork, a fish tank or sensitive electronics
- Any spots that concern you, such as a room that always smells stale
- How to reach you during the day, and roughly when to expect a call
It's also the moment to mention the closet door that sticks or the attic hatch in the garage, so nothing gets missed.
Setup
Once the walk-through is done, the team gets the home ready:
- Equipment goes in central spots so the fog can reach the whole home.
- Positive pressure is set up. We gently push air into the house so the fog moves out into every space, not just the room where the machine sits.
- The HVAC is set to carry the fog through the system and ductwork.
- A final check makes sure drawers, closets and interior doors are open and the registers (vent covers) are clear.
You head out
Everyone leaves, people and pets alike. No one can be in the home while the treatment runs. Most families go to work, run errands or fill the hours with a morning at Zilker Park or a friend's house. Take what you'll need, like medicines, chargers and pet supplies.
Step 1: the dry fog
The first step uses the patented Pure Maintenance VaPURE dry fog system. It fills the home with a fine dry fog of a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid solution. The droplets are so small that they float through the air instead of landing and soaking things. With positive pressure helping, the fog works its way into closets, behind furniture, under beds, into light fixtures and through the HVAC ductwork.
Because the fog is dry, it doesn't leave your furniture, floors or electronics wet. The solution breaks down into water, oxygen and a small amount of vinegar.
Independent research on dry fog: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studied the Pure Maintenance dry fog process. Read the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers case study on Gold Eagle Services' site.
Why does the fog go through the HVAC?
Your HVAC system moves all the air in your home many times a day, so the fog needs to reach it too. The team runs the system so the fog passes through the return, the air handler and the supply ducts. That way it reaches the surfaces inside the system, where the bio-load (the tiny particles and microbes that build up over time) collects.
If the team spots something that needs HVAC work, like a clogged filter, a dirty coil or a drain line issue, they'll tell you. Gold Eagle Services, our sister company, handles tune-ups, coil cleaning, filters and duct work.
Wait time
After the fog, the home stays closed while it works. How long depends on the size and layout of your home. The team stays on site and keeps an eye on things while you're away.
Step 2: the surface protectant
Next, the team applies a surface protectant. It stays on treated hard surfaces after the fog clears and helps them stay cleaner going forward.
Airing out and packing up
Once both steps are done, the team puts the HVAC back on your normal settings and packs up the equipment. The home stays empty for 2 to 4 hours to air out. The team takes a final walk through the house to make sure everything is back the way it should be.
When can I come home?
You come home the same day. The team will call or text when it's time, and a team member can walk through with you, answer questions and go over what to do next. You might notice a light vinegar smell for a short time. That's normal, and it fades quickly with some fresh air.
The handoff usually includes a few simple tips:
- Put in a fresh HVAC filter if yours was due.
- Keep indoor humidity at or below 50%.
- Run bath and kitchen fans when showering and cooking.
Our after-treatment guide has the full list of habits that help keep the air fresh.
Get a free phone consultation
Pure Maintenance Austin, brought to you by Gold Eagle Services, serves all of Central Texas, out to College Station (about 2.5 hours), including Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls. Book a free phone consultation: a Comfort Advisor calls you, learns what's going on in your home and sends a written quote based on square footage. Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.