Pure Maintenance Austin TeamQuick answer: The first step of a Pure Maintenance Austin dry fog treatment uses a solution of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid, which forms when hydrogen peroxide meets acetic acid, the acid that gives vinegar its bite. At working strength the fog can irritate eyes and lungs, so people and pets stay out for about 2 to 4 hours while it breaks down into water, oxygen and a trace of acetic acid. That leftover acetic acid is why a home can smell faintly of vinegar for about a day.
What is hydrogen peroxide?
Hydrogen peroxide is a simple compound of hydrogen and oxygen, the same one sold as a 3% solution in the brown bottle under many bathroom sinks; the fog uses it at a much higher strength. Chemically it looks like water with one extra oxygen atom attached. That extra oxygen makes it reactive, and it also keeps it from lingering. Left alone, hydrogen peroxide falls apart into plain water and oxygen.
What is peracetic acid?
Peracetic acid, also called peroxyacetic acid, is what you get when hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid are mixed. Acetic acid is the sour part of household vinegar. In the finished solution, all three sit together in balance with water: hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid and peracetic acid. It arrives premixed, so nobody blends anything in your house.
Peracetic acid is not new or exotic. Industry has used it for decades, and one big reason is that it breaks down into simple things instead of leaving a film behind.
What does the dry fog break down into?
As the fog settles and reacts, the solution breaks down into three things you already know:
- Water, in amounts far too small to wet anything.
- Oxygen, which goes back into the air.
- A trace of acetic acid, the vinegar part, which airs out.
That short list is why Pure Maintenance chose this chemistry: nothing in it is meant to stay behind as a coating. The second step of the treatment, a surface protectant, is the part designed to stay on treated surfaces.
Why does my house smell like vinegar after dry fogging?
The vinegar smell is the acetic acid left over as the solution breaks down. Most people notice it when they first walk back in, and it usually fades within a day. Opening a few windows helps it clear faster; in an Austin July, when that lets in 100-degree air, setting the thermostat fan to ON for a few hours keeps the air moving so the smell fades faster. If a sharp vinegar smell hangs on for several days, call us at 512-904-4646 and we'll help you figure out what's holding it in.
Why is it a fog instead of a spray?
A dry fog floats into places a spray can't reach and leaves things dry. A spray lands in drops you can see, soaks what it hits and misses what it can't reach. The VaPURE system, the machine our technicians bring, turns the solution into a very fine, dry fog. The droplets, about 7 microns across, are small enough to float rather than fall, so the fog drifts through every room, into open closets, behind furniture and through the HVAC system and ductwork. Fabrics, papers and electronics stay dry.
Inside the home, the fog temporarily reduces airborne particulates (tiny bits of dust and pollen floating in the air) as it settles. On treated hard, non-porous surfaces like counters, tile and glass, it helps neutralize odors. For more on the difference, see dry fog vs. sprayers and foggers.
Why does everyone leave the house during the fog?
Because at working strength, the fog in the air can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and the concentrate can burn skin and eyes, so nobody stays inside while it works. That is the reason for the rules on treatment day:
- People and pets leave the home before the fog starts.
- Our technicians wear protective gear and follow the safety directions on the product label.
- Everyone stays out for about 2 to 4 hours afterward, while the fog breaks down.
- Fish tanks get covered with the air pump off, and your technician tells you what else to cover or set aside.
Once the fog has broken down and the house has aired out, what's left is the water, oxygen and faint vinegar described above. Our prepare for your treatment checklist covers every step.
Is it the same as bleach, quats or ozone?
No. Chlorine bleach can leave a strong smell and fade fabrics. Quats, the ingredient in many wipe-down cleaners, can leave a residue on surfaces unless they're rinsed; our guide what's a quat? explains why that matters. Ozone is a separate gas for heavy odors, and the dry fog doesn't use it. For stubborn smoke or pet smells, our separate Odor Treatment adds an ozone step and keeps the home empty for up to 48 hours. See ozone, UV and dry fog compared for the full side-by-side.
Has the Army studied this dry fog process?
Yes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' research center studied the Pure Maintenance dry fog process in the field, working with Pure Maintenance, in two vacant buildings at Fort Campbell. Results from those buildings aren't a promise for any one home. You can read a plain-English summary of that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers case study on the site of our sister company, Gold Eagle Services. For how the equipment itself works, see VaPURE technology.
When does a dry fog treatment make sense?
A treatment makes sense when your home smells stale or musty even after you've cleaned, dried out any damp spots and changed the HVAC filter, a common story in Central Texas houses shut tight against summer heat for months. If that sounds like your house, a whole-home dry fog treatment from Pure Maintenance Austin reaches every room and the ductwork, and residential jobs are done in one day. If there's an active leak or standing water, fix that first. No treatment replaces a repair.
Common questions
Will the fog damage my furniture or electronics?
Usually not. The fog is dry, so furniture, fabrics and most electronics can stay where they are. Peroxide-based solutions can tarnish soft metals like brass, copper and bronze, though, so tell your Comfort Advisor about antiques or finishes you care about during your phone consultation, and your technician will cover or set them aside.
How long does the vinegar smell last?
Usually less than a day. Open a few windows or set the thermostat fan to ON when you get home to help it clear.
Can I buy peracetic acid and fog my own house?
We don't recommend it. Working-strength peracetic acid can burn skin and eyes, needs the right equipment to make a truly dry fog and an empty home, and should never be mixed with bleach or other cleaners. Household foggers produce wet droplets that settle unevenly. Leave the fogging to trained technicians.
What should you do next?
- Read the FAQ for quick answers about treatment day.
- Walk through the prepare for your treatment checklist, then after your treatment for airing out.
- Call 512-904-4646 or book a free phone consultation if you'd like to talk through your home.
Get a free phone consultation
Book a free phone consultation. A Comfort Advisor will call, learn what's going on in your home and send a written quote based on its square footage. Pure Maintenance Austin, brought to you by Gold Eagle Services, serves all of Central Texas, including Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls, and as far as College Station (about 2.5 hours from Austin).
Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.