After another company's 'sanitising', the unit has smelled of chemicals for a week

What is really happening

A 'sanitising' spray applied to a dirty evaporator only acts on the surface of the dirt layer; the biofilm underneath stays alive and, worse, dead mould remains as allergenic as live mould. What your children are breathing now is the product's vapour (usually quaternary ammonium plus fragrance), sticky residues that catch dust, plus the spores and biofilm fragments from before. The principle in environmental guidance is simple: mould is physically removed, not 'killed' in place – and agencies warn that the effectiveness of biocides sprayed into air systems is unproven and their health effects uncertain.

Explanatory diagramOdours can have several sources

What we do on site

1. We come as soon as possible; meanwhile keep the unit off and the room aired.
2. We open and photograph – as a rule the evaporator is as dirty as before, it just shines from the product.
3. Sealed collection bag; film over the cots and toys.
4. Alkaline cleaning solution, then pressure wash in place until the water runs clear – that removes both the chemical residue and the biofilm.
5. Extra rinse with clean water, precisely because a foreign product was put into the unit.
6. Sanitising solution, at the correct dose, on clean surfaces, then full drying on 'Fan'.
7. Outdoor unit in the garden, washed in place. See current rates on the Prices page.

What you can do yourself

• Until we arrive: unit off, window opened twice a day, children sleep with the door open.
• Wash the filters with plenty of warm water – they carry product too.
• Wipe the housing and louvres with soapy water.

What NOT to do

Prevention

A properly cleaned unit smells neither of mould nor of chemicals – it smells of nothing. Annual sanitising, with the children's room as priority.

When to call us

Cases like yours get priority scheduling: 0764 012 943, WhatsApp with photos, Monday–Saturday 08:00–20:00.