There’s nothing quite like the smell of smoky grilled goodness (with a hint of mesquite) dancing in the wind to remind us of long summer days and backyard gatherings of children, friends, and neighbors.  Barbeques remind us of happy times, of comfort and community.  Many of us enjoy the smell of a juicy burger, cooked to perfection, over sizzling flames.  But as with most things in our lives, there is a time and a place for everything; and sometimes those may be more limited than we think.

Imagine smelling freshly baked bread (a smell most would agree to adore) in the middle of a vast open prairie.  It just wouldn’t be right; not to mention that a good deal of people may even be disappointed when the clean, fresh air they were hoping to take in was somehow missing.  We may not notice a lack of smell per se, but we certainly notice the presence of a ‘wrong’ smell, even if the wrong smell is actually a good one.

This is exactly the situation that the owners of a Chicago clothing boutique recently found themselves in.  The boutique, you see, was located next to a barbeque restaurant, and rather than smelling sunshine and summer, customers smelled ash and sauce, a decidedly unclothes-like smell.  And given fabric’s natural propensity to absorb odors, the store’s merchandise retained the odors even after bringing it home. Customers started returning clothing and even stopped coming into the store altogether.

The BBQ restaurant did try to help by raising their smokestacks and installing a pricey exhaust system. But it wasn’t enough, and the store was forced to permanently close its doors for business.

We are confident that a small investment in Fresh Wave IAQ would have gone a long way in helping the boutique keep the barbeque smells under control.  Fresh Wave IAQ products are safe, easy-to-use, and tackle the toughest of odors.  And, it absorbs and neutralizes smells on the molecular level, able to eliminate stubborn odors from the air and fabrics alike.

For example, in 2005, when The Gap opened a store adjacent to a fish-processing warehouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City, customer traffic in the retail space was steady, but the clothing smelled like fish, and customers returned recent purchases.

Utilizing the three HVAC ventilation systems inside The Gap location, Fresh Wave IAQ was vaporized into each HVAC system and then distributed into the store (and, thusly, onto all the merchandise). Within less than a day, the fish odor was completely eliminated. Additionally, during the time of the application, the store was able to remain open for business, which is something that more caustic odor solutions can’t boast.

So if your business suffers from stray food-related smells, whether from a barbeque joint or a fish-processing facility, there’s no need to shut down your business.  An effective odor management plan can actually save your livelihoods and business dreams.