Ellington

Like many rental property owners, North Chattanooga resident Rhonda Van Billiard found her previous tenants left behind a smell. Her journey to find a solution led her to her current business, BioSweep of Tennessee.

“One of my rental units had a urine smell,” she said. “I did everything from stripping floors and taking down walls to get to it. Several thousand dollars and three or four months later I came upon BioSweep.”

Van Billiard explained that the decontamination system works by positioning units throughout a home or apartment. The units take in air and utilize photo catalytic oxidation to destroy odors and contaminants.

“You’re piercing the cell wall,” she said. “You’re breaking it apart at the molecular level so there’s nothing there to make a smell.”

Of course, for most people, she said it’s the results, not the science, that matters.

Van Billiard said being able to rid a house of odors means a customer who quits smoking can get the smell out of their furniture, clothes and home itself with BioSweep.

“Odors come from a lot of different sources,” she said.

One customer had sewage come up through the drains and into the house. Often, she said pet odors are a problem for people with rental property, but the source doesn’t have to be known.

“People do bad things to nice houses,” she said. “I tell people, ‘Give me a day, I’ll make the smell go away.’”

Van Billiard said people with allergies and asthma benefit because BioSweep kills dust mites. The system can also be used to get rid of off-gassing, she said.

“It’s environmentally friendly,” she said. “It’s something that at some point virtually every person could use.”

No people, pets or plants can be inside during the treatment time, which is typically less than 12 hours. However, Van Billiard said the treatment is nontoxic and homeowners do not have to empty cupboards, closets or remove anything else.

The home, she said, will be odor neutral within 72 hours after treatment, she said.

The price for a regular treatment is under 35 cents per square foot and may be covered by insurance Van Billiard said.

“I knew there was a market for it,” she said of her decision to go into business. “I knew there was a need for it and I’m hoping to grow it.”

Van Billiard started BioSweep of Tennessee, part of a national company, in January. She said she would like to see the business more than triple.