It's safest to hire cleaning crew after fumigation

Q: I am moving my family back into our apartment after the landlord fumigated our building with sulfuryl fluoride and chloropicrin. I am wondering if you have any advice on the ideal cleaning process after fumigation?

R. G., Santa Monica

A: The fumigation industry has always claimed that there is no residue after a sulfuryl fluoride (Vikane) fumigation. I doubt if they really know.

Sulfuryl fluoride under another name, Pro-Fume, is used to fumigate foods for stored-product pests. It is now suspected that this may not be a good method of controlling these insects.

Common sense would tell us that if a home or commercial building is fumigated, not only will any exposed food have a fluoride residue, but the entire contents of the building will as well, including all surfaces such as carpets, paddings and mattresses.

Chloropicrin is used as a warning agent before the release of sulfuryl fluoride. There shouldn't be any residue of chloropicrin in your apartment.

However, if you smell anything unusual, you may want to stay out another couple of days and then contact the fumigation company to have them check it out. Sometimes chloropicrin lingers, not as a residue to wash off, but in the air.

In your case, I would hire a cleaning crew to completely clean your home. For anyone else who is considering fumigation, I would recommend insisting that anyone who fumigates your home or business hire a professional cleaning crew to come in after the fumigation to completely clean all surfaces in the home.

I would also recommend washing all bedding and clothing that has been exposed to sulfuryl fluoride. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Better yet, have your drywood termite problem solved with a good XT-2000 Orange Oil treatment, which is not only much safer, it is more effective and doesn't require you to leave the house for an extended period of time.

Richard Fagerlund promotes nontoxic methods of pest control. Go to www.askthebugman.com or e-mail comments to home@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page E - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle