Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, September 05, 2008
Subway odor turns out to be cleaning product
A downtown sandwich shop reopened Thursday after tests indicated a mystery odor that left employees with irritated eyes and throats was caused by lime remover in a pan near an oven, authorities said.
The Subway restaurant on Third and Pearl streets had been forced to close after employees reported an odor that made their eyes and throats burn about 7:50 p.m. Wednesday.
The odor was traced to a pan that usually is filled with water to provide moisture below a bread oven, said La Crosse Fire Department Division Chief Michael Ethridge.
Heat and traces of lime remover in the pan “kind of created an irritant,” he said.
An air sample sent to a state lab in Madison confirmed the lime remover product, Ethridge said, adding “the county gave them a clean bill of health.”
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