Download ArticleCleanse your vehicle of lingering odors with our handy guide
Download ArticleX
This article was co-authored by How.com.vn staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at How.com.vn where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 405,866 times.
Learn more...
If your vehicle is in dire need of deodorization but regular cleaning products can’t remove years of cigarette smoking or doggie adventures, you may want to do an ozone shock treatment. Ozone (O3) is the perfect deodorizing agent—it’s made of 3 oxygen molecules (unlike air, which has 2 oxygen molecules), and that third oxygen molecule picks up whatever odors are floating in the air and neutralizes them. But since ozone is toxic, it’s important to perform this cleaning correctly, and that’s where we come in. In this article, we’ll show you how to perform an ozone shock treatment to get your car smelling as fresh as the day you bought it.
Things You Should Know
- Empty your vehicle of all objects, vacuum the car’s seats and floor, and wipe down any dirty surfaces with a wet wipe before starting.
- Set the ozone generator in your vehicle or feed the duct through the window (depending on the generator type). Run the generator for at least 30 minutes.
- After running the ozone generator, air the vehicle out for 2-3 days to avoid exposing yourself to the toxic ozone fumes.
Steps
Rent or purchase an ozone generator. Rent an ozone generator from a construction supply or home improvement store, or buy one if you may need to remove stubborn odors in the future. Ozone generators aren't super expensive and usually cost less than $100.[1]- There are two types of ozone generator—corona discharge generators and UV light generators. The corona discharge generators are stronger and use a duct to pump ozone into a space. UV light generators are just left in an enclosed space.[2]
- Corona discharge generators are stronger than UV ozone generators, but they may be overkill for a vehicle. The corona discharge generators are ideal for cleansing an entire home, so go with UV to keep things simple.
- Ozone generators are rated by mg/h, which is how much ozone they produce. A good rule of thumb is 1,000 mg/h per 100 sq ft (9.3 m2). Most sedans are around 100 sq ft (9.3 m2), while bigger SUVs can get up to 200 sq ft (19 m2).
Clean your vehicle thoroughly and remove any trash. Ozone is toxic. It won’t damage the interior of your car, but it may render things like water bottles unusable. As a result, take everything out of the car to keep it safe from the ozone.[3]- Leave anything that may be harboring intense odors that you don’t mind potentially warping. Floor mats, for example, are probably best left in the vehicle.
Advertisement
Vacuum the car and wipe off all of the hard surfaces. While ozone treatments will remove odors, they won’t remove the sources of those orders. So, any food particles or gunk that’s contributing to bad smells in the vehicle will just start to smell again later. Vacuum your vehicle thoroughly and use wet wipes to scrub down any hard surfaces or dashboards.[4]- You don’t need to break out any deodorizing materials or deep cleaning tools; the ozone generator will do all of that for you.
Put the generator in the car or connect the flexible duct. Read your ozone generator’s instructions to determine how you set it up. For most UV generators, just set the generator anywhere in the vehicle, like the middle of the back seat. If you have a generator that uses a duct, connect the duct hose to the generator and set the machine down next to the vehicle outside.- If you have a duct, feed the duct tubing through a cracked window and into the vehicle.
Close the windows and seal off any openings. If you’re setting the generator in the vehicle, just close all of the windows and shut the doors to seal the car. If you have a duct going into a window, you’ve got a little extra work ahead of you. Seal the cracked window around the duct with cardboard, packing tape, and/or plastic wrap.[5]- If your generator’s instruction manual tells you to never leave the generator in an enclosed space, do not seal the area around the duct and make sure one of the windows is cracked.
Advertisement
Turn the vehicle on and set the climate to 75 °F (24 °C). Ozone will circulate more evenly if the temperature isn’t too extreme. If it’s 60–80 °F (16–27 °C) outside already, your vehicle’s interior should be fine. If it’s hot or cold out though, turn your vehicle on and set the heat or air conditioning to 75 °F (24 °C).[6]- Once the interior of your vehicle reaches this temperature, shut the car off.
Run the ozone generator at full power for 30 minutes. Press the power button on the ozone generator and turn the dial to the highest setting. Let the ozone generator run on its own for at least 30 minutes, and no more than 2 hours.[7]- Warning: Ozone is toxic. Do not leave any pets or people in the vehicle while the ozone generator is running.
- Unless you’re removing some seriously stubborn odors, you shouldn’t need more than 30 minutes to cleanse your vehicle.
- As the generator runs, it will generate toxic O3 (this is the “ozone”). O3 is just 3 oxygen molecules. O2 is the air that we breathe, so there’s a leftover oxygen molecule when you introduce ozone into the air. That extra molecule will bind with anything floating around in the air to remove odors from your car.[8]
Air out the vehicle for 2-3 days until the ozone odor goes away. Once your time is up, open the vehicle’s doors and shut the generator off. Leave your vehicle alone for at least 2-3 days if possible. Ozone smells like a funky version of chlorine bleach, so once that odor is gone, you’re good to go. Residual ozone won’t be super dangerous so long as there’s clear air around it, but it’s still best to not breathe it in if you don’t have to.[9]- Realistically, the longer you can wait, the better.
- Do not enter the vehicle for the first 4-8 hours that it’s airing out. It takes time for all of those O3 particles to bind to something, and you don’t want to breathe it in.
- If you still smell the original bad odor in your vehicle, repeat this process again.
Advertisement
Community Q&A
Search
- QuestionWhy not put the generator inside the car with the windows closed?
Community AnswerBecause the generator is taking in fresh air to convert to ozone. If its inside the car, then it will eventually start pulling ozone back into the system and won't be able to generate additional ozone. - QuestionDoes ozone only kill bad things?
Community AnswerAt a molecular level, it kills everything. - QuestionHow long should I wait before driving the car again?Community AnswerAfter you turn off the ozone generator, wait until your car has aired out. It won't fully air out for 3-4 days, but you could drive it before then if you want.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
SubmitAdvertisement
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Warnings
- No person or animal can be in the vehicle during the ozone shock treatment. This would be extremely dangerous. High levels of ozone can cause extreme respiratory distress. Read all manuals that come with the ozone generator to ensure you stay safe.[10]Thanks
Advertisement
References
- ↑ https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/air/ozone_generating_air_cleaners.htm
- ↑ https://blueairproducts.com/hrf_faq/what-is-the-difference-between-corona-discharge-cd-and-ultraviolet-light-uv-ozone/
- ↑ https://www.familyhandyman.com/cleaning/top-10-cleaning-tips-for-the-inside-of-your-car/
- ↑ https://www.familyhandyman.com/cleaning/top-10-cleaning-tips-for-the-inside-of-your-car/
- ↑ https://www.boie.us/ozone-generator-guide.php
- ↑ https://www.boie.us/ozone-generator-guide.php
- ↑ https://vehq.com/how-to-use-an-ozone-generator-in-a-car/
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners
About This Article
How.com.vn Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by How.com.vn staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at How.com.vn where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University. This article has been viewed 405,866 times.
Co-authors: 6
Updated: June 30, 2023
Views: 405,866
Categories: Cleaning Cars
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 405,866 times.
Reader Success Stories
"Generator came with no instruction or guidelines. I was going to run it all day in a small motor home. Now I see that could cause damage to the rubber parts. Thanks, guys. "..." more
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
Advertisement
