Do an Ozone Shock Treatment on a Vehicle
Regular methods of cleaning and deodorizing a vehicle are not always enough. Pet and cigarette odors are particularly difficult to remove because smelly chemical compounds can penetrate deep into the upholstery and padding. An ozone shock treatment will send pure ozone (O3) deep into every crevice, destroying these odorous compounds that could not be washed away. Car rental companies use these generators on a regular basis to remove smoke and pet odors.
Steps
- Rent an ozone generator. There are websites that will ship them, and some equipment rental places stock them as well.
- Renting the right ozone generator will make the process more effective. While exact figures are not well-established, a generator rated at 3500mg/h is probably the bare minimum to do an effective shock treatment on a mid-sized car. Larger vehicles may require a more powerful generator. Units up to 12000 mg/h have been used effectively and safely. It is essential that the unit be compatible with a flexible duct.
- Thoroughly clean the car and remove all trash and personal belongings. Take everything out of the car, including the spare tire. Anything left behind could potentially be damaged or discolored by the ozone.
- Vacuum the car and wipe off all of the hard surfaces.
- Attach a flexible duct to the ozone generator. Some ozone machines will come with the duct, but any dryer duct will do. Duct tape may be helpful.
- Close all of the windows and doors on the vehicle, but leave one window open wide enough to feed the duct into the vehicle. The ozone generator should remain outside the vehicle to allow it access to fresh air.
- Seal off the remainder of the open window using plenty of cardboard and tape. The idea is to seal up the car to prevent the ozone from escaping the vehicle.
- Run the ozone generator at full power for at least 30 minutes but no longer than two hours. No one should be in the car during this process. No animals should be in the car during this process.
- Do not run the generator longer than the recommended time.
- Air out the vehicle to allow the ozone to dissipate. The slight ozone smell is normal and will disappear completely after three or four days. If necessary, repeat the ozone shock treatment after airing out the vehicle.
Tips
- Because ozone is a heavy gas relative to oxygen and nitrogen, it may be a good idea to place the ozone generator on top of the vehicle, allowing the ozone gas to flow down the duct and into the vehicle. Larger units (e.g. 12000mg/h units) will be too big to put on the vehicle, but they generally propel the ozone quite forcefully.
- Ozone shock treatments are not to be confused with low level ozone generators of the type that remain plugged into a cigarette lighter in a vehicle. The low level generators are safe to use while in the vehicle. It is NOT safe to be in the vehicle during an ozone shock treatment. The ozone levels during a shock treatment will be much higher than safe levels established by the EPA for human exposure. Ozone shock treatments are also far more effective at removing odors.
Warnings
- No person or animal should 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.
- Ozone, if overused, can be damaging to the interior components of the vehicle, particularly rubber seals. Exact figures are not well-established, but machines rated from 3500-6000 mg/h should be safe to use up to 2 hours. More powerful ozone generators can do a fine job in considerably less time. Repeated treatments separated by airing out periods may be safer than a single long, continuous treatment.
Things You'll Need
- An ozone generator (minimum 3500mg/h)
- Flexible ductwork (e.g. a dryer duct) that connects to the machine
- Cardboard or a similar material that can be cut to shape
- Duct tape
