A very common question asked by customers at the car detailing Hornsby provider, Schmicko is, “can you get rid of the cigarette smell from my car?”. Simply put, yes, but it must go through a number of processes and procedures before we can remove the smell effectively. Of course, cleaning, shampooing and so on are you common steps, but what makes one of the largest impacts, is the use of an ozone generator.
Ever heard of an ozone generator? Probably not, well an ozone generator converts air into ozone in a nutshell. By converting air into ozone, it can destroy toxins in the air and therefore bad smells and odor. A useful piece of equipment for any home and especially for the car.
If you are driving around in a stinky car and have tried absolutely everything to get rid of the smell, eg shampoo, soap, bicarbonate soda, charcoal and so on, then the ozone generator may be what you are looking for.
As scary as it sounds, it is really simple to use. Pretty much plug and play, wait outside while it works its magic. As the ozone reaches to all areas of your car interior, it will neutralize smells and get rid of viruses and bacteria. However, please do note there are some safety precautions that you will need to consider.
How It Works
Without sounding too scientific, ozone consists of three oxygen molecules (O3). The third molecule can remove itself and attach itself with other substances or chemicals and ultimately alter their functionality. Ozone generators add energy to the oxygen molecules (O2), causing the particles to separate and merge with other oxygen atoms, producing ozone (O3), voila.
Ozone is a powerful sterilant, and it utilizes the reaction of oxidation to get rid of unwanted molecules. O3 is an unstable atom, and that is why when it combines with any unit, it destroys it through oxidation. Therefore, when ozone comes into contact with bacteria and viruses, it kills them entirely.
Fun Fact
Notice how the air tends to smell fresh after a thunderstorm. This is due to the fact that lightning is nature’s version of an ozone generator. It produces large amounts of ozone which oxidize odours that originate from daily human activities leaving the air smelling fresh.
Ozone in general
Ozone is an industrial gas; therefore, you simply cannot create it and then transport it to whichever site you want to use it because it decays quickly ie a very short half-life (reacts responsively for a specific amount of time – which is short in this case). Ozone oxidizes metal, and not all metals can contain it except titanium, aluminum, stainless steel and glass. Oxygen used to produce ozone originates from:
- Air in the atmosphere
- This is the air that lacks moisture; hence its dew point is either -70 F or lower.
- This refers to oxygen that has a purity of at least 90%, and moisture removed, so the dew point is -40.
Why An Ozone Generator Is So Effective Against Treating Bad Smells Like Cigarette, Smoke and Etc?
Ozone molecules react chemically with the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere, such as viruses or bacteria and ultimately kill on site, cool right? This makes ozone a tremendous option for tackling cigarette smell, pet smell and bad odors.
This is why many supermarkets will adopt some form of ozone technology to deal with unwanted smells from fresh produce, but also rotting produce here and there. Because they deal with so much food and produce, using an ozone generator is a tremendous choice for businesses, homes and cars. But of course, these units can come in varying degrees of strength. Supermarkets will typically use a lower strength ozone generator as they deal with food and cannot risk contaminating the food as it is digested.
You can also use ozone to treat odor that comes from items such as cigarette smell, smoke smell, decaying organisms, pets and even humidity. Places with a humid climate will experience odour problems because damp products produce odor. High concentrations of ozone will help in getting rid of stubborn odors. Ozone will get rid of bad smell, but it will not get rid of beverage stains or rotting food trapped in cracks. They can still cause lousy odor, so you need to remove them. That is why it is very important to physically clean the area of the culprit prior to using an ozone machine. Using an ozone machine for a car will work, but if a rotting banana was left under the seat and unattended, the smell would still linger. An ozone machine works best after an interior car detail and used to reinforce the process with extra measures.
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