Breathe Fresh with the Best Car Ozone Generator: Eliminate Odors and Purify Your Ride!

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Updated on:

May 31, 2023

Best Car Ozone Generator Discovering the Power: Say Goodbye to Odors and Airborne Contaminants

If you have bought a used car, you probably already know that it usually has foul odors that you will want removed. Shampooing the upholstery fibers is a great start, the chemicals from the shampoo will break down the layer of dirt and bad smell that has not been cleaned up for a while. Using a steam cleaner will also help with disinfecting the car from bacteria and such.

However, an ozone machine treatment will do your car justice and make sure that the car does not smell like someone else's body odor. Things like mildew and urine can be hard to remove, but the ozone generator kills the bacteria, viruses along with smell on a molecular level, destroying the bad cells entirely.

In this guide, we will explain the concept behind ozone generators, how to use it, and the best options on the market.

Key Takeaways:

  • Choose the right ozone generator for your car: Consider options like Odor Stop, Airtheral, and LKT for effective odor elimination in your car.
  • Follow the ozone treatment process: Begin with thorough interior detailing, introduce the ozone generator with closed doors and windows, and allow sufficient treatment time. Finally, air out the vehicle to dissipate remaining ozone.
  • Prioritize safety: Ensure proper ventilation, especially for indoor use. Follow guidelines and recommendations provided by professionals and product manufacturers.

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Table of Contents

Best ozone generators for cars

Odor Stop Ozone generator

1. Odor Stop ozone generators

This professional unit ranges from 900-12500 square footage that it can cover. It can be used for cars as well as homes and is our personal favorite. We like to use the Volt Mini steam cleaner to take out all the stains and smells and finish the detailing process with the this machine. Easy to use, all you have to do is plug it in and set the timer. This ozone generator is great for deodorizing and sanitizing small to medium space. It has a compact, high quality aluminum housing, only weighs 2 lbs, has a 2 hour timer with a hold option, high output ozone plates, replaceable filter. The ozone generator comes ready to use with no assembly required.

Airtheral ozone generator

2. Airtheral commercial ozone generators

Ranked "Amazon's choice," this ozone generator is tough on odors, smoke, and volatile organic compounds. With an ozone output of 5000mg/H, it is sure to kill eve the worst odor. Weighing in at 3.5 lbs, it is easy to carry and move around. This ozone generator comes with a removable and washable filter, prolonging the life of your ozone treatments. Just as the ozone generator above, you can set the timer for a designated amount of time.

LKT automotive ozone generators

3. LKT automotive ozone generator

This professional unit might be the smallest ozone treatment machine on the market. With a high ozone output of 300-500 mg/H, it can be used in vehicles and houses. This machine releases ozone that attaches itself to odors and pollutants, neutralizing the air your breathe in the vehicle. It works from lithium batteries, making it very portable. For light odors, press the button once for a 20 minute mode. For strong odors, quick press twice for a 40 minute mode. For pet odors, you might have to turn it on twice for about half an hour each time.

Ozium® 8 Oz. Air Sanitizer & Odor Eliminator for Homes, Cars, Offices and More, Original Scent

Alternative - Ozone spray for cars

For one-time use you can try Ozium® 8 Oz. Air Sanitizer & Odor Eliminator, It will be final knockout for any time of odor like cigarette smoke or mold smell removal. Available with original and vanilla scents.It will be costly for long run and doing business but perfect choice for individuals and car enthusiasts.

what is ozone

What is ozone?

Ozone is the nature's own purifier. It can be present naturally after a thunderstorm, in the seashore, and rain forests. Ozone makes up about 20 percent of the air humans breathe daily. It is created when a force causes oxygen to divide into two oxygen molecules separate forms. The freed atom attaches to an O2 molecule, making ozone molecules. Ozone has been used to remove a range of odorous compounds in many applications over the last century.

What is an automotive ozone generator?

An ozone machine uses the ozone gas O3 to remove odors, bacteria, and viruses by being releasing the gas inside your vehicle The machine sends out specific wavelength UV light to kill the pet odors. A professional detailer would clean your car very thoroughly first, and then put the ozone generator inside to eliminate foul odors. Since ozone is a gas, it can saturate upholstery fibers to get rid of the smell that shampooing can not.

principle of ozone genartion process

How ozone machine generates ozon from air?

An ozone machine generates ozone from the air using a process called ozone generation. Ozone (O3) is a gas that is composed of three oxygen molecules. The machine uses various methods to convert oxygen (O2) from the air into ozone.

Corona discharge method

One common method used in ozone generators is corona discharge. In this process, a high voltage electrical discharge is created in a small gap between two electrodes. This discharge breaks apart the oxygen molecules (O2) and creates ozone (O3). The ozone is then released into the surrounding air.

UV Light method

Another method is ultraviolet (UV) light. Ozone generators equipped with UV lamps emit a specific wavelength of UV light that interacts with oxygen molecules in the air. The UV light causes the oxygen molecules to split, and the resulting single oxygen atoms (O) combine with other oxygen molecules (O2) to form ozone (O3).

How does ozone treatment help with odor removal?

Ozone is a gas which will get rid of any smell through the process of oxidation. Smoke odors are the hardest to get rid of because they contain an invisible chemical, phenol. The ozone generator will neutralize the smoke odors, mold smell and get rid of them completely.

How to perform the ozone treatment?

Ozone is used to eliminate foul odors, bacteria, and viruses. It is also the most effective method to remove smoke odors.

When using ozone inside the car, all the doors should be closed. Depending on how bad the car smells, the ozone machine should be turned on for at least 30 minutes and no more than two hours. No one should be in the car during the process of ozone output as it is not safe for humans or animals to breath in the ozone.

Learn more about mold cleaning out of car interior

How is a good ozone treatment done in the car?

interior car detailing

Step 1: Perform an interior detailing

An ozone treatment is usually done by a professional detailer who is cleaning your car, not just a regular vacuum and wipe down. If you would rather clean the car and use the ozone generator yourself, we have a list of ozone generator options below.

The person will make sure all the loose items are picked up and everything is vacuumed. An interior detailing requires a thorough job of your upholstery and floor that is meant for cleaning and odor removal. The interior detailing will be the first step in the process of odor removal.

Using clean microfiber cloths for interior detailing is amandatory rule.
Ozone treatment for car smell removing

Step 2: Begin the ozone treatment

Once the bad smell has been removed, the detailer will put the ozone generator in the car and make sure all the doors and windows are closed, making the air trapped inside. You can also use a hose to blow in the ozone into the car. When you turn on the ozone generator, make sure no one is in the vehicle to breathe in the gas ozone.

The ozone generator is going to start sending specific wave length UV light at oxygen atoms, killing the bad smelly chemical compounds. The process in the gas ozone in removing stubborn odors can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how bad the odor was before.

If you professional detailer you can charge $1/minute for ozone treatment for your customers as an odor removal.

As the gas permeates the vehicle, the odors will be neutralized, and any viruses and bacteria will be killed. The gas will penetrate deep inside vents, under seats and all the vehicles interiors. The ozone treatment will thoroughly oxidize the remaining phenol gas. This is why the ozone treatment is the best technique for removing vehicle odors.

Open doors for removing pure ozone out of car

Step 3: Air out the vehicle from the ozone

After your car has been treated with an ozone generator, there is going to be a metal smell left. The car detailer will leave the doors wide open to make sure the metal odor will dissipate from the vehicle.

For regular use of ozone treatments, repeat the same steps and make sure to air out the vehicle or room well.

Ozone normally needs 30 minutes to 1-2 hours to break down into breathable oxygen at lower concentration.

It takes 3-4 hours for ozone to d into regular oxygen at greater concentration levels.

Remark for indoors use of ozonator machine

Even though some of these ozone generator options are safe to use at home, the EPA has not cleared them for indoor use. So, if you plan to use you ozone treatments in the house, office or labs, make sure to leave an open window for a little longer than you should, so you or your family members are not breathing the ozone in.

Check this guide how to remove smoke smell from home and how to use best ozone generator for cigarette smoke

If you want to learn more about full set of detailing equipment, supplies and tools check our complete article with video of auto detailing van setup.

Commonly asked questions

Q: What does ozone smell like?

A: Ozone smells like nature air after thunderstorm with lightings, or rainforest

Q: What does a ozone machine do?

A: An ozone machine is a electric device designed to produce the gas ozone. Main parts are lamp and plates that converts oxygen from air into ozone gas (another formula of oxygen).  Ozone is used in air purification (must reach high levels to remove air pollutants), and ozone effectively in water purification

Q: Can you be in a house with an ozone machine?
A: It is not good to be in a house while ozone treatment. It is highly recomended to open all windows and let fresh air in, so you or your family members are not breathing the high concentrated ozone in.

Q: How long it takes to remove odor from car cabin?

A: Usual treatment takes 15-20 minutes, if you have strong odor it can takes up to 45 minutes and/or several treatments, to remove smoke smell out of car check this guide

Learn more about mold and mildew removal out from home
Sabrina Tretyakova
Sergey "Serg" Paskevich

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