Do Ozone Generators Remove Odors? How Does Ozone Get rid of Smells?

Clean and healthy indoor air is a priceless thing to have. Living in a contaminated space can prove detrimental to your health. In the case of odors, bad smells can affect your concentration and make you very uncomfortable in your home or office.

This is why homeowners do all they can to cleanse their indoor space of air pollutants like odors. One of the most potent ways to do that is using an ozone generator.

An ozone machine, also called an ozone generator or Ozonator, is a device that is often deployed to help purify the air by ridding it of odors and other pollutants.

But, should an ozone machine be used in every situation? What specific odors do ozone machines remove? This is a question that a lot of people ask when they’re out shopping for an ozone machine.

Naturally, it makes sense to know what specific job a device would perform before you get it. So, if you have a particular disturbing odor in your home, you’d know if an ozone generator is a right solution you need.

What Odors Does an Ozone Machine Remove?

Thankfully, ozone machines are pretty effective at removing different kinds of odors because of the way they work. The ozone released produces a third oxygen atom that attaches to gases and substances in the air, while rendering them odorless in the process.

Let’s take a look at some of the many odors that ozone machines can remove.

1. Pet odors

We all love our pets, don’t we? But we can’t deny how messy things can be in a home with a pet around. In fact, dealing with pet odor is one of the many issues you have to be prepared for.

Pet smells can arise from dander which is mostly made up of skin flakes and may not easily be taken care of by normal solutions, but an ozone generator should be able to largely remove general pet odors.

Watch it though, you’d need something else if you want to get rid of pet urine because of the urea content that doesn’t oxidize.

2. Smoke smell

Smoke from cigarettes, a nearby fire, or even from the kitchen can also be taken care of by an ozone generator. But we advise that it is only used in cases of general fire smoke.

People who need to remove cigarette smoke from their homes are probably smokers who are already at an increased risk of asthma and even cardiovascular diseases and do not need to endanger themselves further by using ozone generators.

3. Mold and mildew smell

Mold tends to form in highly humid, damp, and dark environments and it smells. Mildew is another pollutant to watch out for that gives off an odor.

Ozone can mask the smell, but it won’t remove the mold/mildew totally, meaning that the smell will return once the generator is turned off.

Hence, using ozone generators here can be quite tricky. If you are looking for temporary relief, then, an ozone machine will do the job.

But, if you want to be completely relieved from mold and mildew troubles, including their odors, you need to effectively remove the mold from the walls, floors and other parts of the room and ozone doesn’t do this.

4. Large car odors

Large commercial vehicles that are used to transport agricultural produce, livestock, chemicals, and other industrial products may often need to be treated to remove the odors left behind.

While ozone may not have so much effect on VOCs, especially if run for only a short period, other smells can be considerably removed by running an ozone generator, like the Mammoth 10,000 MG ozone generator, in the affected vehicle. Be sure that it is unoccupied while you run it.

5. Human smells/body odors

Very strong body odors can be very difficult to do away with. In fact, some rental homeowners have to deal with the smell of a previous owner long after the person has left the apartment.

Airing out by leaving the windows or door open won’t do much in such cases. Ozone machines can be quite effective against body odors.

Just turn it on for some hours while the room is unoccupied and you should get some respite.

There are other types of odors that ozone generators should be able to remove effectively, including wet carpet smells and other household odors. As long as they are used the right way with all safety standards adhered to, there shouldn’t be a problem.

How Does an Ozone Machine Eliminate Odors?

Ozone is a pretty unstable molecule with a half-life of about 20 minutes. When produced, it becomes airborne floating freely and then begins to break back down shortly after.

The molecule then begins to cast off its atoms, shedding off the first one which recombines with another oxygen atom to be reverted to simple oxygen (02), or attaches to a different gaseous element which then forms an inert gas and loses its odor characteristics.

This is how it works; the ozone has to attach to another gas (odor) in the air to break it down and dampen its odor.

Where smoke fills up a room, for instance, the odor perceived arises from the phenol gas. It is that phenol gas floating in the air and resting on surfaces that ozone attaches to and breaks down. Hence, all its odor characteristics are destroyed.

In more technical terms, we can say ozone generators work in two different ways – through silent corona discharge and ultraviolet radiation. What ozone does is alter the chemical compositions of airborne substances.

How Long Does It Take for Ozone to Remove Odors?

It really all depends on the type of smell you’re treating. Smaller objects can be treated with ozone for around 30-60 minutes, with the fan running at full speed.

On the other hand, you’d need to run the machine for at least 4 hours or more to remove heavy smoke smells. Ozone is even more suitable for fire remediation because it will also remove some particles from the air.

Furthermore, pet smells will take require running the ozone machine for between 3 and 4 hours for good results.

In some cases, you may find instructions on the package or manual of the unit. In other cases, you may need to use your discretion based on the tip you just received.

Whatever the case, never stay in the same room as an ozone machine in operation. Also, ensure to air the room for at least 3 hours, depending on how long you run the Ozonator, before going back inside.

Do Ozone Machines Remove Smells Permanently?

Ozone will remove an odor permanently as long as you also take care of the source of that odor. Let’s get something clear; an ozone generator is mostly designed to deal with the symptoms (in most cases, odor) of a problem and very rarely deals with the source itself.

For instance, in the case of mold, mildew, or damp, ozone will remove the smell, but will not remove the mold or source of the dampness. A wet carpet, for instance, won’t be dried out by ozone, and neither would pet dander or liter be removed.

So, when you get ozone to remove smoke in your home, it is expected that you have already put out the fire. If it’s a dead rodent or critter, it is also expected you must have removed the dead animal.

Otherwise, the smell will may not fully go away. And even if it does, it is likely to return as soon as turns off the machine.

Final Words:

Now you know when you should get an ozone machine and when you may have to turn elsewhere. While it will effectively remove pet odors, smoke smell, mold and mildew odor, body odor, and several others, it is not as effective against many types of VOCs.

In such cases, a better and safer alternative like a carbon filter Air Purifier should be deployed. Remember that ozone is harmful to human health, even in small concentrations, and you must always apply caution when you run an ozone machine.