Ozone Treatment

7 BIG Reasons to Have Ozone Car Treatment

When buying a used car, one of the most common issues you might face is lingering odors trapped in the upholstery, carpet, and headliner—especially if the previous owner was a smoker.

These odors can be tough to remove, particularly when they've deeply penetrated the fabric. While shampooing the interior might help, it's often not enough to reach the deeply embedded smells.

That’s where ozone treatment comes in. This process releases ozone (O₃) into the vehicle, allowing it to reach hidden areas and break down stubborn odor-causing particles that cleaning alone can’t eliminate.

In this guide, we’ll cover what ozone treatment is, how it functions, the advantages it offers, and how to properly use an ozone generator in your car.

What Is Ozone?

Ozone is often described as nature’s natural purifier. You can notice its presence by the fresh scent found near the ocean, in tropical forests, or after a thunderstorm. The word "ozone" comes from the Greek term ozien, meaning "to smell."

It accounts for about 20% of the air we inhale daily. Ozone forms when energy—such as lightning or ultraviolet light—splits an oxygen molecule (O₂) into individual oxygen atoms.

These single atoms then bond with O₂ molecules, forming ozone (O₃). For more than a hundred years, ozone has been used in various settings to effectively neutralize unpleasant odors.

What Is Ozone Treatment for Cars?

Ozone treatment involves using ozone gas (O₃) to eliminate odors, bacteria, and viruses inside a vehicle. It’s currently one of the most effective and widely used methods for removing cigarette smoke from cars.

The procedure is straightforward: a car detailer places an ozone generator inside the vehicle for a set period, based on how strong the odor is.

As the ozone gas circulates through the car’s interior, it neutralizes unpleasant smells and kills harmful microorganisms. This makes it one of the most powerful solutions for tackling persistent odors.

Because it’s a gas, ozone can reach deep into upholstery, air vents, under seats, and tight spaces that are typically hard to clean manually.

Is Ozone Treatment Effective in Cars?

In short—yes, ozone treatment is highly effective. The process works by using ultraviolet light at a specific wavelength to split oxygen molecules, creating ozone gas. An ozone generator is then placed inside the vehicle for the appropriate amount of time, usually under an hour, depending on how strong the odor is.

Before beginning the treatment, a professional detailer will thoroughly clean the interior to address the root cause of the smell. For example, if mildew is present, it’s important to resolve any underlying moisture issues first.

Odors from sources like cigarette smoke or pets can be especially stubborn, as the smell compounds often seep deeply into fabric and padding.

Ozone works by fully oxidizing the remaining odor-causing molecules—such as phenol gas—rather than simply masking them. This means the odors are permanently neutralized and won't return.

Since ozone naturally breaks down within about 30 minutes after treatment, there’s no lingering health risk from exposure once the process is complete.

Advantages of Ozone Treatment for Vehicles

Here are seven key benefits of using ozone treatment in your car:

• It’s one of the most effective ways to completely eliminate persistent odors caused by mold, mildew, smoke, pet smells, and body odor.
• Often included in professional interior detailing, it tackles odors from spills such as vomit, milk, urine, feces, and other bacteria-laden substances that produce foul smells.
  
• Ozone neutralizes the actual gases responsible for unpleasant odors. Unlike typical deodorizers that only mask smells, ozone actively seeks out and destroys these odor-causing compounds by reacting with pollutants found in the air, water, upholstery, and on interior surfaces.
  
• It’s especially helpful when the source of the odor is hidden or unreachable, like behind panels or under seats.
  
• This process eliminates a wide range of microorganisms—including bacteria and viruses—on contact.
  
• Rather than covering up the scent, ozone oxidizes and breaks down the root cause of the smell
• After treatment, your vehicle will have a clean, fresh scent—similar to that "new car" smell.

How Professional Detailers Operate a Car Ozone Generator

When pet dander, spilled food or drinks, and other organic messes aren’t dealt with promptly, bacteria proliferate and odors worsen. Here’s the typical workflow that trained car detailers follow when using an ozone generator:

1. Pre-cleaning
   Perform both mechanical (e.g., scrubbing, brushing) and chemical cleaning of all surfaces. The more residue removed beforehand, the better the ozone can work.
2. Interior Preparation
   Remove personal belongings, then vacuum thoroughly to eliminate loose debris.
   Ensure absolutely no people or animals remain inside the vehicle.
3. Ozone Placement
   Position the ozone generator inside the cabin, or feed its hose through a window or door crack so the gas disperses throughout.
4. Treatment Cycle
   Run the unit for 30 minutes to 2 hours, adjusting time based on odor severity.
5. Ventilation
   After the cycle completes, open all doors and windows to let residual ozone air out.
6. Re-assessment
   If any foul odor persists, repeat the ozone cycle.
7. Final Air-Out
   Leave doors and windows open for at least one hour before re-entering.
   Note: You may detect a faint ozone scent for a few hours, but the previous offensive odors will have been neutralized.

Smoke Odor Removal & Car Detailing in Sydney

Over time, every vehicle accumulates unwanted smells. Food and drink spills often end up in difficult-to-clean spots, while cigarette smoke seeps into cracks and leaves residue on surfaces like the headliner. Odors from pets and body sweat can also cause seats and carpets to develop persistent smells.

So, how do you truly eliminate these odors from your vehicle? Ozone treatment is a powerful solution.

Forget about covering up smells with air fresheners. With top-tier car detailing services in Sydney, your vehicle will smell clean and fresh—free from allergens, pollutants, and unpleasant odors. Our ozone cleaning method has succeeded where other approaches have failed.

PLEASE NOTE:

1. The Ozone machine treatment price does not include the detailing.

2. The Ozone machine treatment takes between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the severity of the odour.