D. Tail
05-21-2015, 12:16 PM
Hi all,
I recently bought a used car. The car dealership made the unfortunate decision to disguise some organic smell (dog presumably) with lots and lots of perfume/air "freshener." I took the car to a detailing place, and they cleaned the fabric of the interior and then ozone-treated the car overnight. When I got the car back, the animal smell was gone, but the perfume was still there and very noticeable. I called the detailing place, and they said, "No problem, bring it back, we`ll ozone it over the weekend."
When I got the car back this time, there was a very strong biting chemical odor in the car, and the steering wheel was strangely sticky. I read online that ozone can oxidize surfaces like plastic and rubber, so that`s what must have been going on. I let the car air out for a few hours, and when I got back in, the smell was still pretty strong. I got worried and stopped by the detailing place. The owner sniffed the car and said, "No problem, that`s what the ozone treatment smells like. Will go away." It`s been three days and a night of frequent airing, and the smell is still noticeable. It`s faint, but it`s still there a little bit. I rubbed down the steering wheel with a 50% alcohol solution, and the stickiness is gone.
Questions:
1. Has anyone else had or done ozone treatments this intense? What were your experiences with the treatment smell? Many sources say the smell should be gone after a few hours. Others say a few days.
2. Since ozone is so unstable, what I am smelling must be the product of the oxidization, correct? Are there any known health risks associated with oxidized plastic/rubber surfaces? It sure doesn`t sound very healthy.
3. Is there anything other than airing the car a lot that I can do to get rid of the smell?
Thanks so much!
I recently bought a used car. The car dealership made the unfortunate decision to disguise some organic smell (dog presumably) with lots and lots of perfume/air "freshener." I took the car to a detailing place, and they cleaned the fabric of the interior and then ozone-treated the car overnight. When I got the car back, the animal smell was gone, but the perfume was still there and very noticeable. I called the detailing place, and they said, "No problem, bring it back, we`ll ozone it over the weekend."
When I got the car back this time, there was a very strong biting chemical odor in the car, and the steering wheel was strangely sticky. I read online that ozone can oxidize surfaces like plastic and rubber, so that`s what must have been going on. I let the car air out for a few hours, and when I got back in, the smell was still pretty strong. I got worried and stopped by the detailing place. The owner sniffed the car and said, "No problem, that`s what the ozone treatment smells like. Will go away." It`s been three days and a night of frequent airing, and the smell is still noticeable. It`s faint, but it`s still there a little bit. I rubbed down the steering wheel with a 50% alcohol solution, and the stickiness is gone.
Questions:
1. Has anyone else had or done ozone treatments this intense? What were your experiences with the treatment smell? Many sources say the smell should be gone after a few hours. Others say a few days.
2. Since ozone is so unstable, what I am smelling must be the product of the oxidization, correct? Are there any known health risks associated with oxidized plastic/rubber surfaces? It sure doesn`t sound very healthy.
3. Is there anything other than airing the car a lot that I can do to get rid of the smell?
Thanks so much!