What do you all use for odor removal?

[quebert]

Searched and threads I found were years old. I wanted to order so2pure, but they`re out of 1l and 120ml`s tiny. I don`t have the budget for an Ozone Generator. And Pur or whatever the thread I found on here, you gotta contact reps and jump thru a million hoops and I think you have to order a gallon any ways. I have like 3 sprays of the Adam`s Odor Neutralizer left, it seems to work pretty good. But I`ve never used it on real bad smelling vehicle. And they don`t mention what`s in it, so I"m going to assume it`s not on the level of so2pure or something similar.

My detailing arsenal`s pretty close to where I want it, I just need to find the odor product and I`m golden.

[65chevy]

what kind of odor are you trying to remove?

[Stokdgs]

I target the source/s of the bad odor/s, (follow your nose) work really hard using Steam, great cleaners, and a big, heated-water Extractor for the floors and cloth seats if they have them, to remove ALL the dirt in the vehicle, trunk, boot, etc., and this removes all bad odors. Even smoker-bombed-by-clowns, vehicle odors..

For example, even on really clean, even, newer vehicles, I always get 3+gallons of hot,dirty brown, extractor rinse water from all the carpeting in a vehicle..Just this alone, makes a big difference in how a vehicle interior smells afterward..

In all the years I have done this, I have never had any vehicle of any marque, exotic, etc., that did NOT deposit that Brown water into my extractor recovery tank.
.
It is not a bad reflection on the Client ever.. It is just exactly what carpets were ever designed to do, besides look nice and fluffy.. trap and hold dirt.. :)

My finished Detailed, vehicles all smell - Clean - when you open the doors.. No cover up smells, no sprays, just Clean smell..
If they have Leather, that also either smells like Leather or not, depending on what the Client wants their Leather to smell to them, after I clean/condition it..
Dan F

[ShaneB]

An ozone generator isn`t terribly expensive. You can pick a small one up (plenty big enough for a vehicle interior) for under $100

[Accumulator]

Stokdgs- Heh heh, the S8 would be an exception to your extractor experiences ;) At least I have one aspect of one vehicle that`s absolutely Autopian!


An ozone generator isn`t terribly expensive. You can pick a small one up (plenty big enough for a vehicle interior) for under $100
I never had decent results with moderate-powered ones though...my current one works OK for some odors, but the lesser ones I`ve tried (including a rather pricey one my then-Tech lent me) never did.

Just sayin` (not arguing) as I don`t want anybody to waste $ buying something that doesn`t do the job. (Crown Vics *really* retain tobacco smoke odor...like no other car I`ve ever known.)

Not that I really use the Ozone machine much though..like Stokdgs I usually track down the source of the odor and treat it with something like the ValuGard Odor Eliminator.

[Lonnie]

Many odor-reducing products just mask or cover up the odor. If someone tells you to Lysol for a air-conditioning system moldy smell, it may "work" until the fragrance dissipates/evaporates. There are specific cleaners sold in the Autopia Store just for that purpose.
Enzyme cleaners are the best for "organic" odors, like spilled milk or vomit or urine (young people`s "accidents").

I have used Odorcide 210 Concentrate that works through Zwaademaker pairs (conjugates) and they make a number of different products for specific odor problems. (Sorry, no direct internet link due to forum rules, so you need to Google it yourself) I think of it as Febreze on steroids, BUT I`ve only dealt with "pet" smells, and not urine or vomit or spilled milk. In one of the testimonials, a cleaning service uses this product to clean up homicide crime scenes. I figured if it is good enough for them, it will work in vehicles I clean.

Unless you have the proper equipment, like an extractor for those deep-seated "tough or unusual" odors or an ozone generator for smoking smells, eliminating them completely, and not just masking them, is a daunting detailing task, not to mention the expense of such equipment. As has been stated before by myself (Captain Cliche), "Some things are better left to professionals."

[Accumulator]

My Moldstat Plus is a Biocide that`s also used for crime scenes and sewage spills; it works well on some odors including Pet Messes, but I`ve never tried it in a smelly vehicle...hmm...

Lonnie- A few pieces of equipment and some Critical Thinking can sure blur the lines between "Pro" and "amateur" ;) but you`re right about the expense. Having the right stuff for rare jobs just sitting around after the expenditure can make you second-guess yourself all right! BUT then again, I remind myself that *so few* "Professionals" do their jobs as well as I do...in any field.

[Bence]

Ever tried Borax?

[Accumulator]

BENCE!! Look who`s posting! Great to see you here.

I use Boraxo hand soap, but that`s the only Borax stuff I have.

[Stokdgs]

BENCE!! Look who`s posting! Great to see you here.

I use Boraxo hand soap, but that`s the only Borax stuff I have.

I believe the only source for Borax is located in Boron, California..
DanF

[Accumulator]

I believe the only source for Borax is located in Boron, California..
DanF
Huh, never knew that...guess they`ve been extracting it from there for a good long time now!

[Stokdgs]

Huh, never knew that...guess they`ve been extracting it from there for a good long time now!

Even perhaps before "The 20 Mule Team"..... :) https://www.borax.com/borax-operations/boron-california
Dan F