Benefits of a Deep Odor Removal Service

Posted August 14, 2019 by Chris Blaisdell, Onsite Detail

What is a Deep Odor Removal Service? Well, have you ever gotten inside of a vehicle that stunk really bad? Spoiler alert: EVERYONE has been inside a car that stinks! If you don’t think you have ever been in a stinky vehicle, there’s a very good possibility that your vehicle is the smelly one… just saying!

The most common vehicle odors we deal with are;

  • wet dog smell
  • pet potty oopsies
  • body odor
  • spoiled food
  • spilled drinks (especially stinky are the dairy based beverages)
  • rotting fruit and/or veggies
  • mold and mildew
  • musty stench
  • kid stink (unidentified combinations of spills and crumbs)
  • the granddaddy odor of them all…cigarette/cigar smoke odor

If I’ve missed any, just fill in the blank. Check out our previous blog on the Do’s and Don’ts of Proper Odor Removal from Your Vehicle.

Benefits of a Deep Odor Removal Service

There are many benefits to having a deep odor removal service done on your vehicle. Especially if you’re getting ready to sell your current vehicle or just bought a new (to you) one. It is wise to get an interior detail with deep odor removal before selling and after buying. One thing I’ve heard many customers say when they just bought a used vehicle is that the vehicle is clean but they still wanted to get it detailed. I have heard more than once that people wanted the dirty to be “their dirty”. Even if the car was mostly clean when they got it but maybe had an odor that wasn’t “their odor”. Which sounds weird at first but thinking about it for a few seconds makes a lot of sense. Having a deep odor removal service will not only remove deep odors but in many cases will have a good detail done on it before the deep odor removal process. While you are looking for deep odor removal services, be sure to choose a service that has a detail with the deep odor removal. A good detail will be a big part of the odor removing process. A proper detail will be able to penetrate many surfaces and materials and will also prep the surfaces for the deep odor removal treatment.

You may be wondering at this point, “what is done to do a deep odor removal service?”. In many cases a good deep clean and thorough detail will remove many odors. But, as I mentioned before, there are smells and odors that a deep clean will not remove. The deep stench of tobacco will take much more strategic combating than just a detail.

Chlorine Dioxide Odor Removal

One method of a deep odor removal involves a little chlorine tablet that is in a little canister. After some water is added the chlorine tablet dissolves and releases an odor eliminating gas that spreads to the entirety of the vehicle to all the cracks and crevasses. The process for this will usually take a few hours and it is usually wise to leave it overnight to let the odor eliminating happen. Upon checking on it the next morning, you will notice right away that your car may smell like a swimming pool. Know that this is normal and that you will want to open all the doors to let it air out for 30 minutes or so. The chlorine smell will continue to fade quickly but when all is said and done, you will have a more fresh smelling vehicle. The cautions with this deep odor removal method are that the gasses created that kill odor causing bacteria, etc can also cause potential problems to people if the proper PPE and steps are not taken. Also the water level is too low in the canister the reaction of the tablets can cause “splashing” to occur and it has the potential to bleach. These reasons are enough alone to always follow the instructions exactly as the manufacturer has written them.

Ozone Machine Odor Removal

Another method of a deep odor removal is an ozone machine. Basically the way an ozone machine works is that it charges the air that passes through it with an electrical current which then separates the oxygen molecules in the air. The odor eliminating will happen when those oxygen molecules that have odors attached to them go through the ozone process. With those molecules being separated those odors will not be able to survive the ozone process. If those odor molecules that have been separated continue to go through the machine then they will continue to be separated and the odors will continue to be eliminated. You will want to be cautious using an ozone machine. The “air” that is created by the ozone machine is not safe to breathe. It can cause slight chest pain, lung irritation, shortness of breath and coughing. It can be especially dangerous for someone who has any lung diseases such as asthma. But going back to the positives of ozone machine. It can kill living mold spores that create mold and mildew. It can also kill airborne viruses. It will also do an exceptional job with cigarette smoke. Anywhere that air can penetrate can be areas that the ozone machine will help with. 

Between the full interior detail with a deep odor removal service, you will be able to eliminate the odors that you are trying to get rid of.

Penetration is an important aspect to consider when looking at the different methods and how each of them work. I have experience with both methods and they are both effective and work very well.

Replace the Filter

One important thing to remember when dealing with eliminating odors, especially cigarette smoke is that you will want to get the cabin filter to your vehicle replaced as soon as possible. Stay seated and I will explain. Overtime, as the air is circulated through the air vents and as the smoker smokes inside that vehicle, the smoke odor particles will be pulled into the air vents and get pulled through the cabin filter. The smoke odor will absorb itself into the filter. So after the smoker has moved on from that part of life or has sold the vehicle to someone who does not smoke. The odor will remain. Even with the best detail in the world and all the odor eliminating methods you could think of. That odor will live on the filter. As soon as the AC gets turned on on that hot summer day. You will end up with a full cavalry charge of smoke smell coming out of those vents and recycling it’s way back into the areas of your vehicle that you just spent so much money and time getting the smell of cigarette smoke out of.

Hopefully you have learned more about odor eliminating. Regular details will help keep up with odor control and believe it or not, will help with keeping the value of your car high. Your vehicle will also run better. Don’t ask. It’s science. I don’t know how that works but it’s fact! Don’t look it up..it’s true! If you have any questions or would like to schedule a detail service, request one here, or give us a call, text, or email.  Safe Travels and until next time!

 

by Andy Stallings, CD, Operations Manager, Onsite Detail