Eliminating odor with an ozone generator

[MtBMW73]

I have a 2020 F32 that I bought from a BMW dealer in December. The car was fully detailed inside and out, but they must have used some kind of scent on the inside that I have been unable to get rid of. It's not bad per se, but rather smells too "perfumy" for my taste.

I've tried thoroughly cleaning all surfaces (even though they weren't dirty to begin with) in an attempt to get rid of the scent. I applied Lexol to the dash and Blue Magic leather conditioner to the seats (which I use in my other cars and smells like car leather) but neither of those got rid of the smell. I tried sprinkling baking soda all over the carpeting, left it for a day and vacuumed it up. No difference.

I also tried the Chemical Guys "New car smell" odor eliminator spray, but that smells nothing like new car, rather more like a cross between weed killer, burning wires, and an inflatable pool toy. I didn't even bother spraying it directly in the car, but instead sprayed some on a rag and left that in the footwell for a day. It was terrible so I pulled it out. I do not recommend that product.

I am thinking of trying one of these portable ozone generators to see if that helps. Has anyone tried one of these?
https://www.amazon.com/LKT-Car-Ozone...dp/B09BTQDFYV/
I know hotels use these when someone smokes in a room, but I imagine to commercial ones are much more expensive.

[cbpip]

In my experience Ozone generators do very little for a permanent remedy. They also degrade the plastic,leather and rubber in the interior of cars. The negative effects are long lasting and irreversible.
Have had much better results with Lava rocks removing smells, they can be reactivated after sitting in the sun for continued use. If it were an A/C evaporator issue I would recommend BG FrigiClean to remove excessive odors / cigarette & cigar odor.

Have used both and they work.

https://www.amazon.com/Gonzo-Odor-El.../dp/B0061UMTVG

https://www.bgprod.com/catalog/clima...g-frigi-clean/

[c1pher]

I bought a Super Duty that the dealer tried to mask smoking with heavy scents. Once the scents wore away you could still smell the smoke along with the faint frangrance. I did two bouts with an ozone generator I got off Amazon and it did the trick. Obviously you want to try to clean every surface as best you can before you run the machine.

[xxpanipuri]

I've had great luck with this one.


turn on the car put the hvac on recirc and high, and then let this run for 5-10m

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Refr...s%2C148&sr=8-1

[Ralph III]

I second what xxpan recommended. You can purchase those foggers at a local Autozone or Walmart. Just have the car running with the ac on full. You may have to treat it more than once but those work quite well.

You want to use the fogger last though. You should do the following first, because odors attach and embed in/on surfaces. I'm a retired professional detailer.

1) Shampoo the carpets. Shampooing the carpets will remove the odor from the surface as well as deeper within the carpet. At a minimum, scrub the carpet with a damp towel or brush and then vacuum.

2) Thoroughly clean the windows on the inside.

3) Clean the roof liner with a damp towel.

4) Clean the remaining surfaces. You did the dash and seats already but be sure to do the door panels as well (etc).

Cleaning all of the surfaces should remove the majority of it. The fogger will then get into areas that you cannot reach, such as the vents. After all of that, pick out a good California car scent that you like. I highly recommend the ones in a can because they last much longer. After a while, it'll be the new default car odor.

Good luck,
Ralph

[MtBMW73]

Originally Posted by xxpanipuri

I've had great luck with this one.


turn on the car put the hvac on recirc and high, and then let this run for 5-10m

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Refr...s%2C148&sr=8-1

Thanks, I might give it a shot. How is the "New car" scent? Does it actually smell like new car? The Chemical Guys one I tried was nothing like a new car scent; it was terrible.

[xxpanipuri]

Originally Posted by MtBMW73

Thanks, I might give it a shot. How is the "New car" scent? Does it actually smell like new car? The Chemical Guys one I tried was nothing like a new car scent; it was terrible.

it was a clean fresh smell...i guess you could say it was 'new carish'

it wasn't has horrible as you described above

[Harley Larz]

Be careful...Like everyone said, clean everything then use the ozone machine, but make sure when you are done, you open the doors or windows and let it air out.

[dudley@07726]

Originally Posted by Harley Larz

Be careful...Like everyone said, clean everything then use the ozone machine, but make sure when you are done, you open the doors or windows and let it air out.

Yes, ozone is not good for your lungs.