Ozone Machine for odor removal

[3manfan]

The male of the elderly couple on my block recently passed.

Their basement was his man cave & he was a cigar smoker.

The widow wants to turn the basement into a playroom for her grand & great grandkids but doesn't want to subject them to the smoke odor. Her son is as useless as you know what on a bull so she asked me for advice on getting rid of the stink as she can't afford Serve Pro or the other professional cleanup services.

I've heard over the years that using an ozone machine works but I have no idea if that was an urban legend or not. I've pulled up multiple videos on YouTube & there's plenty that state it's the bee's knees for all types of odors but I figured I'd ask for opinions here from those of you who have used them. Do they work on cigar or cigarette odor removal or not? If they do, any recommendations on a brand & size of unit? Her basement is 900 sq ft.

 

[Fox Mike]

Wash what you can and Frebrez the rest. The only way to get rid of stained walls/ceilings is paint.

 

[roylt]

Vinegar and water 50/50. Spray on everything and let sit a bit. Then wash the best you can.
Took the skunk smell off my shoes. I did spray them twice.

Also an ozone machine sounds expensive to me. How much is that compared to the cleaner?

You could also try just a regular house cleaner. Seems there a lot of women that do that on the side. Smaller companies. My ex did that after she left.

But yeah, air out and vinegar.

 

[contender]

A couple of things that can help absorb odors are as follows.
(1) Several boxes of Arm & Hammer Baking soda. Open a box, pour about 1/2 onto plain paper plates, place the stuff all around the room. Close up any airflow (A/C or Heat).

(2) Plain charcoal. Not the instant light stuff. Do the following;
While outside, place several briquets in a shallow cardboard box. Break them into 4-6 pieces with a hammer. Place several pieces in a plain nylon stocking, and tie a knot in the stocking. Hang these "bags" of charcoal around the room. Close up any airflow.

Sometimes it may take a couple of applications to work the best.

But as FM says, walls & such,, re-paint.

 

[s4s4u]

Servpro

 

[3manfan]

Vinegar and water 50/50. Spray on everything and let sit a bit. Then wash the best you can.
Took the skunk smell off my shoes. I did spray them twice.

Also an ozone machine sounds expensive to me. How much is that compared to the cleaner?

You could also try just a regular house cleaner. Seems there a lot of women that do that on the side. Smaller companies. My ex did that after she left.

But yeah, air out and vinegar.

I've looked at the machines in the videos I've watched, they run from the $50-ish range to $150-ish range.

No way to air out her basement, it has no windows.

 

[3manfan]

Servpro

She can't afford them.

 

[3manfan]

I do appreciate the responses suggesting alternative cleaning methods but I'm trying to get input specifically from those who've used a ozone machine for this issue, if anyone on the forum has any.

 

[s4s4u]

She can't afford them.

Is the basement finished to the point of smoother walls and ceiling, drywall, etc?

Or is the basement undeveloped as in exposed floor joist and pipes and such?

 

[ned]

I have been amazed by Ozium….most supermarkets for a few bucks.

 

[3manfan]

Is the basement finished to the point of smoother walls and ceiling, drywall, etc?

Or is the basement undeveloped as in exposed floor joist and pipes and such?

It's completely finished, like a regular recreation room. Lot's of furniture, paneled walls, etc. She's in her 80's & is not up for manually cleaning the walls, floors & ceiling.
Have you ever used a ozone machine for any type of odor removal.

 

[Taterman]

It'd probably gonna be tough getting the smell out of furniture.

 

[MaxMan]

Wash what you can and Frebrez the rest. The only way to get rid of stained walls/ceilings is paint.

Might need a sealer like Kilz

 

[GasGuzzler]

Car detailers use ozone machines for odors in vehicles which are mostly soft trim. They kinda work but I would start with the basics before spending on a machine.

Her son is as useless as you know what on a bull so she asked me for advice on getting rid of the stink as she can't afford Serve Pro or the other professional cleanup services.

Servpro

Really?

Vinegar and water 50/50. Spray on everything and let sit a bit. Then wash the best you can.
Took the skunk smell off my shoes. I did spray them twice.

A couple of things that can help absorb odors are as follows.
(1) Several boxes of Arm & Hammer Baking soda. Open a box, pour about 1/2 onto plain paper plates, place the stuff all around the room. Close up any airflow (A/C or Heat).

(2) Plain charcoal. Not the instant light stuff. Do the following;
While outside, place several briquets in a shallow cardboard box. Break them into 4-6 pieces with a hammer. Place several pieces in a plain nylon stocking, and tie a knot in the stocking. Hang these "bags" of charcoal around the room. Close up any airflow.

Sometimes it may take a couple of applications to work the best.

But as FM says, walls & such,, re-paint.

^^^ These work well as does putting out coffee grounds (before use) . Febreeze on fabrics, natural methods for the "air", repaint what you can. It'll be fine.

 

[blume357]

I know I'm being contrary here and this is no help... but she really aught to leave the 'oder' for the grands to remember the old codger by.
but then I personally like the smell.... but then my earliest memories are of cigar smoke. .

 

[Dan in MI]

Clean as much as you can first. Smoking leaves a film on hard surfaces.

Ozone generator.

Rent an industrial size, not a cheap version.

A friend bought a house. The lady died and no one knew for a couple weeks or more. (memory is fuzzy, its been 20 years) She had multiple cats. Between the cats running free, summer heat, and her condition the house reaked. The male cats had a fondness for spraying the electrical outlets.
You needed a painters cartridge type mask to go in. We removed the lower 1/2 of most of the walls and the upper where there were counters. Also select portions of the floor. It still was horrible.

He rented two ozone generators. Ran them for a week or two. They moved in after a couple months of rehab and you honestly couldn’t tell. Having been in before and after I was shocked.

Now for the bad part. You cannot be in the house while running them.

 

[Sam Summey]

The male of the elderly couple on my block recently passed.

Their basement was his man cave & he was a cigar smoker.

The widow wants to turn the basement into a playroom for her grand & great grandkids but doesn't want to subject them to the smoke odor. Her son is as useless as you know what on a bull so she asked me for advice on getting rid of the stink as she can't afford Serve Pro or the other professional cleanup services.

I've heard over the years that using an ozone machine works but I have no idea if that was an urban legend or not. I've pulled up multiple videos on YouTube & there's plenty that state it's the bee's knees for all types of odors but I figured I'd ask for opinions here from those of you who have used them. Do they work on cigar or cigarette odor removal or not? If they do, any recommendations on a brand & size of unit? Her basement is 900 sq ft.

i bought a used car once that a chain smoker owned. I sprayed, over a few weeks, Fabreeze on the headliner, the smell gradually dissipated.

 

[glodell]

I've used a ozone machine for years.About $50 from Amazon.Works great.Gets rid of ordors and also kills insects,mice and plants.
Best money I spent.Shut room up and run machine for a few hours.Air the ozone out when done.
I just used mine to get rid of moldy smell in storeage shed.Just know that you don't want to stay in room after you turn the machine on.

 

[vito]

Ozone works to get rid of odors, but long term ozone exposure is extremely unhealthy and a likely cause of cancer. Having ozone machines working after a water problem in your home is fine, but the restoration company will tell you to not be in the house while these machines are working. And just as a dead animal in the walls can smell horrible for an awfully long time, other long term odor causing problems like mold or long term cigarette use will not be solved by a few hours of an ozone machine. Like it or not, more drastic work to eliminate the problem in that basement is likely the only real solution.

 

[s4s4u]

Might need a sealer like Kilz

This ^^^

If it is a finished basement, maybe y'all just need to get all the kids together and paint it. There are several stain/odor sealing primers on the market that do a good job. If there is a little bit of residual cigar smell, as blume357 indicated, it could be a nice reminder of grampa.

 

[gnappi]

After my dad passed away and I got his car to find that the cigarette smell was horrible. I cleaned everything solid like plastic with Windex and left a fan blowing in it with the windows cracked for weeks. I used a spray on foamy carpet cleaner on the carpets and luckily any rain was light and never got into the windows and by the time I drove it it was hardly noticeable.

 

[redfernclan]

Years ago, we stayed at a couple of hotels that people had smoked in the rooms. They never get opened up and aired out so it was really stifling. Called the front desk on both occasions and they showed up with a "spray" that worked wonders. Didn't just cover it up like fabreeze, it really took the odor away and left nothing behind.
Bad news is, I don't know what it was, but there are products out there that do work. Might try the hotel route with your search.

 

[Randyzzz]

I have had to deal with smells a number of times. It gets into everything. Once in, it keeps off gassing for what seems like forever. We ended up completely painting an apartment but the smell was still in the carpets, cabinets, etc.

In an odor removal where a body decomposed in the home for several weeks- all the flooring, Sheetrock, and insulation had to be removed, along with the HVAC system and ducting. The subfloor was resealed with Kilz, and then everything that was removed was replaced with new. The new owner claims it removed all the stench.

 

[stanman]

I managed a large automotive business for over 30 years. We specialized in high priced luxury vehicles. We always used an ozone machine to remove smoke odors from pre-owned trades and our loaner fleet. It always worked very well. Don't know about a larger room but worth a shot. Maybe you could get someone to loan you one to try...

 

[larry8]

If you use an ozone machine you CANNOT stay in the room when it is on. It will remove all odors as well as kill off any animal, insect, or plant (including any human) in the room.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Didn't just cover it up like fabreeze, it really took the odor away and left nothing behind.

Exactly what Febreeze does. It's enzymatic and "eats" the odor. The hotel likely used Febreeze taken from bulk packaging into generic spray bottles.

 

[The.Tumbleweed]

The male of the elderly couple on my block recently passed.

Their basement was his man cave & he was a cigar smoker.

The widow wants to turn the basement into a playroom for her grand & great grandkids but doesn't want to subject them to the smoke odor. Her son is as useless as you know what on a bull so she asked me for advice on getting rid of the stink as she can't afford Serve Pro or the other professional cleanup services.

I've heard over the years that using an ozone machine works but I have no idea if that was an urban legend or not. I've pulled up multiple videos on YouTube & there's plenty that state it's the bee's knees for all types of odors but I figured I'd ask for opinions here from those of you who have used them. Do they work on cigar or cigarette odor removal or not? If they do, any recommendations on a brand & size of unit? Her basement is 900 sq ft.

Ozone belongs in the stratosphere, not in near spaces to people, as it is hard on the lungs, skin, or anything in your living environment. It's corrosive to anything organic.

 

[The.Tumbleweed]

I've looked at the machines in the videos I've watched, they run from the $50-ish range to $150-ish range.

No way to air out her basement, it has no windows.

The thing is, office equipment that produces ozone are required to have ozone filters installed. Ozone is not healthy stuff for people.

 

[The.Tumbleweed]

I do appreciate the responses suggesting alternative cleaning methods but I'm trying to get input specifically from those who've used a ozone machine for this issue, if anyone on the forum has any.

We did, and we got rid of them, as they were creating health issues, and exacerbating my lung issues.
I wouldn't want my grandkids be exposed to ozone in their play space.

 

[The.Tumbleweed]

Clean as much as you can first. Smoking leaves a film on hard surfaces.

Ozone generator.

Rent an industrial size, not a cheap version.

A friend bought a house. The lady died and no one knew for a couple weeks or more. (memory is fuzzy, its been 20 years) She had multiple cats. Between the cats running free, summer heat, and her condition the house reaked. The male cats had a fondness for spraying the electrical outlets.
You needed a painters cartridge type mask to go in. We removed the lower 1/2 of most of the walls and the upper where there were counters. Also select portions of the floor. It still was horrible.

He rented two ozone generators. Ran them for a week or two. They moved in after a couple months of rehab and you honestly couldn't tell. Having been in before and after I was shocked.

Now for the bad part. You cannot be in the house while running them.

YES !!!
Ozone is great for this type of work, BUT, as you said, people cannot be in the area while the machines are running.
Thank you for pointing it out.