Auto Detailing Guide

Ozone Odor Removal

So you've got a smelly car and can't get the odor out? You need an ozone machine so you can advertise yourself as an expert at odor removal.

Here's the ad copy we use when advertising the ozone machine, it spells out exactly what it does for you:

We're experts at odor removal! Our odor removal system is the best in the area! This service is perfect when combined with an interior detail or a full premium detail. This will find the source of the odor problem and remove it through the steam cleaning and extraction process. The Ozone System is then placed in your vehicle and any bacteria, mold, mildew or other odor causing element is neutralized. This is done by filling your passenger compartment, trunk, air ducts, heater and air conditioner with odor killing ozone. This entire process takes between 4 or 5 hours, although we have had vehicles with odor problems that needed ozone working overnight.

So what is Ozone Odor Removal? Basically, it's a highly effective, state of the art piece of equipment that we use to cleanse the air of pollutants and foul odors that are in your vehicle. The ozone machine creates negatively charged ions that attach to larger particles of the pollutants or odors and then catches them in it's filter to be cleaned out later. It sounds like a simple procedure, but the equipment is very expensive and the process is somewhat time consuming since we leave our ozone machine in your vehicle for several hours.

An average sized Ozone Machine will run you anywhere from $400 to $750 or more. You can get cheaper one's but they won't necessarily hold up under the stress and use of a detail shop. The great thing about these units is that they really do work and the up sell is easy. On average you can usually talk your detail customer into adding an additional $50 to $80 or more onto your standard full detail charge. Their car stinks right now, so you've got a pretty motivated customer. I'm not saying to take advantage of the situation, but your customer needs to understand that if you make the investment in the equipment that will remove that odor, it's going to cost them some money.