Will An Ozone Machine Remove Pet Odors?

Will ozone remove pet odors? In short, usually not. This article explains why and what you can do when you have a pet odor issue that won’t go away.

What does an ozone generator do?

The first recorded use of ozone by man was as a disinfectant for drinking water in the Netherlands in the late nineteenth century. Today it is still used for water purification as well as preservation of food and items such as cut flowers during storage or shipment.

Ozone not only has the power to eliminate odors, but to also kill bacteria and viruses through a process called oxidation. Oxidation works because the shape of all molecules is what gives them their function and purpose. The ozone molecule has an extra oxygen atom that it gives up when it comes into contact with another organic molecule, and this reaction disrupts the shape of that molecule.

In the case of an organic odor-causing molecule, this reaction stops its ability to give off the odor. If the oxidation reaction occurs between ozone and a microorganism, the reaction kills the microorganism.

The result of the oxidation process leaves behind water (H2O), a molecule of oxygen (O2), and nitrogen oxide (NO2). It is this latter by-product that causes the characteristic pungent smell that an ozone treatment leaves behind.

What are the advantages of using ozone for odor removal?

The key advantage of ozone is that it is a very powerful oxidizer. Ozone is also clear, odorless, and has little residual odor, and this will often dissipate quickly as long as the area is well ventilated. Ozone is inexpensive to use after the initial investment in an ozone-producing machine and, for this reason, ozone machines have become quite popular as the primary tool for odor removal within the restoration industry.

With a minimal labor requirement and easy setup, some service providers and ozone machine manufacturers might be tempted to say that ozone is the only thing you need for effective odor removal.

At this point, you might be thinking that this sounds great. And, on one level you are right because ozone is a very powerful oxidizer that has the potential to destroy odors and kill the bacteria that are also associated with the odor-causing source, like urine, for example.

However, the success of ozone is wholly dependent upon its ability to contact ALL of the odor-causing source material. And this is where the problems with using ozone for pet odor removal come in.

What are the key limitations of ozone for pet odor removal?

The major issue with using ozone for any type of odor removal, let alone a pet odor issue, is this: While ozone is a great oxidizer, it is most effective at treating airborne or surface-level issues.

This is because ozone is a poor penetrant, meaning most of its oxidation activity occurs on the surface of the substance it comes into contact with.

This is where the rub with pet odors comes in. The source material behind most pet odor problems is always subsurface in its location. This is especially true when dealing with pet odor issues that arise from urine contamination in carpets.

Is ozone dangerous? Will ozone kill my dog or cat? Will ozone kill my fish?

In short, yes, because the same chemical properties that cause ozone to react and be such an effective eliminator of organic-caused odors outside the body give ozone the ability to react with similar materials inside our bodies and cause harm. Thus, ozone is toxic to animals and humans.

However, let’s not overplay our hand here. The important thing to know is that if you are using an ozone machine, you should only use it in unoccupied areas, and allow for adequate time for the air to clear of ozone after any treatment is given. And yes, since ozone is absorbed by water, it will kill your pet fish if the exposure time is long enough.

Read what the EPA says about the indoor use of ozone-generating machines – they are not a fan!

How do professionals successfully get rid of cat pee smell?

Before we completely trash ozone as an effective tool for removing pet odors, recognize there is a middle ground. It is possible to use ozone in combination with additional methods to address the multi-level nature of most pet odor issues.

You could use chemical-based treatments on the carpet which will penetrate all the way to the subfloor, and they also treat the rest of the space with ozone.

In some cases, it may be possible to use specialized air movers to direct the ozone under the carpet to get at the source of urine on the front and backside of the top layer of the carpet, and the surface of the pad, but this may not address the likely buildup that is below the surface of these layers.

The problem is that many restoration companies do not do this. Many of these companies have high overhead and they are looking for ways to get in and out quickly when on a job. They usually have invested in a lot of expensive equipment (ozone machines are very popular for use in fire and smoke odor remediation) and they want to keep that equipment in use as much as possible to maximize the ROI.

It is much easier to drop off a few ozone machines and leave them for a couple of days, and charge a hefty fee, than it is to spend time training and then tying up a higher-level technician to apply custom chemical treatments, in which case they make less money on the job.

These issues with ozone have helped to popularize the use of another machine-generated gas, hydroxyl, as this gas has shown more penetration ability than ozone. But you still have to reach all of the sources with sufficient dwell time to oxidize all of the odor-causing sources. This can be difficult to achieve in chronic deep-seated issues in carpets and subflooring.

Our experience with pet odor remediation has led us to develop a highly flexible odor remediation system that combines the use of gas, electrostatic spray, and liquid-based applications of a safe and easy-to-use oxidizer called CLO2.

Like ozone, CLO2 is a very powerful oxidizer and is used around the globe to purify drinking water. CLO2, unlike ozone, IS very effective at penetrating below the surface of substrates and is particularly effective when used for urine decontamination and odor removal in carpets, especially when we use the liquid format to saturate the layers all the way down to the subflooring.

Further, when we remediate a cat urine contamination and odor problem, we also want to also clean, sanitize, and remove any allergens which might be present on the surface of the walls, ceiling, and blinds in the room. The use of CLO2 in a liquid form gives us the ability to remediate the source of the odor in the carpet, pad, and subfloor. In contrast, adding an additional gas-off step allows us to tackle the allergen issue.

In summary, given ozone’s inability to penetrate beyond the surface of most substrates, as well as remove allergen particulates, we believe there are better options for most pet odor remediation projects.

Three Simple Ways to Solve a Pet Odor Problem.

1. Inspect before the complaints start.

If the home has had pets, then do yourself a favor and conduct a quick walk-through of the property before the tenant moves out to give you time to identify the problem early on. You’ll need two tools, in addition to your nose, and these are black light and Hydrosensor.

The naked eye and your nose are not enough! We have seen instances where tenants have spot-cleaned the surfaces, meaning there is no visible or odor evidence. Then, after the tenant vacates, the carpet is cleaned, and only then does the odor appear. What has happened is that the carpet cleaning rehydrated the dry uric acid crystals, causing them to return to giving off an odor.

Bottom line – you want to know before you get the carpet cleaned if there is urine contamination and odor issue so it can be addressed at that time, not after.

2. Identify all of the source locations.

If you do not remove 100% of the source of the problem, the odor issue will remain, and in the case of pet odor issues, there are usually multiple locations. This is why you have both blacklight and Hydrosensor tools. Blacklights are inexpensive and highly effective at identifying surface-level urine contamination. Prices on these have come down in the last few years, so get one with enough power to light up the spots when there is ambient daylight in the room, otherwise, you will need to block out the windows to see anything.

The Hydrosensor is a cane-length device that has two sharp prongs on the end. You stick these into the carpet, and the device beeps when moisture is present. These devices work well on dry urine deposits as well. (Dry uric acid crystals hold water so they will complete the circuit). Before using make sure the batteries are charged by grasping the two prongs with your fingers at the same time. The moisture on your skin will complete the circuit causing the device to beep.

Be aware that many over the counter carpet spot removal products will also fluoresce. Conversely, sometimes these products remove the urine contamination from the surface of the carpet, even though the surface shows no fluorescence. This is where the Hydrosensor comes in because it looks down into the carpet. You need both black light and Hydrosensor to become an effective pet odor detective.

3. Recognize that chronic issues will require professional attention.

Long-standing urine contamination, both on carpets and on hardwoods, is practically impossible to remove with over-the-counter and DIY remedies. Standard carpet cleaning, in and of itself, will not resolve the problem, and often exacerbate it by rehydrating dry uric acid crystals. Make certain you seek out a professional who can articulate how they will address your pet odor issues. Beware of anyone who promises to bring in a miracle machine to resolve the pet odor issue, especially if they make the promise over the phone! Finally, don’t be shy about seeking well-informed answers to your questions about the nature of the issue at hand and the methods that will be used to resolve the problem. This will go a long way to ensure you don’t waste time and money as you deal with the problem.