My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

Using Ozone to Kill and Denature Mold

Published: July 6, 2019 | ,

The Effectiveness of Ozone Generators on Mold, Mycotoxins, Fragrance, and Smoke 

Ozone kills and denatures mold on surfaces, and breaks down many VOCs and odors such as perfume.

It can also remediate smoke smell in certain materials. 

Ozone has also caused a lot of damage, not just to the breakdown of certain materials in a home, but it seems to exasperate some toxins, causing many people to not be able to return to their house for a long time, or ever.

A guide to how to clean your belongings properly when leaving a moldy house can be found here.

This post contains affiliate links to relevant products that I use and recommend. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Please take full responsibility for your safety when using ozone. Make sure you read and understand all the precautions in this post. Full disclaimer is here.

Expert Review: This post has been reviewed by Tim David, HVAC professional with 30+ years experience.

Table of contents

Does Ozone Denature Mold and Mycotoxins?

a pinterest sized graphic that says using ozone to denature mold with a graphic of a 03 molecule

Some say that ozone kills mold spores but does not denature the toxins (EHC). 

These two studies show it can denature the toxins.

Other studies show that ozone reduces airborne mold spores (1), inhibits mold growth (2, 3, 4), and is a viable decontamination method for mold in buildings (5).

Based on these studies, and the experience of me and those extremely sensitive to mycotoxins, I do think it is accurate to say ozone actually kills and denatures mold. 

It can still be a good idea to HEPA vacuum after ozonating to clean up dead spores. 

A shock treatment is either a very high dose for shorter amounts of time or very long treatments (from 24 hours to 48 hours).

You really have to experiment if you want to denature mold and see what works for you, and be prepared for byproducts (discussed more below).

The main drawback is the dose of ozone needed to denature mold also breaks down and oxidizes many other materials.

I personally would never try this again, even though I saved one house, I lost another. It seems that it aggravates some toxins to the point where some people cannot return.

You should never be in the room with any device that is producing ozone for any amount of time (including pets). This isn’t safe to use in multiunit housing, as it will affect your neighbors even if you seal everything. Read ALL the safety precautions in this post.

Which Ozone Generator to Use

I started with the Jenesco Ozone Generator with a high output.

This is a high-quality unit with a timer and dosage control. 

I liked this unit because it’s well made and, the timer settings and dosage control settings were useful.

a small ozone generator which is blue

I have the little Airtherial 5000 mg one (pictured left), this is the lowest-cost one I have seen.

If you are doing a shock treatment for mold, you need one with a hold setting like this one.

If you are using it at low amounts for fragrance, you will only need the basic timer.

You cannot control the dosage with these little inexpensive ones, but you can find them for under $100 on Amazon.

a small black ozone generator


For only a little more than a hundred, you can buy this Ivation model, which can dial down the dose from 6000 mg to 500 mg.

This is a better idea for going after fragrance and smoke, as well as cleaning product residue.

You don’t want a high dose for these applications; start as low as possible.

You should still be out of the space at low doses.

Results with Off-gassing, Mold, Fragrance, Smoke

Using Ozone on Off-gassing

  • Chemical smell in Camplite (metal) trailer reduced after a few treatments.
  • Glue smell reduced in brand new metal cargo trailer (this seems to work really well on the new glue smell in basic trailers).
  • I would not use this in a new house or conventional trailer (that is full of plastics and upholstery) to reduce off-gassing, it’s too risky and does not work that well.

Using Ozone to Break Down Mold

  • Mold remediated in an all-metal trailer after 48 hours of a high dose.
  • I also had a mold problem in another house I was living in. After the mold was remediated, I was still very sick – throat swelling, extreme POTs, and terrible insomnia.
  • I then ozonated each room for 24 hours with the machine and was able to come back without any symptoms.
  • I removed all the fabric and cushions from the area before ozonating and there were no adverse chemical reactions with the wood or anything else in the house.
  • I’ve used it 4 times now in post-remediation with a 24-hour shock treatment.
  • I feel certain this denatures mycotoxins. I have also done 48 hr shock treatments in metal trailers that were very effective. (I let in oxygen during that time).
  • Some people found it useful to shock a room or tent and to “flash” belongings before any mold toxins could take hold.
  • However, one of these times the 24-hour treatment created horrible byproducts in a wooden house.
  • Even after excessive airing out, I got extremely sick.
  • I overdid the ozone or did not have enough oxygen coming in. Big risk here. It was a long time before I could go in that house again.
  • The last time I used ozone, something went terribly wrong; it felt incredibly toxic after, and I had severe reactions, and I was never able to return to that rental house.
  • My belongings were ruined as well, I lost every single thing that was in that house, that was 2019, I never recovered any item from that house.
  • I would never risk high-dose ozone again.

Using Ozone to Eliminate Fragrance, Smoke, and Funky Smells

  • Smell removed from funky-smelling fabric (a towel that had a smell that washing would not remove). 
  • BUT: gave some fabrics like wool and cotton a strange smell after doing an intense 24 treatment.
  • Ozone can help a lot with fragrance in a car or house as well as smoke smell. Car dealerships use ozone but not super high amounts for long amounts of time. 
  • This works best if the fragrance wasn’t used over time, it’s not deeply embedded. If deeply embedded this is unlikely to work.
  • This is very useful if fragrance and especially smoke smell are your big concerns. It’s better to go low and slow on fragrance, cleaning product residue, and smoke until you start to see a difference. 
  • To remove odors the time needed for treatment is much less than the shock treatment for mold. This will reduce a lot of the risks.
  • Car detailers run ozone for 15 min to 2 hours, typically, or until they can remove the smoke or other problematic odor. 

You have to be sure you are using it safely and understand the limitations.

Do not be in the same room as ozone gas, ever, for any amount of time, and make sure you understand the risks of oxidation of materials. I would not risk this again.

How to Use Ozone Safely

a caution sign
  • Ozone is a very toxic gas.
  • People and pets should not be in the building when an ozone machine is on.
  • Do not even take one whiff of it.
  • Make sure you have a plan to turn it on and off while holding your breath.
  • Ideally, turn it off without entering the room (through the electrical panel or extension cord).
  • It clings to your clothes even if you hold your breath and walk through – this is not safe.
  • Ozone can be harmful from 100 ft away or more. If it’s a high dose, it can harm others in the area, including neighbors.
  • Clear 200 ft in every direction before using a high dose.
  • Ozone needs to be 5-10 times above safe levels for humans to impact bacteria and mold (Pinto).
  • You cannot treat mold and be near it.
  • The place should be aired out for 25 hours minimum after using ozone to make sure that the gas is not inhaled.
  • Ozone is unstable and will dissipate, but it does not dissipate as fast in a closed space with no airflow.
  • If other VOCs form (see below) then it is necessary to air out the place for a while.
  • The half-life of ozone is 40 min-25 hours.
  • If byproducts have been created, then give it a few days at least. Make sure there are tons of open windows for the air out.
  • One reason government health sites do not recommend the machines is the shock treatment used to kill mold toxins is a very harmful level if inhaled (deadly if you stay in there).
  • Even the low levels recommended as safe by some manufacturers are probably harmful to anyone sensitive to toxins (certainly, it is harmful to me).
  • So there is a huge risk if someone does not know how to use it safely. It’s also difficult to recommend in most houses because of the negative reactions outlined below.
  • In many conventional houses, it might not be possible to avoid all those secondary reactions with materials.

Limitations of Ozone

  • Ozone cannot remove carbon monoxide or formaldehyde (EPA).
  • It cannot get into porous materials to remove mold or chemicals (EPA).
  • My experience suggests that it does denature mold that is near the surface of porous materials.
  • It will not help with chlorinated hydrocarbons (vinyl, plastics, etc) (EHC) nor phthalates (Arlene Blum).
  • May not work on clothes and shoes (Pinto). My experience is that there is a bad reaction with any fabric in high amounts. But lots of folks have had success remediating clothing and shoes including leather shoes. Though not all types of leather will hold up the same and some rubbers in shoes will eventually break down. 

Negative Reactions and Byproducts of Ozone – What Can Go Wrong!

Ozone reacts negatively with some compounds, creating more VOCs. Some of the substances it reacts to are:

  • New carpets (EPA)
  • Active tobacco smoke (EPA)
  • Terpenes (to form formaldehyde) (CDH)
  • Styrene (EHC)
  • Floor finish that contains pinine (Pinto)
  • Ceiling tiles (from a client of mine) 
  • Old carpet (from a client of mine)
  • Fabrics (from my experience and from clients)
  • Wallpaper (from a client) 

I have found there is a negative byproduct left with almost every porous material if you do this in high enough doses for long enough.

Ozone oxidizes everything and this leaves an odor behind that can be harmful.

Cotton oxidation byproducts include ketone, aldehyde, carboxylic acid, ester, anhydride, and unsaturated hydrocarbon structures.

High doses of ozone used to really clear out mold toxins will also degrade or harm certain materials such as:

  • Plants can die
  • Natural latex/natural rubber is extremely vulnerable to breakdown.
  • Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is vulnerable (tires, many shoes, some gaskets, liquid waterproofing in basements, parts of electronics like in speakers, in lithium-ion batteries, and gasketed-plate heat exchangers).
  • Nitrile rubber will break down easily (some rubbers are fairly resistant).
  • Caulking can break down
  • Some Plastics, see these two lists of how vulnerable different types of plastic are.
  • Fabric
  • All types of nylon are extremely vulnerable to breakdown.
  • Some artwork
  • Steel will rust

This is not a comprehensive list, there may be more household materials that contain these components. And many other materials have not been put to the test.

I have done many high-dose (shock treatment) ozone treatments and not broken down any coatings on electrical wires. 

Most wires are coated with PVC, which is fairly resistant to breakdown from ozone. But it will eventually be damaged by ozone.

However, if you have electrical lines coated in a different type of plastic or rubber it could break down and become dangerous. I haven’t seen this happen, but it’s possible. Please double-check the types of wiring you have. There may also be SBR in electronics, which is much more vulnerable.

Folks do ozonate electronics with success. It could be risky if you don’t know what plastics are in it, there is a risk of breaking down electrical components, leading to electrical shock. I would not do this.

I have seen Taylor Guitars remediated with success. 

How to do an Ozone Shock Treatment

a sign that says poison gas

For a shock treatment, remove everything fabric or wrap them in plastic, this includes mattresses. 

Remove plants, pets, and artwork that is not behind glass. Tape up electrical outlets.

Remove all electronics.

Make sure you have everything you need before turning the machine on. 

(Really, plastic and tape does not fully block ozone but I still think that’s worth doing).

You cannot breathe in ozone while turning it on and while turning it off (you can use an extension cord or cut it from the breakers).

Air out the place with fresh air for 25 hours. This is based on my experience and the half-life of ozone.

Make sure you research if this is safe for you and worth the risk.

Understand why the EPA does not recommend it. It is too easy to do something wrong where you could breathe some in. Treat it like the deadly gas that it is.

If you are not sure if it will react with your carpet, walls, or ceiling, then it is a last resort treatment.

I would not consider doing a shock treatment anymore.

You can also test a low dose first to see if any weird smells form.  

Make sure it is dosed correctly for the space, and if running it for 24 hours, it needs an oxygen source.

Overdoing it can make your place intolerable. 

I had a bad experience where I overdid it with the ozone, it took a month to be able to go back in. I had another where I could never reenter.

How to Dose Ozone

I generally used 3500 mg/hr in a single medium-sized or large room for a shock treatment.

A shock treatment which is what kills and usually denatures the mold is usually 1000 milligrams per hour (mg/h) per 100 sq feet (at 70 degrees with relative humidity at or below 20%).

The level you are aiming for is 6 to 10 parts per million.

Many people shock for 1-3 hours but those of us super sensitive tend to keep going until the substance is denatured.

I have gone as high as 5000 and 7000 mg/hr in a very small trailer for 24 – 48 hours. 

The machines I like are the Jenesco Ozone Generator and the little 5000 mg ones on Amazon that are low-cost with a “hold” setting.

Sources:

  • EPA: www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
  • CDA: www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/eoha/pdf/ozone_generator_fact_sheet.pd
  • EHC: www.environmentalhealth.ca/summer96ozone.html
  • Michael Pinto: www.moldsensitized.com/ozone-generators-and-interior-mold-remediation-a-recipe-for-disaster/
  • Arlene Blum, Chemist: www.sixclasses.org
  • CraftTech Industries: www.craftechind.com/top-8-ozone-safe-plastics/
  • Ozone solutions: www.ozonesolutions.com/knowledge-center/ozone-compatible-materials.html
  • Apple Rubber: www.applerubber.com/hot-topics-for-engineers/understanding-the-link-between-ozone-and-rubber-deterioration/
  • Oxidation of cotton: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ba-1993-0236.ch029

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

a portraits of Tim David white middle aged man

Expert reviewed by Tim David, HVAC professional with 30+ years experience, CEO of Airlucent.

Category: ,

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Sarah

    I will be traveling and staying in a hotel soon and know from experience a lot of hotel rooms have very perfumed smells from all the scented products used when they clean the rooms and wash the linens, etc. When requesting they don’t use scented products when making a reservation, I’ve discovered that part of how they prep the room for guests like me is to use an ozone machine. Eek! Is there a time frame during which it would be reasonably safe to assume the machine was off and the room sat empty and the air returned to normal? Or, if there was no open ventilation to the outside, would the state of the air after ozone treatment remain altered, and perhaps dangerously so? I’m trying to decide which is more risky: deal w/the perfume smell (= migraines) or let them do the ozone treatment and hope the know what they’re doing (cynic in me is loathe to take this leap of faith). Any other ideas how I could reduce this risk?

    Reply

    • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

      Well, I’ve had a lot of really major problems with ozone, so I can’t really comment on ozone being better at all. And also, I’ve not seen a hotel use ozone except for the so-called Pure Rooms. So I’m not really sure how common that is. I don’t know what dose they use. I don’t know how long they do it for. I think it’s a terrible idea because generally hotels don’t have windows that open, and it’s also dangerous for other adjoining rooms. but hotels are not super fragranced. most of the big chains have unscented laundry products. it only got worse at the beginning of the pandemic when they were spraying Lysol in the air, but hopefully they’re not doing that anymore. And they don’t use plugins. and they don’t, they don’t use highly scented stuff usually. but it’s not completely unscented, obviously. And some of the cleaning products are definitely scented and the bathroom shampoos and stuff are scented in every hotel I’ve ever seen, I think. But it’s not super scented.

      Reply

      • Sarah

        Thanks, Corrine. I’ve been reading about this topic today and it seems that ozone machines are commonly used in hotels for a host of reasons: people smoked in the room of a no smoking hotel, pet friendly hotels deal w/pet odors when the guests check out, and generally things people may do in their room and/or products they use that make it smell icky. They also use ozone machines for when guests have allergy issues and require various scent-related accommodations. As for perfume, some hotels have started pumping scent through their air system and more broadly smell becomes part of their brand like a woman who wears perfume. It’s a whole marketing thing. In general, the public seems to love it…. The hotels I’ve called seem to run the ozone machine for an hour and then leave the room with windows and/or balcony doors open. However, it’s hard to know if they really follow that protocol or if the let machines run longer not to mention not all machines are the same. And what happens in rooms when windows don’t open or it’s raining outside and they can’t be left open? In addition, they follow this protocol after the guest has checked out, but the gap between when that happens and when I might check in could be too short. From what I’m reading, it’s best to have a gap of 4 hrs before going into a room that was treated with ozone. Do you have any thoughts on gaps of time btwn when the machine is turned off and when I might enter the room?

        Reply

        • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

          When the ozone dissipates depends on the air movement.

          I do think they use them after smokers etc but I dont think it’s that common. I can smell ozone down to very very low levels so I would just go by that. Ive never smelled it in a hotel even though I lived in hotels for years.

          Some do the signature scent thing but it’s not that hard to avoid. it’s more common to find low scent hotels. or it’s more likely that they just over scent the lobby.

          Reply

          • Sarah

            Thank you so much, Corrine. It gives me a shred of hope. My main concern is the scented products used in regular cleaning the VOC’s of which get absorbed into walls, textiles, upholstered furniture, etc.

            You have lived in so many different ways in so many places. You should write a memoir!

  2. Jesse

    I just found this site and I’d like to give some tips. I own an ozone company and am certified in the ozone generation process, it’s all I do.

    To begin, those Amazon ozone generators are a health and safety hazard. They get incredibly hot enough to be a fire hazard. It’s a health hazard not because of the ozone itself but because they are nano graphene plate style ozone generators. The plates are made of graphene, silica and mica. Which gas off the plate when running the machine because of how hot they get. 130+ degrees in seconds. This creates dust made of these compounds which causes fibrosis and sticks to everything. This will also explain the burnt ozone smell these machines create. They’re actually burning the air. When china found out the plates were doing this they halted all production on them and started selling them below cost to unsuspecting buyers in Amazon. This is why they’re so cheap. These machines also do not put out the claimed gram/hr. They maybe put out 1/4 of it. The correct machine to look for are cold corona tube style or UV light styles. These are expensive but do not come with the hazards, run much cooler, be can run in humid areas with little change in output.

    Next, Don’t run an ozone machine for more than 8 hours. An ozone machine will deplete all the oxygen in an area and then has no oxygen to make ozone with. Which at that point it’s not doing anything but creating nitrogen oxide. It’s is best if you put it in a window and seal off around it. So it has unlimited oxygen from outside. Then you must have box fans or something to move the air around in the room and in the door ways to go from room to room. I have units that will do 12,000 sqft in an HOUR. And need 8 to 10 box fans at a time to disperse the ozone. Ozone is heavier than the air around us. It falls. So you must have a fan to push it back up to the ceiling. Box fans under the machine at the window work best with mini fans for the closets.

    Lastly. What’s making you sick. Is the off gassing of the materials you oxidized with the ozone machine. Be it the paint, the plastics, the organic compounds in the area ie: proteins from inefficient cleaning procedures and other things. When I first started I tried to ozone a hoodie with an image on it. The plastic DTF film kind. Oh it ozoned the hoodie. But the off gassing from the image never stopped. It smelled like burnt plastic. I had to toss it. This was after running my cold corona generator on it for 1 hour in a closet. The ozone machine in the door the door sealed off and a fan inside to push the ozone up. I’m glad I didn’t leave any other clothing or other items in that closet. It would have ruined everything.
    Ozone works well for smells, so well they never come back because it molecularly changes the VOC’s to be inert. I do say you have the concept down correctly but need to refine it a bit.
    Also another tip. My machines I set for one hour on one hour off. While the generator pauses the fan still pulls air in. That helps to disperse the ozone smell while it’s just sitting. Then it powers back on the generator and adds more ozone to the area. I hope this helps when you try to do any other sanitizing or odor removing and hope it helps anyone else trying to do this process. Don’t let people that don’t understand ozone steer you wrong. Ozone is not a chemical. It is a molecular compound made of 3 parts oxygen. I decomposes back into oxygen. It leaves no residues or chemicals behind. You’re still a chemical free house.

    Reply

  3. Charles

    I’m so surprised to read you experimented with such a dangerous and toxic gas four times! I love your website and I use it religiously, but this was initially a disappointing read and encourages people to experiment with a toxic chemical. These are dangerous machines that people need to stop running in their homes. I hope you amend your article to remove providing product links and instead take a firm stance on how these CHEMICAL machines will make you sick. This has chemical endorsements and I never thought I’d see that on your website.

    You just convinced a sick man below, Wayne, to bring chemicals into his home. I’m shocked you’ve written this, and I hope Wayne below doesn’t get sicker..

    Wayne, if you’re reading, please do not bring an ozone generator into your home. There are endless organizations taking a stand against this in 2025. You will get sicker, while exposing everyone around you to toxic, harmful gas.

    Reply

    • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

      You won’t get sick if you don’t breath it in. The article has multiple warnings and instructions on how not to breath it in. Ozone is used in this application by companies and individuals, though I say multiple times that I would not use it again.

      Reply

  4. Wayne

    Oh my god this has been a blessing to find! I’m hoping to heal now! Finaly after 8 very long and frustrating years I finally can have hope! I’ve been suffering from C**S and extreme ch****c f****e s****e and plagued with hundreds of negative symptoms since being exposed to from living in a biotoxic (mycotoxins) environment that’s k******g me slowly! Numerous dead end failed D****r visits with no diagnosis to help me conquer it because the d****s are so ignorant to the illness I’ve been alone in my battle that has litterly broken my soul! I’m hopeful today though with the information about the use of an ozone machine that will help me fight back at last! Now I can start to take control and help my poor body out once and for all! I weighed 145lbs all my life great h****h maybe had the f*u once and in a matter of 3 months back in 2017 when I started getting really sick I dropped down to 110lbs (never even raised concern with Doctors then either) and to this day I can’t get above 120lbs! All I can think is it’s got to be the development of a bio f**m in my g*t because i cannot g**n back another lb of it it seems! I’m pretty sure that I’m one of those individuals in a very small percentage of people who can not fight the effects that the mycotoxins and spores produced my asspergilles (black mold) has on me! It’s quite litterly k******g me slowly! I’ve had a r***y nose for 6yrs now and eyes l*ds that I have to pry open every morning because it’s all through my eyes! When I blow my n*se approx 20 times a day it’s always clear with pure while streaks running through it wich I’m sure is my i****e system taking the hit hard! So today with this news I’m gonna finally get rid of these life sucking mycotoxins and spores that have ruined my life and has changed the very person I use to be that I hope to reclaim! This all started in 2017 when I moved into an apartment with a leaky roof the landlord failed to repair and even though I Finaly moved in Oct 2024 into this brand new apartment wher I’m the very first tenant to occupy it because it’s litterly brand spanken new and as soon as Jan 1st 2025 hit 3months in a mold free environment I actually started to heal my weight was coming back gaining like a pound everyday it seemed starting on Jan 1st 2025 I was getting better and just as fast as I started feeling better the start of April of this year i noticed the f*****e coming back and then it was a domino effect and fast I might add! I could feel it on me in the air sticking in my e*es my e*rs h******g my face you can feel it and just as fast as I started to h**l oddly enough I was getting s**k again! After a few online searches with Google and my favorite AI companion who’s been so helpful as well I soon learned my belongings were contaminated and I ultimately brought it with me I was shattered! But now I have hope again so thankyou for this blog about the effects and the use of an ozone machine to help with mold spore and mycotoxin ilimination! I’m sorry my comment is so long trust me this has been a novel living with it, I could write a book about what I’ve gone through stull going through but I won’t bore you anymore just know this, I’ve been from h*ll and back again and I’ve been a mess in the head untill I found this information tonight! I’ve been d******d lost hurt angry scared confused and worst of all I’ve been alone with it all by my self with no support not even family just my 10yr old cat Princeton who is also very I’ll! Thanks for giving me something to finally believe in that’s promising and hopefully I can live my life again soon at 52yrs old! I got s**k when I was in my my mid 40’s this has robbed me of so much! I could share with you stuff that you would call me crazy in the head about but after dealing with what I’ve dealt with I’ll say this, I’ve witnessed sh*t they don’t teach you in school not even in science class! I’ve witnessed things with this that has changed the way I litterly look at life now and things I use to question I dont anymore! These organisms are in there own world and making quite a mess in ours! Mold does not fit the “NORM” if you know what I mean and life will never look the same to me after my experiences living in it and with it! I have years and Gigabytes of videos that would even have a scientist scratching his or her head!

    Reply

  5. Linda

    I have a renter that left an ozonator in the house while they were gone for a week solid. It is unlivable right now. We have removed everything all furniture and curtains and I am feeling we are going to have to dispose of it all. We have had the windows all wide open for 10 days so far. I can’t believe honestly around anything that came out of the house. My lungs hurt, I have a cough and my lips are numb. I am very upset and concerned about what to do. I tried washing some of the curtains and bedding several times but it still has something in them so they are trashed. As I said I am very concerned and not sure what else to do at this point. The house is a sweet home only 600 sq ft but if it isn’t livable then what?

    Reply

    • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

      oh dear…. well it depends how strong it was and if there were windows open but that does not sound good. I over oxidized places with 24 hour high doses. It took a month for that to calm down. I don’t know if there is another solution for that.

      Reply

      • Linda

        How have you dealt with clothing and bedding that were exposed to the toxins. It turns out they just ran the ozonator on 2 separate 3 hour time periods but left the house shut up for the full week. As I previously mentioned I had tried to wash some curtains and bedding and ended up trashing them but it contaminated my washer and dryer and now I am dealing with my own clothes and bedding contaminated and have tried several washing and soaking methods with borax and washing sodas and detergent and I am still reacting to everything. Have you dealt with this problem??? I am not knowing which way to turn and am very concerned with what I have brought into my own home with all of this. I’m having asthma type issues with itching on my face and numbness in my lips. I have been very careful to wear a mask and gloves handling things but my bedding and some of my clothing are affected. I don’t know how this ends and what to do??? Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

        Reply

        • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

          oh that is much better then. Just give the house time and you might have to throw out bedding.

          Reply

  6. Alex

    Hello, thank you for the helpful article. I have been looking into ozone treatment for a mobile home built in 1984. Mold has been found on the dry wall on the inside parts of the home and it is pretty extensive. If ozone treatment is done would the dry wall with mold still need to be removed? I have seen responses in the affirmative and negative. Would the ozone effectively reach the underside of the home? I appreciate your time and thoughts.

    Reply

    • Corinne Segura, Building Biologist

      there is usually a lot of mold in mobile homes behind the walls, floor and in the roofing, i cannot recommend one at all. It would have to be properly remediated and re-built in a different way to avoid the causes of mold.

      Reply

  7. Eric Johnston

    My method of preventing mould development in fabrics (clothes, bedding, etc.) :

    Place 2 heaped Chinese soup-spoons (about 6 heaped teaspoons) of BORAX in a stainless steel jug containing 1 litre of near-boiling water, and stir to dissolve. Borax is not readily soluble in cold water. Then add this solution to the final rinse-water when laundering.

    I originally did this to obviate the musty smell of stored fabrics. Especially a problem here in Thailand during the monsoon season. But obviously there are also health benefits as well in view of the toxicity of some mould species – especially black mould – their spores and mycotoxins.

    Borax solution is non-toxic. Pre-War it was included in the British Pharmacopoeia as a mouthwash. But best not swallowed for the same reason one should avoid oral antibiotics whenever possible. Gut dysbiosis.

    Some evidence that it works. Four years ago I removed my pillow-slip, laundered from time to time and showing no signs of mould, revealing the un-laundered pillow which was absolutely covered with black mould. I believe the presence of this mould, whose spores I must have inhaled every night, was likely responsible for a very serious degradation of my health.

    I use the fully saturated, hot solution of borax to treat timber and plywood sheets that are awaiting use, applying two successive applications. The second application seems to penetrate better. And do the same to shelves, cupboards, etc. after construction and prior to painting to discourage termites and other borers.

    Borax can also be used to kill ants, cockroaches, and termites. In the latter case using a much more dilute solution applied to cardboard. The technique is different with each species. It is not a contact poison. They must be induced to eat it. Search the Internet for details.

    Boracic acid can be substituted for borax, if available.

    Reply

  8. Lily Corley

    Hello,
    I am curious if you have found any way to treat pourous furniture to sequester/seal mycotoxins? I have some furniture that is unsealed wood and particle board that has been in a moldy environment for the last 2-3 years. I have just bought a new house, and have been making it ready for us to move in. I don’t really want to bring the old furniture in but $$ is tight and it would be great if I could use some of it. At the same time, I don’t want to cross contaminate.

    Thanks,
    Lily

    Reply

    • Corinne Segura

      my opinion on solid wood would be to wash it down with an essential oil-based cleaner that digests mold (in the article on essential oils that kill mold). it could also be sanded a bit to release any spores it’s holding onto near the surface. however the main problem with bringing in furniture and other porous items is the mVOCs, the VOCs from mold. If there is enough stuff brought in from the moldy house the body picks up on it and based on the smell or perception of the mVOCs it can think it’s still in the old environment and that can obviously stall things. There are different approaches that one could take to that and partially it depends on how bad the mold was and how sick the people living there are. there is no one right answer and I havent written about this topic because it’s complex and very individual.

      Reply

  9. scj7129

    Greetings! Lots of interesting comments on here!!! As a former copy machine technician, I’d like to toss a bit of information into the ring of thots & ideas.
    -Ozone, O3, 3 molecules of oxygen is an oxidizer and well, you might as well call it gaseous bleach!!!
    -Copy/Xerographic machines that use a high voltage coronal discharge wire for the image formation process can produce COPIOUS amounts of Ozone!!! Do you know how this Ozone is neutralized??? With a Carbon Matrix Filter!!! The Carbon strips one off one Oxygen atom from Ozone allowing the standard Oxygen molecule (O2) to be exhausted from the machine, which is why if you walk into an office setting that does alot of paperwork from their copy machine, the office will have a “fresh” smell!!!
    Commercial laundries, especially the ones that are more environmentally conscious, will use Ozone generators that generate and entrain Ozone gas that goes directly into the water stream that is going in to the washing machines. Doing this requires less detergent to be used and results in fluffier fabrics, especially like the cotton towels when dried. I made a “cheap” version of this by 3D printing a mount for a mini Ozone generator which I then piped down into the detergent tray of the machine which then flowed down into the interior of the machine. This method absolutely worked due to the machine being a Bosch front load with the drum rotating on the horizontal axis, the clothes being lofted out of the water and the air/Ozone mixture being agitated into the soapy water mix. Worked extremely well!!! This method would not work on a standard vertical spin axis washing machine as there is no amount of extreme agitation that breaches the surface of the waterline to entrainment the gas into the detergent-water mix.
    Hopefully someone will find the above information a little bit informative and informational!!!

    Reply

  10. Anthony

    I bought ozone generator brand Jobna, 10000 mg per hour. I have no active leak but I probably have crosscontamination. my apartment is 60 m2 (650 square foot). for how long I can run this machine to kill mold without degradate belongings material (without activate VOCs)?

    Reply

  11. Some dude

    How much ozone (mg/h) should I use for a 200 cubic foot area (maybe smaller) under my bathroom tub? And for how long? Bathroom is in my finished basement (not sure if that matters).

    Reply

  12. James John

    Ozone can be effective in killing mold, breaking down odors, and VOCs, but it can also damage materials and be harmful to human health. It is a lung irritant and can cause respiratory issues. Ozone should be used with caution, and underlying moisture problems must be addressed for effective mold remediation.

    Reply

  13. Alice

    Concerning off-gassing from ozone, is there a type of hazmat suit or clothing that ozone does not affect? My daughter used an ozone machine for too long and now all of her stuff reeks. She’s thinking about putting everything into storage while waiting for the off-gassing to run its course. She needs to find something to wear while packing anything up, so that the smell doesn’t transfer to her car or AirBnb. I told her to get a hazmat suit, but I don’t know anything beyond that.

    Reply

    • Corinne

      It hasn’t been something that easily cross contaminates ime, but if you find that it does yes an extra layer to take off does help.

      Reply

  14. Emma Mack

    Hi Corinne,

    Unfortunately I’m a victim of over-oxidation via a hydroxyl machine.

    In January of this year I borrowed a friend’s Molekule air purifier (https://www.amazon.com/Molekule-Purifier-Purification-Technology-Silver/dp/B07YT95V42), which has a PECO (“Photo Electrochemical Oxidation”) filter — this essentially means that it creates hydroxyl radicals to purify the air. Unfortunately I ran the machine for a few days without checking on it, and upon my return I found that my entire apartment had a strong chemical smell, like fire smoke crossed with a Glade plug-in.

    I’ve tried washing textiles and scrubbing surfaces to no avail. Either the smell quickly returns, or another equally caustic smell takes its place. For example, I dry cleaned a cashmere sweater, which then reeked of dry cleaning chemicals. I wiped down a metal surface with isopropyl alcohol, which then reeked of alcohol. I washed some fabrics in Dawn detergent and then placed them in a plastic tote, and now they smell strongly of plastic. The smell also infects anything that’s clean, and once this happens, it then becomes impossible to remove it from the new item — it’s gotten to my hair, hands, washer/dryer at my parents’ house, car, office at work, and friend’s clothes. I even put an infested bag into a clean wooden dresser, and then the dresser started permanently emitting a noxious artificial pine smell. This means that I’m essentially dealing with the chemical version of bedbugs, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to contain it.

    In the meantime, I’ve placed multiple charcoal filters throughout my apartment and cranked up the heat; the smell has morphed, but I don’t think it’s lessened in severity. I can’t figure out which surfaces it’s drawn to since I’ve smelled it on almost all of my possessions. Along with textiles, it’s gotten on aluminum (laptop), paper (notebook), and plastic (laptop charger).

    Do you know how long the off-gassing will take to resolve? If I put my possessions into storage, is there a possibility that at some point in the future they will return to “normal”? Or are they all a lost cause? And how should I go about determining which items have not been affected?

    I need to figure out how to deal with my apartment while not getting infected by the smell and then transferring it elsewhere. I’m contemplating buying disposable hazmat suits, but I’m not sure if that material would be an improvement over my own (clean) clothing.

    Thanks for your help,

    Emma

    Reply

    • Corinne

      Ive never heard of this type of reaction with a PCO machine. While some people react to the machine while it’s running, I’v never seen a chemical after smell. The OH molecules only last a few seconds to they don’t go far and permeate everything like ozone does. It mostly cleans the air that actually passes through the filter.

      Reply

      • Emma Mack

        I’m not sure what happened. What’s interesting is that this odor actually came from the filter — basically the air purifier blasted it all over my apartment. The filter absolutely reeks of it. If you look at the 1-star reviews on Amazon, multiple people mention a terrible odor emanating from the machine: https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B07YT95V42/ref=acr_dp_hist_1?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=one_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

        I’m not sure how the odor chemically reacted with all of my possessions, but I assume it caused some sort of chain oxidation reaction. The odor has the exact same properties as the one caused by ozone oxidation.

        Reply

          • Emma Mack

            Thanks, that’s good to know. Do you think it’s possible for that off-gassing smell to have reacted with my possessions?

          • Corinne

            while I haven’t seen this reaction before I have seen really weird things happen with PCO or ozone so my best guess is that there is something unusual in your air that when it went through the machine came out worse. but that is just a guess as I haven’t heard of this before. I would also look for other changes that could have happened at the same time unless its super obvious that it came through the machine. I would take a break from that house and come back to it in a few weeks if you can as sometimes people become hyper sensitized to something in a house.

  15. Deborah Swanner

    I’m trying to buy an used car since my Prius was contaminated 6 months ago at a tire store
    I’ve tired everything including taking the seats out and have given up
    The question though I’ve looked at 50 cars with no luck
    Now I’ve found a 2011 sedan with leather seats it’s the least odorous I’ve found
    But the seats have a leather smell
    Will AFM degreaser help
    Maybe cover the seats
    I have a ozone machine but afraid to use it here
    Air purifier? Small one I con tolerate so far the only ones I can tolerate are airpura and Austin but they are big
    Wish we could still get the large carbon blankets from California any ideas greatly appreciated

    Reply

  16. Joy

    We started renting a new flat, but the previous tenant had smoked indoors, and sed fragrances to cover the smell of the smoke. Both smells had become embedded in the walls, actually, everywhere. Used a 500mg/hr ozone generator for 5 days for a 65 M2 area. It worked well. Only the perfume still hung in the bathroom which has plastic-coated metal walls,
    I covered the ventilation vents to prevent the ozone spreading to the neighbours. Taped up all the windows and doors.
    At the end, we ventilated by opening the doors and windows, for about 18 hours.

    Reply

    • Corinne

      This is very dangerous for your neighbours especially if someone is compromised but even if they are not. They should all be alerted at the very least but I would never do this. Ive gotten very sick within a 100 ft radius. Taping things up does not stop ozone.

      Reply

  17. Greg Wrobel

    Against the recommendations, we ozoned the heck out of our house for VOCs. ~18hours at 10g/hr in a 1700 sq ft house. The house is worse than it was before ozone, giving us headaches and seemingly digestive issues. As a result we’re living in an AirBNB.

    I’m assuming ozone damaged the surface of non porous materials like walls, floors, tables, cabinets… which I hope can be cleaned and sealed. I assume it sunk into porous materials, which may need time to diffuse so we’re baking out the house, venting twice daily, and we removed the carpet upstairs and are replacing with hardwood. Any other recommendations or useful articles? Hindsight is 20-20

    Reply

  18. Norm

    Hello Corinne. Well congrats. You may have the only original web page to do with odor removal. So many others are rewrites of the same stuff. I have an Ozone generator that I left on for one hour several times in my ‘workshop’ outbuilding. I had left some wood in there for my heater and it had gone moldy. I could not get that darn smell out. Tried ozone and it helped. Got the ball rolling. Airing out all this summer seems to have done the trick. Finally. Nothing else did.
    Now I have a different problem. On a dumb whim I bought an exercise machine at a great price at an estate sale. Not until I got it home did I note that the lady evidently took a bath in perfume before using it. The thing is saturated. Tried EVERYTHING. Next, I’ll lock it up in the workshop and do the hour thing and hope for the best with the vinyl material on the backboard. I semi-successfully (somewhat) reduced the odor in a flea market office chair. I think it was the same dang perfume! Good gracious! There was the off odor for awhile but by and by the perfume returned…lessened.

    Reply

  20. Rachel

    Hi Corinne, thank you so much for sharing your experiences to help others combat their own issues with mold and mycotoxins. I was wondering, do you think running an ozone generator (this is the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/OdorFree-Ozone-Generator-Permanently-Removing/dp/B01635K1AO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8) for only one hour would be enough to rid mycotoxins in furniture without ruining everything else in our house? I tested positive for the mycotoxin citrinin via urine testing and I’m pretty sure it’s in our couches and possibly other upholstered furniture. I don’t know if it’s worth trying to neutralize the mycotoxin (especially if it can ruin everything else in our home) or if I just need to toss the furniture. Any thoughts help, as I’m having trouble finding much reputable information on how ozone can affect everything in a home. Thank you for your time.

    Reply

  21. David

    Long story short, been battling illness for two years and finally discovered I had 5 out of 5 tested for mycotoxins; and I think its from my workplace. I had some dust tested and it did test positive for some mycotoxins but not mold. I know there’s water damage to the building; the roof was replaced years ago due to leakage and I recall there specifically being a small flood years ago that saturated the carpet. There could still be mold in the walls producing the mycotoxins or they could just be leftover from prior floods. Do you recommend Ozone to treat this building? We’re a small nonprofit and obviously can’t relocate or rebuild and I really don’t want to have to find a new job because it’s a good one (though im prepared to) But really wanna try the ozone thing.

    Input appreciated!

    Reply

    • Corinne

      I wouldn’t use it to try to address hidden sources of mold. It can majorly backfire. Have an inspection done to assess.

      Reply

      • David

        I would more be using it to try and deactivate the known mycotoxins that are definitely present. It seems all but impossible to get rid of mycotoxins. All the research says it takes literally fire, bleach or lethal doses or ozone. I will request an inspection but if there is no current mold and the toxins are present from a years old mold infestation, what then?

        Reply

        • Juliano

          Hello David, wanted to follow-up and see what you ended up doing. We have mycotoxins in our home and I’m trying to figure out if we need to move or not.

          Reply

  22. Chris

    I have an Ozone generator on my XPower fan and it scares the heck out of me. I’ve never turned it on but just knowing it’s there and will do 5g/h makes me uncomfortable. The board is in the chassis of the fan and you can see it behind the fan-guard. A small part of me was tempted to snip the wire to it with scissors but maybe one day I might need it.

    Whilst I’ll never flip the switch on the o-zone module, I’ve heard it smells like chlorine and Google Images shows that o-zone boards “glow” purple. Is this true? How quickly would I know if it were accidentally switched on?

    Reply

    • ann Fox

      you should never EVER be present when using ozone it is toxic. Ozone no more than one hour then air out the space for at least an hour or more I have treated with DR REA for 10 years and have severe chemcical sensitities so be very careful you can re ozone but do it in small increments and if you smell it you should not be in that space.

      Reply

  24. Ken

    Hi. What do you think of using a small (baseball size) ozone generator inside a closed musical instrument case to eradicate source of musty smell in the plush lining or the wood substrate? Amazon sells a $10 battery operated rechargeable generator. I could open up the case outdoors to minimize breathing ozone after the treatment and before turning the generator off.

    Or do you think these little devices are useless?

    Reply

  25. George B.

    What about books that were in a house that had mold? The books themselves are not obviously moldy but we want to use ozone to knock out mycotoxins and kill any spores that you might be present. Can we get a portable generator and shut it in a plastic storage tub outside with some books? If so, how much / how long would be good for that?

    Reply

      • Catherine

        I want to use ozone on books like one of the commenter’s here. We have a lot of books. I’m trying to decide whether treating them in a small tote or a large moving POD would be better, but I can’t figure out how long to treat them for. I was considering that blue generator in your post for a POD or a less powerful one with a hose for a tote. But I don’t want to overdo it or under-do it. Overdoing it ruins everything and under-doing it leads to cross contamination. How do you know if you did it just right? Also, they make professional ozone sanitation cabinets for libraries. I was looking into those because I figure they’re probably safer than any DIY setup. But do you think a run in one of those would be strong enough to denature mold/mycotoxins?? I’m struggling trying to find reliable sources while researching this. I would appreciate your input!

        Reply

  26. lisa

    You had P**S from mold? Are your referring to P******l O********c Tachy… If so could you explain or describe more or offer any more info? What helped what didnt, etc? This may be what has disabled me.

    Reply

  27. Hunter Stroupe

    Hi, Connie hope you are well, I have a 2005 flagstaff ultralight with mold, its small amounts between the fiberglass skin and framing. From just normal condensation cycles. The nature of a rv. Its a mostly all allumunim framed polystyrene flagstaff, no wood other than the subfloor about anti-mold friendly as it comes other than a airstream or atc. Im.a mcs’er and mold sensitive person. I moved in it to start my chelation therapy as my grandmother kicked me out cause she couldn’t deal with the mcs. I done really great in the camper until the 5th day where I started coughing violently which is where my mcs shows up first. I bought air purifier and dehumidifier with little improvement then itchy lungs and brian fog followed. Then the 11th day i started bleeding out of my tearducts, I am so disappointed. And its such a beautiful basicly unused camper. It was only used 15 days its entire life garage kept. This comes right after having to sell my own home being it didn’t work either. Since I am so sensitive and I heard ozone kills mold but doesn’t remove mycotoxins. Is ozoneing it any use? Or sell and move on. I have about 100$ to spend what do you recommend? I’m living in my car.

    Reply

    • Corinne

      I would check out the post on trailers that hold up better. I would not try to save an older trailer with mold in the walls and cavities.

      Reply

  28. Cam

    So what would you do for a car that has a slight smoke smell? Do I replace the headliner and carpet in the car? Ozone before they are replaced? I don’t see any nicotine stained but I know it is there in some way. not sure which is worse for my kids.

    Reply

    • Corinne

      It depends on if you are sensitive to a slight smoke smell. I wouldn’t do anything personally. Ozone works well on smoke. There are more options in the post on remediating fragrance and smoke.

      Reply

  29. Aislinn

    Thank you for this post!

    Do you have dosing guidelines for fragrance (cleaning supplies, air freshener, laundry products, etc)?

    It’s helpful to know the approach for shock treatments for mold and I’m curious what guidelines you suggest for fragrance.

    Thank you!

    Reply

  30. Diane l Parish

    Hello, Wanting to rid small basement room from musty mold smell. Purchased small ozone machine and will remove speakers,(due to rubber disintegration, I read), also plants. I think I”d like to plug up 1″ space under door that separates basement from upstairs? Shall I run for half hour, and when off, enter room ,holding breath open only window down there and 1 walkout door, then not reenter for 6 hours? It’s summer and very hot and muggy this week, don’t want to much heat in. Thank you for your site

    Reply

  31. Anna

    Hi there thank you for this post! O wanted to ask about how I could.ozone my.car from mold prior to moving out of my home to camp for.a short.time. I’m leaving everything but the car will be the one thing that will cause problems as it got soaked last year due to water being spiked through the carpet.and mold has since developed. I’m not.name to replace the car and really would like to try the ozone option and see how it fairs. Would you be able to recommend how long and what amount would be best to kill the mold spores in the car? You mentioned short shock treatments and also longer times of having it run and I’m wondering which would be best for a car with mold and at what dose. Thank you! Also, are there any cheaper machines that to my a timer rather than having to hold your breath? I really.don’t like the idea of being exposed to even a little of it..but perhaps those machines are much more costly.
    I appreciate your advice on this greatly

    Reply

  32. Clover Rayner

    When your home has been damaged by water, you may find the unpleasantness of mold. There are a few different ways to get rid of it, but does an ozone generator kill mold? While ozone generators may be an air purifier, ozone generators can kill mold spores.

    Reply

  33. Noel

    For fragrance smells, I know you recommend a low-dose for longer periods of time. But if you buy the 5000 MG device. can you just do smaller intervals of 5 to 10 minutes to achieve the lower dose? And if the space is airtight does that help?

    Reply

  34. Laura

    Corinne,
    I purchased a manufactured home and it reeks of air freshener. The previous owner had a pop-up air freshener in every vent as well as plug-ins. I’m having a heck of a time trying to get rid of the smell. I’ve tried vinegar, baking soda, bleach and am having the air-ducts and vents cleaned tomorrow. I think the smell is in the walls, but may be coming from the vents. I’m just not sure… am so frustrated. What would you recommend?

    Reply

    • Mena

      I’m just another reader but I’d try hepa air purifiers, they all come with a charcoal filter for odors. I’d be interested if Corinne answers, maybe ozone is good for this too. And condolences, that sounds horrifying!

      Reply

  35. Lisa Correa

    Hi Corinne, thank you for sharing your knowledge regarding Ozone. You mentioned Heppa vacuuming after ozoning. Would the furniture also need to be wiped down as well? Thank you!

    Reply

  36. Jess

    I’m having issues with smells in my clothes. I have a few items I’m trying to save and did all the mold protocol steps of washing etc. But nothing worked. So, I’m considering ozone for this. Will it neutralize mycotoxins in the clothes and the MVOCs? I’m planning to put the clothes in a small shed and seal it up with the ozone machine. Do you think this will work?

    Reply

    • Corinne

      It’s the MVOCs that stick to clothes if you have already washed them. It might help but ozone also reacts to fabric and so the oxidation odor might not be worth it. I tried it and didn’t do well with the oxidation of the clothing.

      Reply

      • Stacey

        When using ozone in a house that has fabric like with sofas and clothing, what is the byproduct that AutoZone creates on the fabric? And my second question is, can you wash the fabric with detergent in the washing machine or with upholstery cleaner and get the byproduct out?

        Reply

    • Jan

      We tried this with our clothes and it often worked, but not always. My husband used one of the outdoor storage bins you use on your patio to store your outdoor cushions (in our side yard away from the house) and put our ozone machine in that. We`d either use the timer function on the ozone machine, or set it to ‘on’ and unplug the extension cord when we wanted to turn it off. He put a couple of large tarps over the bin; without the tarp I got a headache even inside our house, but with the tarp on there seemed to be little or no ozone escaping – at least nothing that I noticed, and I’m sensitive to it.

      Some fabrics did have a strong smell afterwards, but that did eventually go away if given enough time (a few weeks hanging on the clothesline in the wind). But it was better not to have those items for a few weeks than have to throw them out. However, some fabrics – especially anything that had mothball smell – just couldn’t be remediated. I imagine with enough treatment that might have been possible too, but for us it wasn’t worth it at that point.

      We purchased an ozone generator after an experience where I reacted violently to a coat that had been exposed to a particularly bad mold toxin. We had it dry-cleaned (using non-toxic cleaners) and that didn’t help at all and I still reacted violently. So we made the choice to have it ozone treated (which cost more than the cost of the coat) just to see if that was a viable approach. After the ozone treatment I could wear the coat with no problems at all – no reaction. So we made the decision to purchase an ozone generator (and learn how to use it safely), and we’re glad we did. It’s not a miracle machine, but it certainly helps in some situations.

      This website has been a great help to us – thank you.

      Reply

    • Nancy Vakeva

      Washing with Decon 30, made by Benefect, might work. My mold remediator recommended 1 oz per load, but I’ve used way more. It seems to help.

      Reply

  37. Henriette

    What about ozone for a musty crawl space under an old home? I have fogged it a few times but that only helps for a little while. Home is from the 30s and i think there is only wood, dirt and pipes – both cast iron and plastic..

    Reply

  38. Kelly Couch

    We live in RV. Found mold. (We have been through this before in houses and been treating mold for years) argh. Ripping out the damage remediation etc. . Living somewhere else. Was going to drop our Most important school books and some clothes and shoes etc into a Big Tupperware bin and drop the small portable Airthereal in the bin and run for 2 hours. Helpful or pointless for mycotoxins?

    Reply

  39. Dan Coleman

    Hi Corinne,

    We have a walk-in closet in our apartment that has a musty smell we are trying to get out. So far, we have tried one 2-hour shock treatment with our small ozone generator. To keep the ozone inside the closet, we sealed the doors with plastic sheeting and duct tape. We ran an extension cord so that we could turn the generator on and off without breaking the seal.

    We also placed a fan and air purifier in the closet, so we could turn them on from outside once the generator finished running. Given enough time, do you think the airflow created by these devices would break down the lingering ozone, without introducing fresh oxygen? We need to keep trying to treat the closet, but we have nowhere to stay while the apartment airs out properly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply

    • Corinne

      The ozone won’t be contained by the plastic here, the closet is not airtight on the inside. It will break down slower without adding outside air to air it out.

      Reply

    • Molly

      Get out of that apartment now!!! We made the mistake of living somewhere with a musty odor in the closet… It eventually turned into a *huge* problem and we were so ill by the time we realized what was happening we had to leave everything, stay in a hotel while we found a new place to live, and give up all our possessions… With a newborn baby I might add! Don’t be us. Get out now ❤️

      Reply

  40. Bonnie DelGatto

    I have become overly sensitized to the ozone & I don’t know how to fix it.
    I had mold. my sheet rock was replaced, whole house repainted, all furniture gone, & then………..I overdid the ozone. I stayed in the house for a few days after without opening windows because (stupidly) I was having work done OUTSIDE. By the time I realized what was happening it was too late. I’ve since aired out the house & sanitized it but I’m extremely sensitive anytime I’m inside. It feels to me as if there’s not enuf oxygen. My veins feel as if they’re swelling, my legs feel weak, my face feels swollen & I’m afraid to sleep for fear of not waking up. When I go back outside my chest begins to hurt. I’m 45 yrs old. Doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with me. I don’t want to sell my house but I don’t know how to fix me. Any ideas, please?????

    Reply

  41. Carissa

    I bought a car that had one of those tree air freshener in it and I’ve steam cleaned and vacuumed, used vinegar, baking soda, etc. Can’t seem to get it out of the dashboard plastics. Would an ozone generator help for this or would it make it worse? I keep having asthma attacks.

    Will the air freshener stop off gassing eventually as it has been removed? None of the upholstery smells like it.
    Thank you

    Reply

  42. Jessica Wald

    If ozone causes a bi-product with fabrics/carpets…then how is this safe to use in cars? I have purchased the new cordless mini arethereal ozone machine and done 3-4 (15min) shock treatments in my car followed by hepa vacuuming and wiling down with EC3. I seem to have trouble being in the car still, maybe its not mold buy the reaction with the carpeting on the floors of the car and the fabric on the ceiling fo the vehicle? Is there any way of knowing or dealing with this other then time?

    Reply

    • Corinne

      The fabric reaction is one I can smell quite easily. 15 min is very short to cause a breakdown. I was doing 24 hour very high dose treatments. Even then, the fabric odor will die down.

      Reply

    • Corinne

      Do you mean how long does the gas linger after? There is a link there to how long it takes to break down based on humidity and temperature. Ozone doesn’t stay in one room though, it will escape from one room. I air it out with lot of air movement for 24 hours before going to check on the oxidation left behind.

      Reply

  44. Augsnod

    My ozone generator has been a life-saver for me. I've lost nearly everything due to MCS and finding a safe home was vital, along with all the products that I have to live with. I've used my generator to make so many things safe, including my home itself, plastic products from China, fabrics with laundry chemicals, and even new clothing that was unwearable. The key to successful treatments – for me – is short duration usage followed by adequate ventillation. I usually do 15 minute treatments followed by hours of settling time. I'll get faint whiffs of ozone, but it goes away pretty quickly. I've had some very difficult situations that I've done repeated treatments of about an hour, but that's the longest that I've used it.

    For those interested: I bought a bare-bones generator that is very inexpensive. The company has useful information for using these machines, and one of the most useful pages is the one on mold: instead of advocating that people purchase their product for mold, they advise against it in favor of professional remediation.

    https://www.foreverozone.com/pages/ozone-for-mold-issues

    Reply

    • Corinne

      I have one of their machines as well. It seems they are not selling them anymore and I was not even able to get a plate order it (though of course you can buy those plates anywhere). They are absolutely the most bang for your buck but I cannot promote a machine with so few safety controls on it. I tried to ask them some questions about the construction bc there is a possibility in certain conditions, with a broken plate, depending on how it is made that can delivery a deadly shock. It has no cover on it and does not look like it has proper safety measures.

      Reply

  45. Hasselhoff

    I think I overdid it in a bathroom. I had kept the door shut while running an ozone machine for 10hrs. Got rid of the a odor issue we were having, but left a very strong chemical-like odor afterwards. It's been 4+ months, and after constant airing out it still smells acrid. I can't stand going in there and keep the door shut.

    Wondering if your situation has improved with time?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Corinne

      It did improve but I never went back to live in the house that I ruined with ozone. So I'm not sure how long it would take to go away. A lot depends on what it reacted to and if you are super sensitised to it now.

      Reply

    • Hasselhoff

      Thanks for getting back so quickly. Sorry to hear you are not able to go back.

      Thinking I've just become hyper sensitized. There's some days I feel like that 'smell' is everywhere. Very strange. Other people notice a faint 'off' smell, but have no problem with it. It might have reacted with the paint or tile adhesive; like a sweat plastic odor. Thinking to just refinish the entire bathroom now.

      Sounds like you generally had success with ozone treatments. Do you continue using it?

      Reply

      • Suzy

        My husband car was so dirty I was allergic to it then he ozone’s for 90 mins and 2 days later I can drive in it
        Dealing with VOC here now –

        Reply

    • jackieM

      Hil, I totally over ozoned my car,. A friend gave me the machine and said to leave it for a few days. I’ve been trying everything and airing it out as much as I can. It’s been about a month and it’s stilll hard to drive in my car without the windows open.
      What can I do? I’m worring I am damaging my lungs.
      Any suggestions? besides selling the car?L l
      l

      Reply

      • Corinne

        A few days is really long especially if it was oversized for a car or didn’t have enough oxygen. I don’t know anything but time for that. I have over ozoned my truck with 24 hours and for me it needed a month but was not prefect even then. It did recover.

        Reply

        • Karen

          I do believe the dealer we purchased our car from over ozoned it. It’s been several days and I still get Asthma symptoms from the car. Would running an air purifier like an Austin clean it up and make it tolerable for me?

          Reply

  46. kim

    If there is a smell in fabrics after using ozone machine for 24 hours, is there any way to get rid of it? And how might go go about getting rid of any residual smell in the house after 24 hours?

    Thank you!

    Reply