We had a recent event that may be interesting to those in the car detailing service.  The smoke smell in the car did not resolve with the normal treatment of ozone, which was more than unusual.  We have done hundreds of cars with ozone to remove smoke odor, and the results were constantly good.  When something like this happens, you must ask questions to understand why this has happened.  We know that ozone is a basic science; and if it work for the last 20 cars, it should work on this one.  What changed?

After looking the car out from various angles, we decided to take a look at the vent system and the cabin air filter. What we found was that the cabin filter had activated charcoal inside.  And, charcoal filters are what is often referred to as “Ozone Destruct” filters.  So, the filter was destroying the ozone in the car making the ozone effort minimalist.

If you encounter a car that does not respond to an ozone odor treatment, check the cabin filter.  It may be wise to always check the cabin filter when you do a treatment anyway.  Not all cars have a cabin filter, but if you check the owner’s manual, you will get a quick idea of what to expect.