Removing Skunk Smell from House

Does an ozone machine really help to get rid of Skunk smell from your carpet, furniture, clothing, etc.?

By Ann from Utica, KY

Answers:

Removing Skunk Smell from House

The EPA does NOT recommend the use of indoor ozone generators:

From: Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals -epa.gov

Ion generators act by charging the particles in a room so that they are attracted to walls, floors, tabletops, draperies, occupants, etc. Abrasion can result in these particles being re-suspended into the air. In some cases these devices contain a collector to attract the charged particles back to the unit. While ion generators may remove small particles (e.g., those in tobacco smoke) from the indoor air, they do not remove gases or odors, and may be relatively ineffective in removing large particles such as pollen and house dust allergens.

Although some have suggested that these devices provide a benefit by rectifying a hypothesized ion imbalance, no controlled studies have confirmed this effect.

Ozone, a lung irritant, is produced indirectly by ion generators and some other electronic air cleaners and directly by ozone generators. While indirect ozone production is of concern, there is even greater concern with the direct, and purposeful introduction of a lung irritant into indoor air. There is no difference, despite some marketers' claims, between ozone in smog outdoors and ozone produced by these devices. Under certain use conditions ion generators and other ozone generating air cleaners (see epa.gov ) can produce levels of this lung irritant significantly above levels thought harmful to human health.

A small percentage of air cleaners that claim a health benefit may be regulated by FDA as a medical device. The Food and Drug Administration has set a limit of 0.05 parts per million of ozone for medical devices. Although ozone can be used in reducing odors and pollutants in unoccupied spaces (such as removing smoke odors from homes involved in fires) the levels needed to achieve this are above those generally thought to be safe for humans. (07/02/2009)

By Lisa

Removing Skunk Smell from House

I don't know if it will work, but this product Kids N Pets gets rid of cat spray. It claims on the bottle to get rid of skunk. I find it at WalMart. (07/06/2009)

By Laura

Removing Skunk Smell from House

I'll never forget going into my brother's house and feeling like I was breathing very strong bleach fumes. It was killing me. Turns out they had an ozone air cleaner in their bedroom. If you choose to go this route, be careful and use it only as much as necessary. I do not have allergies or asthma, I have never smoked. I exercise regularly. My point is that my lungs are very healthy and that my reaction had nothing to do with a prior health issue. It may work, but use caution. (07/08/2009)

By Beth

Removing Skunk Smell from House

Our dog got skunked. Boyfriend brought him into the house. The smell was everywhere in the house. So strong it made both dogs and me vomit. We rented an ozone machine from ServPro and left for the weekend. They manned it and moved it around from Friday to Sunday and when we came back, we could only smell it faintly in spots here and there. We did not need to clean carpets, drapes, or furniture it killed the smell on everything. Only clothes we had to clean were in the basement where we washed the dog.

Shell the money out for the rental. You will not regret it. No, the machines are not safe for everyday use. ServPro did not recommend it for everyday use either. But it is completely safe to use it, not come into the house for about 4 hours afterward, then, open windows and let the house air out. Our house did not smell of anything nor did we have any adverse affects after use. But we did let the house air out with all windows open to make sure. (08/15/2009)

By Jana