Second-Hand Smoke Removal

Ozone gas, when appropriately used is the most efficient and most inexpensive way to remove the highly negative effects of second-hand smoke. Companies like ServePro and many other disaster repair contractors have been using ozone for many years to remediate smoke damage. But they are professionals and they charge a lot of money. You can act (in the eyes of the law) as a Contractor and DIY an ozone shock treatment, but if you just buy an ozone generator off of the Internet and don’t know what you’re doing, you may run into problems. That’s one of the main reasons why we have so many happy past customers! We answer the phone and are happy to walk our customers through the best and safest way to utilize ozone. Safety first!

So how much ozone do you need to do an ozone shock treatment to remediate second-hand smoke damage? You need double the amount of ozone (2000 mgh per 100 sq ft) vs. a regular ozone shock treatment to rid an area of the second-hand and thrid-hand smoke damage.  We teach our customers how to cycle the ozone shock treatment to give the off-gassing chemicals the time they need to break down all of the chemicals  (there are 1000’s of them) found in second-hand smoke. It might take several ozone shock treatments spread out over a few days, but if you follow our ozone shock treatment protocol for removing second-hand smoke, it can be done.  Our ozone shock treatment machines have manuals that explain the protocol step by step. 

Besides an ozone shock treatment, you will need to wipe down surfaces with a degreaser to remove the sticky tar that often accompanies second-hand smoke damage. 

One of the critical steps in performing an ozone shock treatment to remove second-hand smoke damage / smells is to provide enough airflow to churn the air and move as much air as possible so that it can come in contact with the ozone generator plates.  We recommend positioning box fans throughout your structure, turning on ceiling fans, and turning on your HVAC fan if you have one. 

Second-hand smoke penetrates surfaces and off-gasses.  Ozone shock treatments remove what is on the outside, but more will come to the surface after time if the smoke damage built up over the years of second-hand smoke exposure. For more details on how to properly remove second-hand smoke damage, please buy one of our ozone generators then call Mike at 619-874-3904 for help with your particular situation, and detailed advice.

So, after your shock treatment to remove second-hand smoke damage, simply air out the house!  This is easily accomplished by opening all of the windows and doors and placing a 20″ box fan (with the rest of the window sealed) in one of the lower floor windows and blowing the air outwards so that it creates that negative pressure in the house and draws fresh air in from outside. Done. (air purifiers and second-hand smoke damage, lol) 

Disclaimer: In the USA, the FDA has not approved ozone for medical use in the USA. If you have any questions about using ozone, please talk to your doctor or health professional. Ozone is not for breathing! Breathing high concentrations of ozone can harm your lungs (see EPA warning on ozone air purifiers) We do not sell ozone air purifiers. We only sell commercial ozone generators for use by Contractors (or homeowners acting as contractors) to ‘shock’ the air in unoccupied areas ONLY! Please use as directed for air shock treatments, and only if you feel you can competently follow instructions.

4 thoughts on “Second-Hand Smoke Removal

  1. Removing smoke from walls with “washable paint” – or ordinary paint if you intend to repaint – is easy with a spray nozzle fitted to a hydrogen peroxide bottle (most standard sprayers fit hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, soda pop and other standard bottles though you may have to shorten the siphon tube a bit or wind it around the bottom, making sure the opening isn’t wedged closed against the side or bottom) and a microfiber cloth or long handled microfiber mop. You’ll see the wet smoke begin to run down the wall so you want to catch the drips before they get to the baseboards or floor.

    1. Never tried that. Thanks for sharing.

      The yellow sticky film on the walls is mostly tar. Second hand smoke has over 100 chemical compounds. Ozone breaks them down and permanently gets rid of the smoke smell imbedded in all substrates. Walls. Carpets. Wood. But yeah, you’ll also have to wipe things down. I’ve used a degreaser in the past but I’ll try your trick next time we do that type of remediation

      1. It’s so much quicker and less labor intensive than the “elbow grease” methods. Some other must haves for remediation service are tub trugs – LOTS of tub trugs – and GSE. Give me a stack of tub trugs, microfiber towels, a few ozone generators, GSE and hydrogen peroxide and I can clean up after a disaster quicker than anybody! ROFL!

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