Do Ozone Generators Work on Cigarette Smoke? Facts & FAQ

One of the most popular reasons people give for wanting to use an ozone generator in their home is to help with cigarette smoke. But can ozone generators even help with that? The truth is that it depends on where the smoke is in your home.

Since it’s a complicated topic, this guide will walk you through everything that you need to know about ozone generators and how they can help with cigarette smoke. By the end, you’ll know exactly what an ozone generator can help with and when you should start looking for alternatives.

Do Ozone Generators Work on Cigarette Smoke?

The answer comes down to where the cigarette smoke is. If it’s still actively in the air, an ozone generator won’t do a thing.

Ozone generators don’t remove any particles from the air. This might seem counter-intuitive, though, since ozone generators are all about eliminating odors.

But while an ozone generator can’t do anything to help with cigarette smoke still in the air, as soon as it settles onto something, it can eliminate the odor.

So, if you’re trying to figure out if ozone generators work on cigarette smoke, it depends on how recently the smoke was in the area. The longer ago that someone smokes in the room, the more effective an ozone generator will be at eliminating the odor and harmful chemicals.

How Long Does It Take for a Cigarette Smell to Go Away?

While there are many claims out there about how long smoke odors can linger in a home or car, the truth is that it depends on too many factors to know for sure. The Environmental Protection Agency¹ highlights ventilation (or the lack thereof) and the fact that the smoke can sink into clothes and fabrics, and even the lingering smoke there can cause irritation. Due to all the different areas where cigarette smells can settle, if you’re waiting for them to go away on their own, you might have to wait quite a while.

Staying Safe With an Ozone Generator

While an ozone generator can do a great job of eliminating smoke odors that have settled on fabrics and the walls of your home, that doesn’t mean you can just start running one and then sit back and wait.

While the ozone from an ozone generator will take care of the smell, it’s extremely harmful to you. Even small amounts of ozone can lead to damaging effects, so you need to completely vacate your home when using an ozone generator.

Also, studies show that you need to wait several hours¹ after the machine turns off before you can reenter your home.

Since it’s best to let an ozone generator run for at least 30 hours when cleaning out your entire house, you should probably plan to head out for a weekend.

Also, do your best to run it in a low-humidity environment, so the water molecules in the air don’t cause it to short out.

How to Help With Airborne Cigarette Smoke

If you have airborne cigarette smoke in your home and don’t want to wait until it settles into everything before you can take care of it, you’re not out of luck.

A high-quality air purifier will work to actively remove the chemicals and smoke currently floating around in the air.

While you’ll still need an ozone generator to help get whatever cigarette smoke has already settled into things like clothing, furniture, and walls, you should only use it after using the air purifier in your home. This prevents anything from settling into those things again after you complete the ozone generator treatment.

Another great thing about an air purifier is that you don’t have to leave the home when using it. It’s a quick and easy solution to a pesky problem.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know more about how ozone generators can and can’t deal with cigarette smoke, it’s up to you to take the necessary steps to get the hazardous smells and odors from cigarettes out of your home or car.

Don’t wait for it to go away on its own because there’s a good chance that it will stick around far longer than you want it to if you don’t actively try to remove the smell.

Featured Image Credit: Red_Shadow, Shutterstock