After enjoying home-cooked curry, you might notice its smell lingering in the air. It can be hard to remove since it sticks to surfaces in your house. You may be wondering if your ozone generator can get rid of the curry odor. We researched the topic, and here is what we found out:
To remove the curry smell with an ozone generator, you should first clean the whole house. Only when you're done cleaning can you use the device. The treatment should last 3 to 6 hours. After that, air the room out for a day or two before checking if retreating is needed.
In this post, we will discuss the process thoroughly to help you understand how things work. You'll also learn precautionary measures that need to be done for your safety. Let's get started!
Removing Curry Smell Using Ozone Generator
Ever wonder why the smell of curry is so hard to remove? The strong smell comes from the spices and essential oils that are used in cooking it.
That scent is what sticks to the surfaces present in your home such as the walls, countertops, ceiling, and vents. This is because most of the things in our house are porous or semi-porous.
The materials used in the walls, couches, and carpets absorb the smell. There are a lot of ways to get rid of this smell. We will talk about those later, but for now, let's focus on how to remove the curry smell using an ozone generator.
Before we get into the process, let's first understand how an ozone generator works.
How Does An Ozone Generator Work?
The process starts when the ozone generator starts sucking ambient air into the device. Unnecessary particles like dust and pests such as insects will be filtered out through a foam.
After that, a fan will blow the air further to go through an ozone-generating procedure. This can be either Corona discharge or Ultraviolet (UV) light.
These two processes recreate the natural production of ozone in the environment—through lighting and sunlight. They do this by breaking down the oxygen into single atoms with a high-voltage plate or a UV bulb.
These single atoms (O) are attached to other oxygen (O2) molecules, resulting in ozone (O3). Once treated, the ozone molecules will then be released into the air.
How Does Ozone Destroy A Smell?
Ozone destroys odors by the process of oxidation. The spare atom in the released ozone will attach itself to the odor-causing molecule in the air. Once combined, it will oxidize that pollutant to be less porous than it originally was.
Ozone destroys the following odors:
- Human discharges (Urine and fecal)
- Animal
- Moldy
- Cigarette
- Food (like curry smell)
Now that you know how an ozone generator works, you will have a better understanding of what's happening when you use it—which leads us to the next item on our agenda: how to remove the curry smell with the ozone generator.
Steps To Remove Curry Smell Using Ozone Generator
You only have to follow two steps to complete this task. However, each of them may take some time to complete.
Step 1
Clean the whole house extensively. As we mentioned earlier, porous materials absorb the curry smell.
This means you will not only do simple vacuuming, dusting, and mopping. You will need to scrub the walls, ceilings, cabinets, and other surfaces where the odor may be residing.
You can do this by mixing a cleaner with water and using a clean cloth. The kitchen or cooking areas absorb the majority of the curry moisture. Be sure to clean these surfaces more than any other part of the house.
Repeat the wiping or scrubbing to remove any yellow or orange stains.
Check out this cleaner on Amazon.
You should also wash and replace the curtains and other cloth items. When it comes to the couches or carpets, follow the applicable cleaning method for its material. That way, you prevent damage from occurring.
Wondering if you should take the electronics out, too? Learn the answer here: Can An Ozone Generator Damage Electronics?
Step 2
Place the ozone generator in a slightly elevated spot in a room. Before you turn the device on, you must make sure that the area is unoccupied by people, pets, or indoor plants.
As much as the device helps remove odor, it is harmful to our health. Brief exposure to ozone can cause chest pain, dizziness, and coughing. Aside from this, ozone has been proven to damage the lungs and worsen respiratory infections.
Here are the other things you can consider:
- Put the ozone generator near the cold air vents.
- Turn on the furnace to clean its inside part as well.
After that, you can now turn the ozone generator on. Leave it for 3 to 6 hours before letting the space air out for a day or two. If the curry smell is still present, you can repeat the treatment process.
Do not forget to get the advice and help of a professional if needed.
Learn more about using an ozone generator here: How To Use Ozone Generator In Your Home
How Much To Clean The House?
If you do not have enough time to do the cleaning yourself, you can always hire a professional cleaner to do the job. It will cost you $25 to $90 per hour. This will depend on the size of your home and the complexity of the cleaning task.
If you want to roughly estimate the amount you will pay, you can take a look at this cleaning price list according to the size of your home:
- 1,000 square feet- $75 to $125
- 2,000 square feet - $100 to $200
- 3,000 square feet - $150 to $300
- 4,000 square feet - $200 to $400
- 5,000 square feet - $250 to $500
- 6,000 square feet - $300 to $600
Other Ways To Remove Curry Smell
Aside from ozone generators, there are other methods you can try to get rid of the curry smell in your home. They are very easy to do and will most likely end the odor battle that is happening in your space.
Method 1
Ventilate the room before starting to cook curry. Open the windows in your kitchen and close its door to keep the smell from traveling to the other areas in your house.
In addition to that, turn on the fans. This, along with the air coming in and out of the windows, can help blow the curry smell away.
Method 2
You can use air fresheners to conceal the smell. Try using scented candles, spray deodorants, or diffusers with essential oil. Keep in mind that this method only works for a short while. Choosing to do this may cost you more in the long run.
Check out this air diffuser on Amazon.
Method 3
If your hands come in contact with the spices, herbs, or any ingredients in making curry, you might be one of the smell's distributors. If there is residue on your hand and you touch another surface, you will transfer the odor.
Make sure to wash your hands first before coming into contact with anything. To remove the curry smell, rub your hands with citrus scents like lime or lemon, coffee grounds, or white vinegar.
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Method 4
Make a solution to fight the smell. Put 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a glass of clean water. Mix them and then transfer the solution to a spray bottle.
You can sprinkle the solution in any affected area to kill the odor. You can also simply put a bowl of regular vinegar or baking soda next to your stove. It will absorb the curry smell that will linger once you started cooking.
Make sure to do a patch test first with some items like leather materials since the solution may cause discoloration.
Check out these spray bottles on Amazon.
Method 5
Simmer natural scents on the stove and let the steam replace the odor-causing particles in the air. Among the things you can boil in clean water are the following:
- Lemon
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Flowers
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Final Thoughts
You can remove the curry smell from you house by using an ozone generator in two steps—cleaning the house (especially the cooking area) and then treating the room with the device.
However, you need to make sure that the space where you will turn the ozone generator on is unoccupied, because ozone gas is harmful to people's health.
When ozone is inhaled, dizziness, shortness of breath, and other effects may be experienced. Prolonged exposure may lead to lung and respiratory damage.
If you are contemplating using the device, remember that you can try other methods, such as simmering natural scents like cinnamon, spraying deodorants such as vinegar, air fresheners, and more.