Room ozonation: when it helps and how it works

What the price depends on

The rate is usually per square metre. The total depends on floor area and ceiling height (the generator is matched to the volume of air), how strong the smell is and how many cycles it takes. Old tobacco smell or the after-effects of a flood rarely go in one go. Labour rates are in the table.

If the place needs cleaning first, carpets shampooed or mould taken off the walls, those are separate jobs paid separately. Any products they need are extra too.

Rather hand the job over? More here: handyman services in Warsaw.

When ozonation helps and when it doesn’t

It works well on a smell that has outlived its source: smoke after a heavy smoker or a small fire, pets left behind by previous tenants, the stale air of a flat shut up for a long time, damp after a leak that’s already been fixed and dried out.

It’s pointless while the source is still there. A pipe leaking under the bath, mould growing behind the wardrobe? The smell will be back in a week. Mould is removed and treated first, the cause of the damp is fixed, and only then does the ozone go in. Stains and yellow nicotine film on the ceiling won’t shift either; that’s a job for cleaning and repainting.

Ozone doesn’t get rid of insects or rodents. Pest control needs a specialist DDD company licensed to use those products.

Safety first

At working concentrations ozone irritates the eyes and lungs, and it’s particularly risky for people with asthma. While the generator runs, the room is empty: no people, cats, dogs, birds or fish. House plants go out too, since ozone damages leaves. After the cycle the room is aired, and you go back in once the ozone smell is barely there. The handyman will tell you how long to wait for their equipment. Rubber and some plastics age with frequent, long treatments, so there’s no point adding time “just in case”.

How the treatment works

1. The handyman looks at the room and asks where the smell comes from and whether the source is gone.
2. Windows and doors are shut, vents covered where possible, and wardrobes and drawers opened so the ozone gets in there too.
3. People and pets leave; plants and the aquarium go to another room.
4. The generator is set up and run for a time based on the room volume and how strong the smell is.
5. After the cycle the room stays closed for a while, then gets a long airing.
6. The result is checked, and with a strong smell the cycle is repeated.

Common mistakes

• Ozonating a flat where a pipe is still leaking or mould is still growing.
• Popping in mid-cycle “for a second”.
• A forgotten ficus on the windowsill or an aquarium in the corner.
• Expecting ozone to wash the yellow film off the ceiling.
• Wardrobes left shut, so the smell stays in the clothes.
• Clothes from the smoky flat kept in tied-up bags, then filling the room with the smell again later.

What to prepare

• Remove the source: take out the old carpet, dry the spot where the leak was.
• Do an ordinary clean first, since dust holds smells as well.
• Sort out where children and pets will be during the treatment.
• Take the plants out; cover or move the aquarium.
• If the building has shared ventilation, tell the handyman in advance.

Frequently asked questions

How to order

Describe the room in the app: floor area, where the smell comes from, whether the source is gone, and add photos. Tradespeople near you will send offers with their own price and timing. Pick one by reviews; only that person sees your address.

You pay the handyman directly and they issue the invoice. They stand behind their own work: if the cycle wasn’t run the way you agreed, they’ll redo it. A smell whose source is still in the walls, floor or ventilation is not on them.

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