Ozium 8 Oz. Air Sanitizer & Odor Eliminator Spray

Why it's worth it

Ozium doesn't smell like a car freshener because it wasn't designed to be one. Its glycol chemistry knocks down airborne odor and bacteria, and two short bursts with the AC recirculating can clear smoke smell that vent clips and hanging trees have no answer for.

If you're fighting smoke, this is the product to buy. Ozium was originally developed for hospitals, and its active ingredients — triethylene glycol and propylene glycol — are recognized by the CDC as effective airborne microbial reducers. Detailers have leaned on it for decades for exactly this reason. It's the standard tool for a trade-in that reeks of cigarettes.

The technique matters more than with anything else here. Turn the AC to max, set it to recirculate, then give one or two short bursts — not a fog. Let the system pull it through. Owners who spray it like an aerosol room freshener end up with an overwhelming cabin and a headache. Used correctly, a single can lasts a very long time.

From our review of 8 car air fresheners and odor eliminators, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +If you're fighting smoke, this is the product to buy
• +The technique matters more than with anything else here
• +It works well beyond the car, too
• +The scent it leaves behind is not the point

What to know

• –It's potent, and potency cuts both ways
• –This is a treatment, not a continuous freshener
• –It's a glycol aerosol, so it isn't the pick for a family that's trying to avoid airborne chemicals entirely