Homedics Ozone Clean 3-in-1 Multipurpose Cleaner
- Turn tap water into cleaning water
- Power on the ozone generator and use the spray to clean, deodorize, and sanitize nonporous surfaces without any soap or anything
- Usually way pricier
- Can it make a margarita: No, but what would happen if you filled one of these with margarita? Hmmm…
Better Water
Ah, yes! An aqueous ozone cleaning sprayer!
Of course, I knew exactly what that was as soon as I saw it, and I’m sure you did too! But for the plebs out there who use cleaning solution, I’ll summarize with Homemedics’ own copy.
First, you fill the bottle with tap water and then power on its “revolutionary ozone generator” so the water starts bubbling into “a powerful disinfectant” ready “to kill bacteria and viruses” on any nonporous surface.
Now, I will say, there might be a lie in the above description. More on that in a second. First, let’s backtrack a little bit.
What the fuck is aqueous ozone?
To answer this question Lauren Ro, writing for New York Magazine’s The Strategist, talked to Brian Oram and Heidi Wilcox, a geologist/soil scientist/environmental consultant and a microbiologist specializing in green cleaning and infection control, respectively. Here’s their explanation:
Scientifically speaking, Wilcox says, “ozone is oxygen (O2) that has gained another oxygen atom to produce ozone (O3).” She notes that “ozone in the gaseous form is very toxic to humans,” but when it is infused in water, Oram explains it becomes aqueous ozone, a safe and “strong oxidizing agent that reacts with organisms and basically destroys them by damaging their internal structures and cell walls.”
Neat, huh? And this has been proven, by the way:
…according to studies cited by Oram, that aqueous ozone can break down a large array of bacteria, viruses, and protozoan, including E. coli and salmonella, in addition to odors and soil molecules.
It’s not that new, either. Apparently, the method has been used to sanitize drinking water for over a hundred years, and is FDA-approved for the washing of fruits, vegetables, and meats.
So, what’s the big lie? Well, actually, it’s kind of a little one. It’s that use of the word ‘disinfectant.’ According to Wilcox:
…aqueous ozone is not a disinfectant — just a sanitizer. According to the CDC, disinfectants kill germs, while sanitizers lower the number of germs on a surface or object.
Still, isn’t it cool that you can fill a thing with water and pretty thoroughly clean a bunch of (nonporous) surfaces within your house? Of course, this might make you wonder: why don’t we see more of these ozone generators around?
The answer to that–and, I’ll admit, this is conjecture on my part–is likely very simple: the price. When I first went to the the Homedics website, I rolled my eyes seeing they wanted $75 for this thing, especially because apparently this is a markdown from the original price point of $99.99. In the article from The Strategist, however, they discuss another ozone sprayer that, apparently, ran for about double that! That’s nuts, right?!
Luckily, our price–$19.99–is a bit more reasonable.
So buy one, and try cleaning with water from the sink for a change! Or, wait…
