I tested cleaning with ozonated water. Here’s my experience with the O3Waterworks sanitizing spray bottle…
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Hi there, clean freaks!
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far.
Now that cold and flu (and lockdown) season is upon us, I wanted to dive into some testing of cleaners with you guys and give my honest thoughts.
Since our family came down with the big, bad virus ourselves several weeks ago, I’ve become a little obsessed with disinfecting and sanitizing surfaces around our home.
I was already very thorough.
But now?
Now, obsessive is the only word that fits.
I started looking into the cleaners I was using and disinfecting with, and wondering just how effective they were.
That’s when I had the idea to test our cleaners with agar plates.
I’ve shared in posts before that I’m an avid hypochlorous acid user (you can read my Force Of Nature review and feature here), but the 10 minute working and disinfecting time was a little bit of a drawback.
Did you know that household bleach also has a 10-minute working time on surfaces?
If you didn’t, that’s okay, because you certainly aren’t alone.
I came across a Facebook ad for an aqueous ozone sanitizing spray bottle that I found really interesting.
The website was very informative, but it was hard to keep up with the science of it all. I was really interested in SEEING how it worked, versus watching the cartoons and demonstrations they used in videos.
Which, don’t get me wrong, were VERY entertaining and certainly well-spent marketing dollars.
But I felt the need to explore the science myself a bit, educate myself on how (or if) it worked, and maybe help share some information on it if it happened to be useful in cleaning and disinfecting.
So I decided to buy it and try it out for research purposes.
In this post, I’ll be going over this ozone spray bottle with you, sharing my petri dishes for before and after cleaning surfaces, and sharing my honest thoughts…
*This post contains affiliate links, however, all opinions are mine, as always. This post is NOT sponsored, and the spray bottle was purchased with my own money. Use code SLAYATHOMEMOTHER at checkout to save 10% on your order.
What Is Ozonated Water?
A blue checkmark on top will light up when spraying out aqueous ozone.
Ozonated water, also known as aqueous ozone, is basically ozone diffused in water.
Aqueous ozone is more effective at destroying viruses and bacteria than chlorine (source), and has even been used in commercial water treatment for the last 100 years.
While this bottle is considered new technology in the cleaning space because you can create your own ozone cleaner spray, aqueous ozone itself isn’t new!
Aqueous ozone is still used to purify water today.
There are even large hospitals and hotels that use ozonated water to clean and sanitize.
How Is Aqueous Ozone Different From Ozone?
Simply put, regular ozone is in the air while aqueous ozone is ozone in water.
However, aqueous ozone is non-toxic to humans.
…ozone in aqueous solution auto-decomposes rapidly to produce oxygen and leaves no harmful residues.” Source
Spraying an aqueous ozone cleaner is safe because the amounts of ozone emitted from the bottle are so finite, and the ozone quickly kills bacteria and pathogens before turning back into water.
It doesn’t linger in the air or fill up your home with dangerous gas.
It also doesn’t decrease the air quality in your home.
But wait…Isn’t Ozone Bad For Humans?
Have you ever stepped outside after a thunderstorm?
It smells so clean, right?
That’s right, you’ve breathed in natural ozone in your own backyard before and might not have even realized it.
It’s like Mother Nature cleaning herself – and it’s perfectly fine to breathe in, just like the smell of rain.
Ozone has a very particular smell – pleasant and strong.
In fact, the human nose is great at picking up on this earthy smell and can pick up the smell of ozone at only 10 PPB (parts per billion). Source.
With aqueous ozone, ozone is diffused in water and sprayed onto a surface where it dismantles viruses and pathogens, and quickly reverts back into oxygen and water.
Because the amount of ozone present in the water is such a small amount, you don’t have to worry about the same health effects from breathing in the aerosols from this spray bottle that you would with high concentrations of ozone gas in the air.
According to the O3Waterworks site, “Because the aqueous ozone is contained in solution there is little if any atmospheric ozone released that doesn’t degrade into oxygen.”
In fact, you’re more likely to suffer from adverse health and respiratory effects while cleaning with toxic chemicals like bleach than with this ozone cleaner.
Is The O3Waterworks Spray Bottle Really Non-Toxic?
Aqueous ozone is completely non-toxic!
The O3Waterworks spray bottle, which generates aqueous ozone on-demand, is also Green Seal Certified and EPA-established.
How Is ozonated water created?
With the O3Waterworks spray bottle, aqueous ozone (or ozonated water) is created each time you pull the trigger to spray.
O3waterworks bubbles oxygen and water through our proprietary and patented diamond electrolytic cell. An electric charge briefly separates the O2 molecules into O- atoms that then reform into loosely-held O3 molecules that readily oxidize and destroy harmful microorganisms then return to form pure 02 molecules.” – O3Waterworks
Each time you pull the trigger, you are creating freshly ozonated water powerful enough to deactivate viruses and bacteria on contact.
Within 30 seconds, your counters, door handles, light switches, children’s toys, and other common household areas are sanitized.
How Does Ozonated Water Kill Bacteria?
Aqueous ozone, a powerful oxidizer, changes the characteristics of pathogens and bacteria.
Ozone effectively inactivates microorganisms and removes organic stuff in water.” Source
This non-toxic cleaning spray stops the bacteria dead in its tracks with just a quick spray and a 30-second bacterial butt-kicking.
What surfaces can ozonated water be used on?
This ozonated water cleaner works on non-porous surfaces like countertops, kitchen appliances, light switches, baby toys, highchairs, doorknobs, tables, cutting boards, etc.
Does Ozonated Water Need To Be Rinsed After Use?
Nope, no rinsing required!
The solution reverts back to plain oxygen and water, so it can be wiped dry after 30 seconds or you can allow the surface to air dry.
Does the O3WATERWORKS Spray Bottle kill Covid-19?
According to 03Waterworks, the answer to that question is YES.
But you won’t find this ozone cleaner on the EPA’s official list of disinfectants proven to kill COVID-19 at this time.
For a product to be listed on the EPA’s List N and be eligible to market itself with a kill claim for Coronavirus, it has to meet two conditions:
- it has to have been previously approved as a disinfectant
- and it has to have killed a virus “at least as strong as Covid19”
Because this spray bottle is a sanitizer, it cannot make that kill claim.
This sanitizing spray bottle is considered a sanitizer, not a disinfectant.
My Cleaning Experience With The O3Waterworks Sanitizing Spray Bottle
I created a quick Instagram video for this post for my visual learners (hey, I’m a visual learner, too!) that you can check out here, and plan on doing another video on YouTube to show its cleaning efficacy.
But here are some exclusive agar plate pictures that show before and after swab results…
BTW, here are the agar plates I used and the sterile swabs I purchased separately from the kit.
Here’s a close-up of the bacterial growth on the first plate, swabbed before cleaning…
While the colonies in the counter section are harder to see, there are a couple of small colonies towards the bottom left if you look closely.
And here is a closeup of the plate that features swabs from the surfaces cleaned with the O3Waterworks spray bottle…
I wanted to point out that the two small spots visible on the ‘clean’ plate are actually indents I made from aggressively swabbing.
I, of course, at the time didn’t realize I was being a little rough with my swabbing.
But there are zero colonies present, which is very impressive!
Is Pre-Cleaning necessary when using this spray bottle?
Yes, really greasy or dirty surfaces need to be pre-cleaned prior to using the O3Waterworks spray bottle, just like you would when using other cleaners!
If you have a greasy stovetop, you’re better off giving it a quick wipe down with a warm soapy sponge and then disinfecting it, right?
Here’s an agar plate with before and after swab results I took from my cooktop…
You know what I interpreted from this plate?
I needed to pre-clean better (or at all) before using the spray bottle.
I could have gotten another perfect agar plate if I had just done what I normally do with other cleaners and wiped away the extra food and grease beforehand.
What Does It Smell Like?
I thought I knew what clean smelled like.
You know, that strong, nose-burning chemical smell with a hint of lemon?
And after a minute or two, it smells like nothing!
My thoughts on the O3Waterworks spray bottle
I love it!
I seriously love this sanitizing spray bottle.
Not only is it convenient, it really works – I know that for sure now with my petri dish before and after results.
Here’s what I love about the O3Waterworks spray bottle:
- it tackles sticky, tacky messes on my table and countertops
- syrup
- caramel
- coffee
- juice
- tomato sauce
- gummies
- baby food
- it deodorizes (stinky backpacks, face masks, trash cans, area rugs, etc.)
- the cleaning performance is incredible (scroll back up to those gorgeous agar slides if you skimmed through the post and missed them)
- the smell of this cleaner is amazing (like a thunderstorm!)
- I can use it on everything and anything
- my kitchen table
- countertops (quartz, granite, marble)
- stainless steel appliances
- glass
- baby toys
- carpet, bedding (we don’t have furry pets, but it can be used on pet beds, too!)
- food (spray it on produce to make it last longer)
- groceries
- all I need is water
- I don’t have to rinse the cleaner off – I can just let it air dry
- no need to buy cartridges or capsules to make the solution
- the bottle lasts 500 charges
- it doesn’t streak glass
- it’s truly non-toxic
A quick note on the glass cleaning…
My husband is big into glass cleaners. Nothing bugs him more than a spotty, fingerprint-laden, smeared mirror.
This ozone cleaner does a fantastic job on mirrors and glass.
My husband doesn’t go in the bathroom after me with a blue bottle of glass cleaner after I use this spray.
In fact, he’s been reaching for this first now when he feels the need to wipe down the mirrors or the sliding glass door!
My Thoughts On The Cost
Okay, let’s talk cost because I know this baby is an investment.
My initial gut reaction was – WOAHHHHH BUDDY. $199?!
But when you consider how powerful the cleaner is that’s produced, how many cleaners this spray bottle replaces, the need for only electricity and water, and no need to buy cartridges or capsules to keep using the bottle – it starts making sense.
It also lasts up to 500 charges before needing to be replaced.
I’ve found that, by using this sprayer 2-3 times a day to sanitize, I am charging our spray bottle every other night.
That means my bottle can last us more than 2.5 years before I need to purchase another one.
I know my bottle needs a charge when the red X on top lights up.
The Lack Of A COVID-19 Kill Claim
The lack of an official kill claim on the Coronavirus is my only complaint.
I explained earlier in this post why O3Waterworks can’t officially market this solution on the EPA’s List N.
However, the bottle has been 3rd-party tested and proven to reduce the virus by up to 99.9%, which makes me feel MUCH more comfortable using it around our young family.
Per the CDC, you should routinely clean surfaces and disinfect with an approved disinfectant.
Sanitizers, like this spray bottle, should not replace disinfectants in your home, but they can help aid in reducing the number of harmful pathogens, viruses, and bacteria present that can contribute to making you or your family sick.
Washing Fruit And Veggies
Before I dice or chop up our fruits and veggies, I give them a good spray all over with this DIY ozone cleaner.
It’s a really easy way to clean our food before eating without having to soak in or rinse with water.
There’s also the issue of trying to clear the sink so I can soak our fruit in it.
I don’t know about you guys, but I have three young children, one of them is still using bottles every 2 hours, and a clean sink just isn’t always feasible.
I’m currently testing out spraying strawberries with this aqueous ozone solution vs. using just plain water (which is what I normally do). I will update this post with those results.
Can I still use this if I have well water?
Yes, but there might be a better alternative to consider.
Although the spray bottle advertises the need for only tap water, I would consider using bottled water for this cleaner if you have well water like we do.
This ensures the lifespan and functionality of the device aren’t impaired by any possible contaminants in your well water system.
The bottle doesn’t use up much water to create the spray, though, so not much-bottled water would be needed.
Where can I buy this ozone spray bottle?
O3Waterworks sells the bottle on their website, through Lowe’s, or on Amazon.
I would recommend getting the bottle directly from the manufacturer, however, as they often have the best deal, and you can use my discount code for 10% off: SLAYATHOMEMOTHER.
Thank you so much for reading this in-depth review and non-sponsored feature of the O3Waterworks sanitizing spray bottle.
I love testing out new cleaners, and this one has definitely shot up to the top of my favorite cleaners list overnight!
Feel free to use code SLAYATHOMEMOTHER at checkout to save 10% off SITEWIDE.
*Post originally published Dec 2020, updated May 2021 to include discount code.