During air conditioner operation, cold refrigerant is pumped through the evaporator core by an engine-driven compressor. A fan then blows air through “fins” in the evaporator to cool the air. These fins also act as an air filter, trapping bacteria, spores and dirt.

These airborne particles are normally washed out a drain hole with condensation, but if they remain on a moist evaporator, they may collect and cause an unpleasant odor. This effect is more frequently found in humid climates where more condensate accumulates.

Odors in your air conditioner can be quite unpleasant. Many people have experienced the problem of turning on the air conditioner to get cool and having their nostrils invaded by something that smells like body odor or worse. As such, read on to learn how to get rid of this very unpleasant air conditioner odor.

Home Air Conditioner Odor Removal

* If you have a forced air heating and cooling system with ducts on your home, get the ducts checked. Decades-old houses could have mold, lots of build up of dirt and other nasty stuff that can cause a foul odor. Your ducts could also be rusting out, so you may need to have them changed.

The newer ducts are much more energy efficient, so much so that you’ll save air conditioning costs this summer by getting them. You can also get a company that cleans ducts to inspect your current ducts. Some have a camera that can show you what is in your old ducts, but still be careful who you get.

Use a reputable company and check with the Better Business Bureau. Ask them for references. Some only clean a short way and spray a deodorizer. The estimate to get clean your ducts cleaned could be hundreds of dollars less than getting new ones.

* Use Lysol Disinfectant Spray to get rid of the musk inside your air conditioner; it’s a very useful disinfectant that kills germs, odor-causing bacteria, molds and mildew in your ventilation. Ozium Air Freshener, on the other hand, can act as a great deodorizing alternative.

* A dehumidifier is a household appliance that reduces the level of humidity in air, usually for health reasons, as humid air can cause mold and mildew to grow inside homes, which has various health risks. Very high humidity levels are also unpleasant for human beings, can cause unsightly condensation and can make it hard to dry laundry.

Mechanical/refrigerant dehumidifiers, the most common type, usually work by drawing moist air over a refrigerated coil with a small fan. Since the saturation vapor pressure of water decreases with decreasing temperature, the water in the air condenses and drips into a collecting bucket. The air is then reheated by the warmer side of the refrigeration coil.

This process works best with a strong temperature gradient, since the refrigeration coil usually works at a set temperature; this means that this kind of dehumidifier works best at high ambient temperatures, and may be strongly reduced in effectiveness in colder climates. They are most effective at over 45% relative humidity, higher if the air is cold

* Two words: Ozone Generator. This ozone generating, state of the art titanium based corona and ultra violet light air cleaner may just be what you need to eliminate your home air conditioning’s reek.

This device is sometimes claimed to imitate nature’s way of purifying the air without filters and to sanitize both it and household surfaces, but find out for yourself if this indeed is the case.

Car Air Conditioner Odor Removal

* Your car may be using a Cabin Air Filter, which uses active carbon, to filter your interior air. Once the carbon expires, usually in six months, it releases a nasty stale smell. Based on the year and make, you’ll more than likely have to get yours from the dealer, though you should check around first.

* The musty smell is sometimes caused by condensation inside the air conditioner; in such cases, perhaps the drain is not working properly to let the condensate out. Check to see if it’s working properly, and then try some deodorant sprays like Febreze to eliminate the remaining odor.

* Run your car air conditioner on regular setting most of the time, rather than on maximum. Constantly leaving it on maximum can leave odor-causing moisture inside the system.

If you do use the max setting, change it to regular shortly before you turn the car off. This will give the air conditioning system a chance to dry out and prevent mildew from forming.

* If the condition already exists, spraying a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water (1 to 5 ratio/mixture) or a disinfectant in the outside air intake may help reduce the smell.

* Know that the bad smell can often start by going through a drive-through car wash with your air conditioner on the setting "intake from the outside." This allows water to be splashed in through the vents around the windshield wiper area.

If that’s the case, either turn your air off or put it on the setting "re-circulate" so no outside dirty water can get into the air conditioning system.

* Put a new air filter into your car with the next oil change. Dirt, dust mites, stagnant water and other pollutants collect on the filter. Sometimes changing the filter can help to get rid of the odor.

* Purchase a spray that eliminates odors and purifies the air at your local auto care center or hardware store. There are brands specially-made for cleaning the air conditioning and heating systems in vehicles.

Spray them directly into the exterior air intake vents and also the inside air conditioner vents to get rid of the odor. Doing this once a year may prevent odors from returning. If you want a specific brand of spray, then buy a can of Lysol Disinfectant Spray; it really works well with cars.

* Here’s another Lysol Spray trick: Turn your A/C on high with the air circulation drawing in fresh air from the outside. Do not have it set on “re-circulate”.

Outside, at the base of the windshield, between the bottom of the windshield and the hood, there is some vent-like louvers (from left to right). Spray Lysol in the vents (you’ll see the spray being sucked down into the vents.) Use about ¼ of the can.

This will go down into the evaporator case and kill the bacteria that are growing in there from the moisture. Repeat this every few months. Also, put the air conditioner on "fresh air" every so often to introduce fresh air into the air intakes and to help dry things out.

If these steps do not alleviate the odor, you should contact your local dealership for a thorough reevaluation of your air conditioner.

Air Conditioner Odor Removing Products

* Use Lysol Disinfectant Spray to kill 99.9% of germs on commonly touched surfaces throughout the home. Lysol Disinfectant Spray is easy to use in every room and it helps keep germs off areas your family comes in contact with every day.

Seeing how as commonplace and versatile Lysol is when it comes to cleaning out air conditioner odors (both kinds, house and car), it comes as no surprise that it is the top air conditioner odor removing product in this article.

* Sweetfilter Vent Pipe Filters are made to last. They are constructed of ABS plastic and schedule 40 PVC. They will not corrode and require no maintenance. They fit standard PVC pipe. All are refillable. Larger sizes can be used on smaller stacks by using a built-in PVC spigot x socket reducing bushing for 1-4.55" pipes. Larger sizes are available up to 40" in diameter.

Sweetfilter is perfect for those musty, rusted and old ventilation ducts that are causing your air conditioning to have a less than desirable odor. Its versatile, maintenance-free form can be installed in most ventilation pipes, and its effects are immediately apparent.

* If you want something a little cheaper, you can try Ozium Air Freshener; it’s just a small bottle of deodorizer, but just a little goes a long way. You can get this product at most Wal-Mart branches and some car part dealerships.

* Febreze uses a chemical compound called cyclodextrin that has been used in household and custodial cleaning products for quite some time. It works on everything; stinky hampers, sticky rental cars, sleeping bags that reek of camp fire—you name the smell, Febreze can quell. This product is available in most supermarkets.