How to Pick a Car Ionizer

With the advent of climate control, most drivers keep their vehicles tightly sealed, exposing them to a variety of airborne contaminants. These contaminants are not always filtered out by the vehicle's built-in climate control technology. Dust, smoke, exhaust particles, pollen and other particulates can infest the air inside a car to varying degrees. A car ionizer works by producing negative ions that attach to these particulates and removes them from the air.

Instructions

• 1

  Measure your car's interior. Each car ionizer can power different interior air capacities. If you have a large family van with three or four rows of seats, pick an ionizer that is large enough to affect all of the interior air space in the van. On the other hand, if you drive a coupe with a small interior, buy the smallest car ionizer you can find.

• 2

  Pick a ionizer without a built-in fan if noise is an issue. The larger ionizers (which are necessary for vehicles with large interior spaces) usually depend on fans that make a faint sound that may be annoying.

• 3

  Select an ionizer that can receive air fresheners if you want your car to smell sweet. Some models feature a reservoir in which you can put fragrances. You simply switch on the air-freshener function to activate the feature.

• 4

  Install a second cigarette lighter adapter if you drive a larger vehicle, like a family van or an RV. The single ionizer up front can't treat the air all the way in the back; you'll need a second advice to treat the entire car.

• 5

  Clean your ionizer regularly to ensure that it remains effective. Eventually, the ionizer will become clogged with residue, so find a model that is easy to clean and maintain.