OT-ish: electrical air purifiers? deodourisers, ionizers etc?

[Lobster]

Our spare room doubles as a home gym (ie, the rowing machine lives in there) and there are complaints from overnight guests (ie, my mother - others are too polite) about the ambient residual aroma.

The window in there is open most of the time during the summer, but (so I'm told) it still doesn't really do the job, and in weather like it is now it's particularly awkward. So I was wondering about obtaining some form of electrical de-odourising device - I mean something which will actively filter out the niff, not just a plug-in air-freshener.

Is it right that these 'ionizer' devices are just snake oil? If so, what do they use in public gyms; do they just rely on turning over the air? Any suggestions?

If not it looks like time for an extractor fan through the wall, which I'd rather avoid...

Thanks

[Chris Hogg]

SWMBO swears by 'Oust' for shifting smells (it's an aerosol spray, if you've not come across it), but whether it deals with persistent smells I don't know. But I'm a bit surprised that mere sweaty body smells should be persistent, and it suggests something has been impregnated with mould or whatever. Perhaps, being an unused spare bedroom, it gets a bit cold and damp in there, and a dehumidifier might be a better solution.

Dry-rot has a fungal smell. Could it be that, under the floorboards, for example?

[Brian Gaff]

Blimey, there must be some serious bacteria digesting the sweat is all I'll say!

grin Brian

[polygonum]

IMHO ionisers work in the sense that they help to precipitate out fine black particles from the air. But have never noticed any odour-changing qualities - but I only have a very simple, cheap one, not one of the fancy boxes.

[Owain]

Ozone generator?

[usenet2012]

In message , Lobster writes

Perhaps consider a stick air-freshener such as these from Zara Home:

can choose how many of the porous sticks to use. IME using all of them is unnecessary for any but the largest room and, while expensive, with fewer sticks one'll last quite a while.

(The gym I use does indeed seem to have a high air throughput.)

[Lobster]

Well, interesting. Have to say I really don't notice the smell myself (but that's classic for BO, isn't it). But TBH, now I think about it and it's been pointed out, maybe it is odd that it persists in my absence, ie long after the source of the odour (me) has been removed. It's not as if I exude anything other than vapour into the room; I don't drip, or leave any sweaty clothes etc behind. Maybe I'll try the dehumidifier for a bit and see what that does...