bestfromnw

how to get cigarette smell out of the car?
previous owner smoked like a chimney in the car, at least thats what i think, and it stinks horribel in the car, no air fresheners help. i think that the smell got into the carpets, headligner, leather seats etc!!!! i hate the damn smell

any ideas on what to use to get this stink out?


thanks guys

mex lex

iTrader: (4)

I forgot what we sprayed our GS with, but overtime it will go away. It took a while before the smell completely went away.

tuan92129

I don't think there is any other option to remove all of the cigarette smell unless you replace the carpets, headliner, and floormats.

You can have the carpet professionally extracted..but i don't think you can do much with the headliner.

flipicanez

iTrader: (1)

bestfromnw, does the ashtray show signs of use? If there is that may be your problem.

You can clean everywhere, carpets, headliner, seats or whatever. What the hardest thing to clean is inside the dash. When the ashtray becomes used, the smoke and tar go up into the dash, its impossible to clean it out. You could have the stereo removed and spray some Ozium spray inside (found at AutoZone or PepBoys).

Also check your cabin air filter to see if its dirty. You may just have stale standing air in there. Pull it out and make yourself a carbon filter to fit within the filter frame. The carbon will get to most of the odor. You can get the filter from Home Depot, then cut out a section of it to fit.

I smoke like a chimney in my car, but the car smells good 2 minutes after extinguishing. I never use the ashtray because of this problem.

Jewcano

iTrader: (4)

If you have what I have, nothing will help it. We had took my car to the guys who clean homes after fires, and he ran his Ozone Machine in my car for 3 hours. It helped for about a week, and the smell came right back

Lexucan

^^ yeah, since smoke rises, most of the particulate (and smell) will be in the headliner which is a b*t*h to clean.

mikes rx

iTrader: (14)

Put some Arm and Hammer in a tupperware container (without lid) and place it on the floorboard. That should help absorb some of the smell.

BTW, this is not a quick remedy. It takes a few weeks, and you may have to replace the baking soda a few times.

tuan92129

I don't know if this process helps with inorganic smells...
but i know there are ozone treatments to neutralize odors too?

PaPaHoFF

iTrader: (19)

Meguiars odor elimination. Just spray away and the smell should be gone. Repeat if necessary.

bestfromnw

thanks guys. where if cabin filter located at?

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

I hear good things about steam machines when it comes to cigarette smoke. I myself havent used the method as my car has never been smoked in, but it has been rumored to work well. You might want to try that on your headliner if a friend or relative has one you can borrow.

tcrow31

iTrader: (6)

Meguiars odor elimination for the interior. It will take a week of spraying once a day and leaving the windows open, but also the stink is gonna be in your ac vents. Go to the auto parts store and go to the ac section and they should have ac vent detergent/cleaner. Just follow the directions and it will help a lot.

PaPaHoFF

iTrader: (19)

Steam cleaning the headliner is risky. It could melt off the glue etc. It has been done but you have to watch the heat levels.

Neofate

iTrader: (1)

You need to use a product that will neutralize the cig. odor. Masking it will not permenantly solve your problem. Cleaning it often futile because you cannot get in all the areas the smoke has traveled to.

So you have to get another product that will eminate in all areas of the cabin, all crevaces , creases, cracks, behind dash , in headliner etc. Then by process of chemical reaction it should break down the smokey smell.

Many common products that will acheive this to some degree, and a mix of several will probably be your best result. It doesn't necessarily have to be something designed to eliminate cig. smoke either -- Pet odor products and so on can work just as well or better.

This isn't to say don't clean everything you can,.. but along with that cleaning try to do the above. --You can successfully get the smell out in time.

I'm sure your ashtray is empty, but double check all of them -- Clean them again, and replace the cigarette lighters in the car,.. or at the very minimum let the ends of them soak in some heavy chemicals. (Of course if they weren't used, no need).

Good luck! -- I am a smoker, but do not smoke in my Lexus. -- First car I've made myself not smoke in. Just isn't right!

j stuff

iTrader: (5)

+1 about the ashtray. Make sure to clean them or just throw them away which I did.

Also the air filter was gross, make sure to clean around the area and get a new one.