Getting rid of cigarette smell?

[dbonds]

After having my new (used to me) 2010 SHO for a couple of weeks (and the dealer "freshening" wearing off) I'm discovering the previous owner must of been a smoker as there is still residual smoke smell inside the car.

A quick search of the internet reveals dozens of ways to supposedly remove smoke smell from a car, but I figured I'd ask here as the majority of the stuff I've found involves buying some product (basically an ad site). I'm NOT opposed to buying something if it actually fixes the problem, but would like to hear from someone who has actually HAD success with a product, rather than the people selling the product.

So....has anyone had success getting smoke smell out of a car? What did you use?

 

[SHOmethewayhome]

try replacing the cabin air filter if the new SHOs have em

generally i used febreeze and several applications of it and scrubbed he headliner.

the smell you smell is from the tar in the tobacco, it's like a resin and just imbeds and stains everything.

it's why i generally dont smoke in rental cars, as I am a smoker.

in my pick up truck i'll smoke but my wife and kid rarely ride in it. I dont smoke in the wife's car.

 

[SHOrod]

When I purchased my 2004 Mountaineer a couple years ago, I noticed it had a smoke smell that became apparent after it sat in the parking lot at work on a sunny day. I scrubbed the floor mats with Simple Green as well as the carpet, then applied Febreeze to the headliner. Seemed okay until the Simple Green smell evaporated. Next I tried some Mequiars Odor Eliminiator. The automotive paint store only had it in gallon jugs so that's what I got, put it in a spray bottle and applied to the headliner and carpet. This stuff worked! It's been through two summers and no evidence of a cigarette smell.

-Rod

 

[mjhpadi]

Wwe have used OZIUM (or spelled something close to that) to eliminate some nasty odors in our house and it works seems to neutralize the odor quickly. Good luck with getting the smoke smell out, it can be pretty tough.

 

[Zrolimit]

I think Home Depot sells some cleaning/odor removing agents that might work. I can't remember the brand right now, but I'm checking in with a friend that has had the same issue in the past who found something that fixed it. You might even hit up a pet store to see if they have something like an odor remover for cats....might work better?!

Some tips though:

1.) Ensure all cleanable surfaces have either been cleaned or shampooed.
2.) Most of the odor you're probably smelling is when the air conditioner is turned on. Replacing the cabin filter will resolve some of that, but if the former driver was a heavy smoker there will still be residue in the vents that will need to be sprayed with an odor remover that has a cleaning agent.
3.) There are plenty of other things you can use to try and remove the odor which you've probably already read about: TSP, charcoal, vinegar, ammonia....although the latter two might be more of a nuisance than the smoke smell.

Sorry I can't help out more. I'm in the same boat as SHOmethewayhome, I smoke but not in any of my cars that the baby rides in.

 

[DJSHO91]

A good tip to help with persistent car smells is, after a thorough treatment with Fabreze, or similar products, take a couple newspaper pages. First crumple them up and spray them thoroughly with the same treatment spray. After they have dried for about 10 minutes, stick one crumpled page under each front seat. The newsprint acts like an air filter, collecting the odors, and the treatment helps to trap them there. After two weeks remove the papers. If the odor still remains try this again. Even after time, hot days may still bring out the smells again and you just have to be prepared to re-treat again.

Also, when you are initially spraying the car interior, try to spray directly into all vent and heating ducts. These are the areas where moister and mildew collect. Check for vents under the front seats and under the dash. These are the ones often missed.

 

[jobes]

Once we tackle the stinky smoke smell maybe something will work on the smelly used plastic smell. Its getting warm out and its smells just like new... stinky plastic.

 

[Vnuk1]

Friend bought a car that was in the garage of a house fire and smelled badly, purchased an Air Ionizer and left it in the vehicle for a few days and the smoke smell was gone. They can be had for cheap if you do some looking around. My parents also bought one for the house they bought to get rid of the musty smell in the basement it worked great I highly recommend them as opposed to using chemicals and cleaners on your upholstery..

 

[shaker281]

There is a faint odor in my used SHO. Not sure if it is the Miko "suede", the carpet cleaner that the dealership used on the mats or what. I like the fabreze on a newspaper idea. I'll try that.

Here is what is available from Meguiars:

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G2316

 

[Zrolimit]

Wonder if Odoreater inserts would work?!

 

[EZ56]

For non-cigarette smoke, in my old car, I would use this arm & hammer powder that you pour in the rugs, let sit for however long you please, then vacuum it up. the interior would smell very fresh afterward

 

[shaker281]

...Also, when you are initially spraying the car interior, try to spray directly into all vent and heating ducts. These are the areas where moister and mildew collect. Check for vents under the front seats and under the dash. These are the ones often missed.

Good point. Probably a good idea to run the heat/AC and spray into the inlet ducts. I believe that is how the pros do it.

 

[NP SHO]

I quit smoking for a while and the smell in my truck was driving me crazy. I used the Meguiar's Odor Eliminator and it works great. I sprayed everything in the truck liberally (seats, carpet, headliner, visors... pretty much everything except the windows) and closed all the windows and let the truck sit overnight. The next morning when I went out to the truck it smelled nice and clean. Depending on how strong the smell is to begin with it may need to be done more than once, but I highly recommend it!

 

[RonPorter]

After having my new (used to me) 2010 SHO for a couple of weeks (and the dealer "freshening" wearing off) I'm discovering the previous owner must of been a smoker as there is still residual smoke smell inside the car.

A quick search of the internet reveals dozens of ways to supposedly remove smoke smell from a car, but I figured I'd ask here as the majority of the stuff I've found involves buying some product (basically an ad site). I'm NOT opposed to buying something if it actually fixes the problem, but would like to hear from someone who has actually HAD success with a product, rather than the people selling the product.

So....has anyone had success getting smoke smell out of a car? What did you use?

Dave, contact Don Mallinson at his DC Car Care site:

http://www.dccarcare.com/

He had some stuff that he uses, and I don't recall what it is.

In the past, I have also used denatured alcohol. You can buy it by the gallon at Home Depot/Lowes/etc, and a cheap spray bottle. I first do a spray-n-scrub, then a spray and let it evaporate. Works decently well on carpet, headliners, cloth seat fabric, etc.

 

[danohall]

Interior Odor Treatement

Find a detail shop that has an ozone generator and take it to them. Leave it running for an hour or two inside the vehicle. Used it on my F250 that had been smoked in by one of the prior owners and now the smell is completely gone. All sprays/cleaners are just temporary band aids.

 

[dbonds]

Thanks all - went back to the dealer I purchased the car from, and they're going to run an ozone generator in it for a few hours on Monday. Plan on doing a cabin filter change at the same time and cleaning out the interior with ozium and meguiars odor elimator afterwards.

Hopefully this combo will clear it out - will let everyone know in a week or so. ;-)

 

[SterlingGraySHO]

I've had great results with this company's products.
http://www.fresh-wave.com/pages/Why-Fresh-Wave.html

 

[SHOstopper1992]

Truth is, once you start smoking in a car, its hard to get rid of the smell.

Best thing is replace the cabin air filter cause that has a re circulatory feature that recycles the air in the car if you have it on that setting.

Try Febreeze Products. They work.

Also Use the Turtle wax stuff that I posted in this thread.

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=116095

My SHO has absolutely no odor in it anymore, only the smell of the foam. Which is better than Cigs.

 

[Snorman]

Many years ago I bought a '93 Mustang GT. The car was immaculate, with the exception of being previously owned for a short time by a "smoker".
I basically disassmbled the entire interior, scrubbed the seats and carpets with a steam cleaner and wiped every surface down with soap and water. This was a weekend project, but the smoke smell was gone. I would guess that taking about the interior of a new SHO might be a bit more complicated, but you would probably get the same end result.
S.

 

[mjhpadi]

Don't forget the filters in the seats. If you have the heater/cooled seats, they too have filters. I'm betting if they were used at all while there was smoke in the car that they would trap the smell.