Getting Cigarette Smoke out

[VK56VD]

I've recently helped a friend acquire a vehicle where the previous owner was a heavy smoker. We cleaned it up and vacuumed it very well, including wiping everything off, cleaning the windows and cleaning and conditioning the leather with leather products. The smell is still present.

I know shampooing the entire interior may help but we're not ready for that step yet.

I've put baking soda in a few plastic containers and set the containers without the lids on the floor in the front and rear. I've also poured some vinegar in separate containers and also positioned them throughout the car.

The first night I did this, it seemed to work where the next morning the car had a strong smell of vinegar and all of the smell was gone. However, I think the vinegar was just masking it.

The baking soda I used was old that was in my fridge to keep odors out.

Will buying new baking soda help as this one is no longer absorbing odors or is there no such thing as baking soda absorbing everything it could and no longer doing its job? Same question as far as the vinegar. If it has absorbed everything it could, is it pointless leaving it in there over night? Should these be dumped after every use or can I continue to re-use for absorbing the odors?

Any other natural remedies one can recommend? I've read that cutting an apple and leaving it in the car will also absorb. Is this true?

Any other advice?

 

[paulo57509]

Back in the day, a friend of mine bought an '86 RX7 that was owned by a heavy smoker.

Even after a professional detail the car reeked of smoke. I think your friend is out of luck.

I think I've read someplace that coffee grounds are more effective than soda.

https://www.google.com/search?q=coffee+gounds+to+absorb+cigarette+odors&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a

 

[eljefino]

Best thing is to take the seats and carpet out, then bathe the carpet. Slap it on your driveway in a low spot, hose it down, then grind in the cleaner of your choice, then jam it in and run a shop vac over it. Lather, rinse, repeat. As for the seats, go a little less drastic. Unfortunately smoke gets into the foam and won't completely leave.

Let all this stuff bake outside on a hot summer day.

 

[raytseng]

I know you already vacuumed,
but sprinkle a LOT of new baking soda over all the carpet, and leave it there for a couple days. That'll work a lot better than containers. Then vacuum it up again.

If you want to go more drastic and a shampooing option, combine the vinegar/baking soda to make a lathering foam, get that over everything.
As mentioned above, if you can take out the mats, you can wash those thoroughly with wet. You can also cut your losses and buy new mats

Google your question and you'll get lots of other suggestions. You can also google "get rid of skunk smell" and try those same techniques on the car.

Even if you're spritzing vinegar/baking soda solution onto your carpet, that's got to beat the smoke smell.

 

[Ndx]

Ozonator 100% cleanup not cover up

 

[Cujet]

I purchased a smokers car to overhaul and refinish and turn into a hot rod. I recovered the seats, installed a new headliner, washed and re-dyed the carpets, and so on. It was much improved, but never gone.

I drove it for years. Always with the windows down, as the smell was ever present.

I think an ozone generator might have helped.

 

[Dufus2]

Have you tried an Ozium Bomb? Spray ozium air sanitizer in the car and seal it up for hours. Spray it in the A/C vents and on fabric. Find it with air fresheners in an aresol can. It's supposed to eliminate smoke odors, it may be worth spending a few bucks.

 

[mrsilv04]

My first car had been previously owned by a smoker.

I left the windows down for about a month. I was able to park it inside a garage at night, and the windows were down at night as well. The windows only went up for rain.

I lived out in the country, and would park it so the wind would blow through the car during the day.

Leaving the windows down had the most impact.

 

[cheesepuffs]

Clean your windows, vacuum your interior including the ashtray if it has one, wipe all vinyl with a vinyl and dash cleaner/protectant, and then spray every part of fabric thoroughly with Febreeze Auto and it'll be fresh as new. I know that's hard to believe but it worked for me.

 

[sasilverbullet]

Febreeze - do it a few times, get the unscented kind.

 

[Chris142]

Its very possible that ashes are on the heater and evaporator. If you dont pull those and clean them it wil always stink,

 

[Sawdusted]

Sorry to disappoint, you will never get out out. You can lessen the smell with the remedies mentioned above but anything short of gas and a match will only lessen but never eliminate the smell.

 

[Hermann]

Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet
Febreeze - do it a few times, get the unscented kind.


I believe it is called "Neutralizer"

 

[ClutchDisc]

Originally Posted By: Sawdusted
Sorry to disappoint, you will never get out out. You can lessen the smell with the remedies mentioned above but anything short of gas and a match will only lessen but never eliminate the smell.

Not true...I've done it with two cars and you would never ever know they were smoked in.

 

[beanoil]

Originally Posted By: Ndx
Ozonator 100% cleanup not cover up

^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^

 

[Tdbo]

Febreze, a tray of cat litter spread out in the back seat and time have helped improve the quality of a vehicle that I owned in the past and the Ranger that I presently own. IMO, the best way to truly destroy a vehicle is to smoke in it.

 

[cptbarkey]

i recently went through this. this is what i did:

1. took the seats out.
2. vaccumed the car twice.
3. shampoo'd the carpet with resolve (walmart)
4. vaccumed the car again.
5. shampoo'd the carpet with resolve again (walmart)
6. 409'd the entire interior of the car. everything, windows, plastic, everything.
7. bought a $100 ozone generator from ebay, left it running inside for 75 minutes.

after a week of airing the car out (ozone itself smells)
, the smoke smell is completely gone.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
i recently went through this. this is what i did:

1. took the seats out.
2. vaccumed the car twice.
3. shampoo'd the carpet with resolve (walmart)
4. vaccumed the car again.
5. shampoo'd the carpet with resolve again (walmart)
6. 409'd the entire interior of the car. everything, windows, plastic, everything.
7. bought a $100 ozone generator from ebay, left it running inside for 75 minutes.

after a week of airing the car out (ozone itself smells)
, the smoke smell is completely gone.


There you go, in spite of the naysayers it can be done...

My old F-150 stunk when I bought it and I basically did same without the ozone generator(no I'm not discounting it's effectiveness)... I Removed seat and cleaned it with resolve, then let it set outside in sun for a few days... Wiped down everything a couple times, pressured washed the carpet and replaced sagging headliner... Doesn't smell...

 

[artificialist]

My dad used Zep Smoke Odor eliminator to clean an apartment that belonged to a cigar smoker. It did work.

I'm not sure how well it will clean a car.

If the A/C smells bad, there are chemicals that you can spray down the vents to destroy odors, but I am not sure if they have an effect on smoke. You will also have to spray such chemicals up the places that the AC draws fresh and recirculated air.

The worst smelling car I worked on belonged to someone who smoked grape flavored cigars.

 

[Merkava_4]

The smoke seeps into the vinyl wiring insulation; you'll never get that out.