Get rid of cigarette smell from car

Get rid of cigarette smell from car

Author
Discussion

Smongles

Original Poster:

6 posts

128 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all
I've picked up a 2nd hand car this weekend (though only 3 yrs old) and the interior stinks of cigarette smoke. I've tried Fabreze but it's still there and strong.
Has anybody got any tips to get rid of it.
I've seen every thing from cloberiser to coffe beans to putting a dead hooker in the boot in my research.

Thanks

cheddar

4,637 posts

173 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all
Antibacterial spray, one with 'anti smoke' written on it and change the cabin filter

Winky151

1,267 posts

140 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all
Couple of stages to go through.

1. Find a car odour 'bomb' e.g. http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/air-fresheners/dakot...
2. Clean the air con system through as the stale smell will be in there too - I use these http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/...
3. As said above change the cabin filter.

I'd then finish with good old Shake 'n' Vac & a good hoover including the headlining & don't forget to clean all the glass as the nicotine will be on the glass (never smoked myself but grew up in a family of smokers so I've first hand experience of the staining cigarette smoke makes).

Smongles

Original Poster:

6 posts

128 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all
Cheers. Will give it a go.

Used a whole bottle of fabreeze and some baking soda wipes on the plastic so will now do the bomb and air con.

Wacky Racer

38,100 posts

246 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all
you need a steamer. i did my car took me 3 times, the cloth was black after steaming. Then I use d an odour bomb. it is not easy but can be done. i used a a karrcher sc1.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all


That should do it...

R E S T E C P

660 posts

104 months

Monday 5th December 2016
quotequote all
I concur with mybrainhurts.

I looked at a car earlier this year which fit all of my needs, was local and well priced. I desperately wanted it - but it stank of cigarette smoke and that was a deal-breaker for me.

I emailed about 10 local car valeting places, some of which specialised on odour removal and were very expensive. More than half replied with "if you can't live with cigarette smoke, don't buy it, you'll never get it out".
The rest said they could make it significantly better but will not remove it 100%.

After much Googling, I'm fairly confident that with a few days of intensive work I could have made it OK... But it was too much work and ultimately I didn't want to take the risk.

If you're gonna do it, then as a minimum you'll want to:
- Steam clean the head-lining, several times. I've seen videos on YouTube where a steam-vac device with cleaning chemicals worked fairly well. This is the worst bit for cigarette smells so potentially you might want to replace the head-lining altogether.
- Remove all seats and steam-clean both the seats and the carpets underneath.
- Thoroughly clean all interior plastics/glass/rubber
- Replace interior air filter
- Use an air-con air-freshener/anti-bacterial thing to try and clean the air pipes, but to do a proper job you'll need to access all of the pipes and clean manually
- If the smell is still too strong (or comes back after a few weeks - as everyone says it will), then hire an ozone generator to reach the bits that you weren't able to. There are reports that they deteriorate rubber/plastic bits in car interiors, but a single use should be fine.

Dennis99

308 posts

162 months

Monday 5th December 2016
quotequote all
Ozone generator.

Davel

8,982 posts

257 months

Monday 5th December 2016
quotequote all
To be honest, I don't think that you will ever truly get rid of the smell.

I always avoid cars where a previous owner has smoked in it. There are normally lots about these days.

Smongles

Original Poster:

6 posts

128 months

Tuesday 6th December 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for the tips.

Cleaned inside with baking soda wipes. Cleaned all glass properly then re fabreezes the headlining. It's black so I don't want to put white powder all over it.

Then I used a maguires air refreshener bomb as I didn't want to wait for a delivery and it goes through the air con system.

Followed instructions from the web site rather than pack and it went well. A bit chemically but has died down a bit. Smell of cigarettes gone though air is still a bit 'heavy'.

Will change the cabin filters at the weekend and may do another maguires. Not completely gone. Had a passenger in the car who said it smelt nice though so can't be too bad.

Think I'll always smell it though!!

Johnnybee

2,279 posts

220 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
I used this in a Mini we bought for my wife.



This was after we returned the car to the Mini dealer twice after they promised that the smell of smoke we mentioned on the test drive would be no problem for their valeting department. The Dakota non smoke is an aerosol and after two applications there is absolutely no smell of smoke or chemicals, and I have the sense of smell of a bloodhound smile

Alex_225

6,235 posts

200 months

Sunday 1st January 2017
quotequote all
I had this kind of fun with the SL my other half bought in the summer. Obviously with the roof up and down and windows open the smell wasn't so obvious. Not until we parked it up over night and got in it, could really smell the smoke.

My course of action was cleaning all the plastics inside and the leather seats thoroughly. Binned the old mats and replaces those but that was a default anyway. I actually steam cleaned the carpets as well, plus I used a deodoriser can which Meguiars do.



The smell lingered a tiny bit after all that and now you'd never know. smile

55palfers

5,893 posts

163 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
quotequote all
Bought some of the Dakota.

Smoke smell is less noticeable due to the car smelling like a cross between a Maltese brothel and a newly cleaned public toilet.

Hope it fades.

V40Vinnie

863 posts

118 months

Monday 13th February 2017
quotequote all
55palfers said:
Bought some of the Dakota.

Smoke smell is less noticeable due to the car smelling like a cross between a Maltese brothel and a newly cleaned public toilet.

Hope it fades.
Rent a rug doctor. It made a massive difference in my car.

Calvin_Fuss

5 posts

76 months

Wednesday 29th November 2017
quotequote all


This product called AirVidox works like a charm. Bought a 2005 X5 which smelt horrendous of cigarette smoke. Took the smoke smell away completely.

Calza

1,980 posts

114 months

Saturday 16th October 2021
quotequote all
Winky151 said:
Couple of stages to go through.

1. Find a car odour 'bomb' e.g. http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/air-fresheners/dakot...
2. Clean the air con system through as the stale smell will be in there too - I use these http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/...
3. As said above change the cabin filter.

I'd then finish with good old Shake 'n' Vac & a good hoover including the headlining & don't forget to clean all the glass as the nicotine will be on the glass (never smoked myself but grew up in a family of smokers so I've first hand experience of the staining cigarette smoke makes).
Sorry to dig up an old thread, but no point creating new. New car incoming with a bit of a smokey smell. Got the bomb, cleaner and cabin filters on the way. Is the order above the best way to do it and does it matter if there is a gap between them or not?

Calza

1,980 posts

114 months

Sunday 17th October 2021
quotequote all
Trying for this first.



Reckon cabin filter then immediately cleanser then a bomb after a bit it a drive and air.

bobsavage789

647 posts

53 months

Friday 5th November 2021
quotequote all
Calza said:
Trying for this first.



Reckon cabin filter then immediately cleanser then a bomb after a bit it a drive and air.
How did you get on? My new (to me) X350 XJ smells like pipe tobacco/smoke. I quite like it, but the missus is less keen…

Calza

1,980 posts

114 months

Friday 5th November 2021
quotequote all
Left it smelling cleaner, and with nice scent - but still smokey, if that in any way make sense.

Next up I tried the airvidox over night:



So far I think it may have worked. Car still has a neutral / chlorine smell about it but I haven't picked up any smoke yet. It's only been 10 days but I've done 4 journeys (2x 15 mins and 2 x 60 mins) and the smell is consistent.

I'm holding out hope and if it doesn't return I'll whack another bomb in there (though they do make a right fking mess).