How to remove smoke smell from car?

[riley2008]

On some vehicles there is a changeable filter as part of the a/c system It's kind of like a tiny furnace filter. I can tell when ours needs changing because it will start to smell moldy. The air blowing through the vents on me carries that smell with it right into my face. I would think the same would be true if the filter and system were filled with smoke smell. Just think of it this way -- if you bought a house from a smoker, you could paint and clean everything you can see, but about in the duct work and hvac? To really get it clean, you'd have to have duct cleaning service come out and also have your hvac professionally cleaned. Aside from looking into the vent filter, you might contact a company like Servicemaster and see if they sell anything you could try or even a janitorial supply. They sometimes have products that are stronger than what you can get at a place like Target. Good luck!

Yes! Don't forget to change the cabin air filter if you can. I have a Honda Pilot and found a great website with step-by-step do-it-yourself instructions.

 

[niklynn1]

Thanks for the advice. I'm a bit discouraged, but I'll try some of these things.

 

[mrsklamc]

If it makes you feel any better, at least you didn't waste the money having it professionally cleaned. We did and it still stinks.

 

[sashalovesyou]

my car has a crayon smell(as with most used VWs) and I got it out for the most part. I bought the auto febreze and sprayed my car like a mad woman, i even put the nozzle on my seat and sprayed every so often. Then I took fabric cleaner and sprayed the seats like a mad woman again. Then a touch more febreze. I then steam cleaned my car(the same spot like 5 times in a row) Then a touch of febreze. I think i did that a few times. Now i have a bath and body works air freshener in my car and can barely smell the crayons.
I would do like everyone suggested then steam clean it.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

Try Fresh Wave. They sell it at Bed, Bath & Beyond in several forms - I'd get the spray. It is amazing.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Charcoal works great. We bought a used car that riked of smoke. I used a few butter bowls and put four- five pieces of charcoal in the bowls. I changed the charcoal daily and within 5 days the smell was gone!

One other thing make sure to wipe the interior down with vinegar including the windows. You want to get the nicotine off of the dashboards and such.

 

[aprilgail2]

When looking at cars at Carmax, I fell in love with a car that smelled like smoke. The sells person said that she was a smoker and they could do all kinds of treatments but unfortunately the smell would always be there. Especially on hot days! So I had to pass. I hope you find a miracle!

Remember it is even in the vents!

If it makes you feel any better, at least you didn't waste the money having it professionally cleaned. We did and it still stinks.

I agree- my dad bought a company car from his job and it smelled so bad he tried to get it professionally cleaned but it still stunk, especially in the warmer weather- ended up being a short lived car for us, sold it quick and bought a car from a non smoker!

 

[Disneyaunt4]

I have used Febreze spray and it seems to kill the smell of my sons smoking and freshens the seats and carpets.

Ian

I used the same thing when I quit smoking and it worked in my car. I smoked a lot in the car. Had to do it a few times but it did work

 

[IADtoMCO304]

Don't forget to clean the headliner. My truck was smoked in before I bought it. I used my little Bissel carpet cleaner and cleaned the seats, carpets, and the headliner then followed that up with some new car smell spray and that did the trick. Good luck!

 

[dcfromva]

Wow! This thread was started 2 years ago.
I wonder if the OP was able to get the smoke smell out of her daugher's car?

 

[luvdzny]

DD and her DH found a SUV they loved, it was only 2 year old, but it was a smoker's vehicle. The dealer tried all the tricks to get the smoke smell out, no luck. As a previous poster said, they were told that there was really nothing that would completely take the smoke smell away. Hot days are the worst too. They did not buy the SUV. Good luck!

 

[4HppyCamprs]

you can put oatmeal, not the instant kind, in a dish or sprinkle on the floor boards and it will absorb some of the smell. Coffee beans also work and leave a good smell, I like the vanilla or caramel flavored beans. Be sure to use the whole beans not ground coffee. Both these should work some but may not take out all the smell. An air purifier left on in the car over night will work some also. Just make sure its not going to rain that night because the extension cord will be in a cracked window.

Hope it helps!

Kinda funny but I was just about to suggest ground coffee as that is what is suggested for removing smells like mildew in the basement lol

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[geckodani]

I was going to suggest spraying with vodka. Mythbusters did a test with vodka to remove smoke smell and it went well, and professional theater companies use it to deodorize costumes etc.

 

[Sonya Lee]

We had a car like that. It was so hard to get rid of it. Windows down, Febreeze and a professional cleaning and it was better but it was always still there. We sold it after 6 months.

 

[NotUrsula]

I know this is an old thread, but just in case anyone is still interested ...

Scrape the interior of the windows with a blade. Nicotine forms a film on the windows and other hard surfaces, and it is like paint; the only way to get it off glass is to scrape it. Run a razor over an out-of-the way patch of glass, and if it scrapes up yellow residue, you have a nicotine film issue.

Also, FWIW, it is not hugely expensive to have the seats of a car reupholstered and the headliner and carpet replaced. If you are stuck with an otherwise good car that reeks, it would probably be worth it to have the soft surfaces replaced, rather than replacing the car.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Wow I was the last one to post on this thread that is 2 years old. Like PP said I wonder if the OP got the smell out

 

[pixiedustaholic]

I didn't have time to read all of the responses but wanted to suggest a couple of things. Did you clean the headliner? You have to be VERY careful as sometimes, especially in older cars, they will sag if you clean them improperly. The headliner might be the culprit.

Also, does the vehicle have a cabin air filter (filters the air you breath inside the car)? If so, replace it.

I discovered a dead animal in a vehicle we had parked in our back yard in the middle of the summer heat. The smell was absolutely revolting. After trying many, many things, the solution was chlorine tablets. We set a bowl with a couple of chlorine tablets (used in swimming pools) in the vehicle for a few days. The smell was gone after that. It absorbed the odors somehow.

Good luck! I hate smoke smell.