Cigarette smoke odor removal

[WheelmanSS]

Hey yo,

I recently picked up a nice 2005 Ford Explorer for a daily driver / winter car / parts hauler / towing.

The car is black with black leather interior. Overall, the car is very good condition. The only issue is that the previous owner was a heavy smoker, so that smell is lingering a bit.

What can I do to remove cigarette smoke odor?

Things I have already done:

- Adam's Leather cleaner the dash, door panels, front and rear seat, rear-area vinyl.

- Zaino leather softener for front and back seats.

- Zaino leather conditioner for front and back seats.

- Washed and Adams carpet and upholstery cleaner for all four floor mats.

I leave the windows open when I can take the car to my secured work parking lot to let it air out. The combination of that and the things above have helped to reduce the odor, but I am looking for way to virtually eliminate it.

I also have a coworker who is going to loan me his carpet steamer. Might give that a go depending on the area it can cover.

[Angelo@Autopia]

Remember that all that smoke has got into every part of the interior of the vehicle. Don't forget to get a new interior filter and the headliner might need some help also by the driver side. Once you have all the cleaning and using your friends machine you might want to find ( rent ) or borrow a Ozone Generator, that will help alot in these case's. A Ozone Generator will create O3, or which is call ozone, which disburses into the space of the vehicle to be treated. It will attack those odor causing substance's at their source to remove these odors in the treatment area. BTW the forget to place a soap dish under the seat with a soap bar when it's all done.

[The Stig]

Kitty litter, and before you bash - yes I'm serious.

[Xedes]

Ozium always worked for me.

[OBSSEST]

You can reduce it with some of the aforementioned stuff, or you can cover the odor with all sorts of air fresheners, but there is NO WAY to eliminate it.

If you are extremely sensitive or botherer by it, like I am, save yourself the hassle and sell the vehicle. Hopefully you got a good price, because smoke odor kills resale value.

I know some people barely notice smoke odor, but It's the FIRST thing I notice when I open a car door.

[WheelmanSS]

Originally Posted by Angelo@Autopia

Remember that all that smoke has got into every part of the interior of the vehicle. Don't forget to get a new interior filter and the headliner might need some help also by the driver side. Once you have all the cleaning and using your friends machine you might want to find ( rent ) or borrow a Ozone Generator, that will help alot in these case's. A Ozone Generator will create O3, or which is call ozone, which disburses into the space of the vehicle to be treated. It will attack those odor causing substance's at their source to remove these odors in the treatment area. BTW the forget to place a soap dish under the seat with a soap bar when it's all done.

Thank you. A lot of those sound like great ideas, but also rather expensive. What cost do you anticipate on some of those options? (filter replacement, ozone generator)

Originally Posted by stieger

Kitty litter, and before you bash - yes I'm serious.

Intriguing. What is the process? Spread it out then vacuum it up?

Originally Posted by Xedes

Ozium always worked for me.

Is that a spray or something?

Originally Posted by OBSSEST

If you are extremely sensitive or botherer by it, like I am, save yourself the hassle and sell the vehicle. Hopefully you got a good price, because smoke odor kills resale value.

I know some people barely notice smoke odor, but It's the FIRST thing I notice when I open a car door.

I notice it a lot, and I am mildly allergic to it. But I bought the car less than a week ago and got a great deal. I'm certainly not selling it.


Thanks all.

[Mishimoto]

If they used the ashtrays, take them out and clean them multiple times. Then have the joy of cleaning all the ashes and butts that fell behind it...

[Angelo@Autopia]

If you check out the renter shops in the greater Chicago area you might find one to rent and maybe spent 50-75 bucks for 24 hrs. The filter is around 20-40 bucks, try Ebay for one.

[retmil]

Try baking soda on paper plates throughout the vehicle for a few days. It will soak up some of the odor (but not all) and is really cheap.

[Lil' Nasty]

A bucket of damprid might help

[ENV US]

Once you have cleaned and ozoneed it. Put a couple of drops of baby oil into the intake vents of the HAVC system. That will help, but you will never get it all out.

[twentytwelvebee]

a cup of apple cider vinegar will absorb the smell

[babytiger]

If you have the space, park the vehicle in direct sunlight with all the doors opened. If you can do this for a solid day or two it will work wonders.
It actually helps with any odor. It may not eliminate it, but the method is free. Good luck.

[Todd@Autopia]

Originally Posted by WheelmanSS

Hey yo,

I recently picked up a nice 2005 Ford Explorer for a daily driver / winter car / parts hauler / towing.

The car is black with black leather interior. Overall, the car is very good condition. The only issue is that the previous owner was a heavy smoker, so that smell is lingering a bit.

What can I do to remove cigarette smoke odor?

Things I have already done:

- Adam's Leather cleaner the dash, door panels, front and rear seat, rear-area vinyl.

- Zaino leather softener for front and back seats.

- Zaino leather conditioner for front and back seats.

- Washed and Adams carpet and upholstery cleaner for all four floor mats.

I leave the windows open when I can take the car to my secured work parking lot to let it air out. The combination of that and the things above have helped to reduce the odor, but I am looking for way to virtually eliminate it.

I also have a coworker who is going to loan me his carpet steamer. Might give that a go depending on the area it can cover.

The first step is going to be to thoroughly clean EVERY single part of the interior.

It sounds like you are on the right track by cleaning the the vinyl and leather, but we have to go deeper.

For your carpet, you need vacuum it like you have never vacuumed before. Vacuum every square inch, then take a carpet brush, and lightly brush the carpet. The brushing will help pull any particles that have buried themselves in deep in the carpet's pile upward. Vacuum again and repeat. You may be surprised at how much 'smoke odor' you smell when you start to brush.

Next, use a treatment like 1Z Kilma Cleaner- to clean the air conditioning system. This product features a flexible extended hose nozzle that allows it to be placed into the air conditioning vents and dispensed. Follow the directions (including how to run the A/C).

After using change your cabin air filter.

Almost there. Back to the carpets and interior. Shampoo/Steam the carpets. Clean your headliner. I personally would not recommending using a steamer on the headliner because if it get's too hot/too wet it can loosen the glue that bonds the fabric to the foam backing. Instead use a diluted APC and a damp cloth to gently wipe the headliner.

Remove all items from the interior and clean all compartments, glove box, cup holder, seat rails, everything...

Two steps left...

Next, use backing soda. Place some damp backing soda onto a paper plate and allow to set for at least 1 day (more is better) with the windows up. Damp backing soda is more absorbent. Sprinkle some dry backing soda on your floor mats and allow to dwell as long as possible.

Finally, remove the backing soda from the interior and use an odor bomb. I really like Detailer's New Leather Dual Action Odor Eliminator. Spray a liberal amount, close the doors, and allow to sit over night.

At this point you should a completely odor free interior that smells fresh and clean.

I hope this helps.