How to get smoke smell out of a car

Colonel Panic

Colonel Panic

Well-known member
I'm thinking about taking advantage of a good deal on a used car. Only caveat is the previous owner was a chain smoker.:Drogar-Smoke(DBG)::Drogar-Smoke(DBG)::Drogar-Smoke(DBG):

Anyone had luck with any home remedies?

Thanks
 
I bought an 87 Fleetwood Brougham that had the same issue. I tried febreze and all types of other wal-mart solutions and eventually the smell came back. Basically I took it to a professional detailer and he took out the seats to get the entire rug, shampooed the head liner, completely scrubbed that car down with that professional stuff and it smelled great. Never came back. It cost me about $200.00 but the smell was so rancid from 30 years of smoke It was worth it.


You could probably do that stuff yourself but I suck at car everything.
 
If you got that work for $200 you got off light. I do car detailing at a pretty high level and I'd certainly charge more.

Remove seats
Shampoo seats, carpet, headliner
Change cabin air filter if there is one
Normal full interior detail
Potential ozone treatment


This is not something I'd put in the hands of a home user if it's to be done right. The tools and supplies will cost you more than taking it to a pro to be done. A decent hot water extractor (to pull that stuff out of carpet and upholstery) is going to be $600-$1k. Even if you got one of the Bissel Little Green Machines that would half do the job, that would cost $100+.
 
Got in a guys car a few weeks back and whilst he wasnt smoking when he was driving that day, the stale stench for the 20 minute drive made me nauseous to the point that when I got out the first hour of work was a nightmare.

My point being, if you dont have a full plan of attack to kill the smell, I just wouldnt go down that path.
 
My friend bought a pretty new Escalade from a police acution for dirt cheap. The only catch was their was blood stains all over the ceiling and back seat. If he was able to get that out im sure you can get the smoke stains out if the deal is good enough.
 
drive with the windows down until you have approx 294,467 miles on the ODO.

i am an avid, if not enthusiastic smoker. my wife can always tell when i've smoked in our (pristine, albeit KIA)car. good luck.
 
Over here it is common for used car dealers to have a Ozone generator a few hours or even over night running in the car.

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent and get´s any smell (even that fish under the seat odor) out of the car amazingly good.
After that you shampoo seats/carpet/headliner and vacuum everything - et voila, like new.

Frank
 
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