Cigarette smoke in car - Anti Smell help?

[grizz]

What a horrid and unimaginative title.

A friend recently bought a reasonably modern "sensible" car, as the fast, not too practical cars had to go with the arrival of his baby daughter.

The price was right, car very tidy, but unfortunately it has been smoked in in the past.

Any ideas for really effective odour removal?

I understand there is something in the USA, used by dealers, but not available in the UK, which works a bit like a Room fogger.

I hope this falls within the reference of a Retro Rides type question.

My 1982 Ford Cortina Pickup had been a smokers car too, and I could never get rid of the smell.



As a motivation and pennance, here are some retro-ish pics.

[rmad]

bit.ly/AvMYmZ

[trouble]

Your local good valeter will be able to help, thats for sure.

[v8ian]

Fabreze spray?? gets rid of the smell of my dog

[damien4884]

I've cleaned a few headlinings/interiors with foaming spray cleaner,light scrub with a nail brush (carefully if its fuzzy) then hoover it off, the foams gets into the material and cleans and the hoover sucks it all back out. Make sure whole car is cleaned well as ash gets everywhere!!

Couple of cans of generic car upholstery cleaner will do wonders.

[alex77]

had the problem with the rasheen in the end removed the seats and the carpet and mats and pressure washed them and shampooed the headlining was done with form spray and the rest with air freshner can made into a "BOMB" with gaffer tape holding the nozzle down and placing in rear footwell slamming door and running away . Got to leave it while before you driving after that

[OVY871]

Mar 13, 2012 20:17:35 GMT alex77 said:

had the problem with the rasheen in the end removed the seats and the carpet and mats and pressure washed them and shampooed the headlining was done with form spray and the rest with air freshner can made into a "BOMB" with gaffer tape holding the nozzle down and placing in rear footwell slamming door and running away . Got to leave it while before you driving after that

Fingers crossed you don't have any loose damaged wires when you do it aswell ;D

[alex77]

Mar 13, 2012 21:50:50 GMT OVY871 said:

Mar 13, 2012 20:17:35 GMT alex77 said:

had the problem with the rasheen in the end removed the seats and the carpet and mats and pressure washed them and shampooed the headlining was done with form spray and the rest with air freshner can made into a "BOMB" with gaffer tape holding the nozzle down and placing in rear footwell slamming door and running away . Got to leave it while before you driving after that

Fingers crossed you don't have any loose damaged wires when you do it aswell ;D

you right should not be encouraged

[monkeytennis]

I have a similar problem, I have managed to get rid of the smell Inside the carr. But after driving my hands absolutley stink of fags,... I've scrubbed and scrubbed the steering wheel and gear knob,.. doesn't seem to really help.

tricky one!

[tickman]

I was recommended this:
www.amazon.co.uk/HG-Eliminator-Unpleasant-Smells-Source/dp/B000IU3W8Y/ref=sr_1_45?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1331730998&sr=1-45

I have not tried it yet but was told by someone who had used it for smoke smell in a car that it worked wonders!

John

[bigman1207]

My Talivan (townace) had a smilar smell of smoke....so I beat smoke with smoke i used a cone type incense er cone sandlewood i think and bombed the car....car filled with the smell of sandlewood and lasts approx a week not intrusive just a a subtle odor but no cig smell.

cheers

BM

[hamps]

Foam clean the headlining, seats and carpets then let one of these bad boys off, with the blowers on full, at re-circulation,

www.perfectlycleaned.co.uk/dakota-odour-bomb-fogger-new-car-scent-922-p.asp

[ChasR]

A wet vac should also help on the seats (if velour/cloth) and carpets. Taking the seats out to doing where the feet do not get to also work wonders.

[Jizmondo Scrotmondo]

Some decent carpet and upholstery cleaner which I'd apply with a spray bottle, soft scrubbing brush for seats, hot water and a wet vac to suck it out.

The headlining will be full of nicotine and poop, I've always found an old chamois and a spray bottle full of upholstery cleaner works wonders. Spray the headlining, then rub over with the chamois, rinse chamois out in bucket of very warm water and repeat.
The best stuff I've ever used is 1001 Carpet & upholstery cleaner. Try and do it in warmer weather, if not, leave it running with heaters on, maybe even lock it with your spare key if you have it on a drive outside your house.

Nothing works better than elbow grease, I enjoy cleaning my car now....only because I'm not a Valeter anymore.

If you can't be arsed or just don't have the time, take it to a decent valeter.

[loudandproud205]

You wont ever get rid of it forever as its deep inside the car, valeters and detailers can mask it for time but once its worn of it will re-appear as tar and nicotine sticks emebeded in to everything you can think of.

[mirafioriman]

Mar 17, 2012 22:17:37 GMT loudandproud205 said:

You wont ever get rid of it forever as its deep inside the car, valeters and detailers can mask it for time but once its worn of it will re-appear as tar and nicotine sticks emebeded in to everything you can think of.

I have to disagree, many cars I have cleaned were smokers cars and you can get rid of the smell, you just have to clean everything.

[Jizmondo Scrotmondo]

If it's valeted thoroughly and properly, the smell will mostly be gone and eventually, it will be non existant. My old Audi Coupe was a smokers car (I cleaned the inside of the glass and the tissue was yellow) and after a good clean, airing out and regular air fresheners, the smell vanished.

[DavidB]

I think it's called 'Boron' which removes smells - I'm probably wrong on the word. It's used in washing powder.
I once took carpets and seat covers out and put the lot in the washing machine and it had that 'just washed' smell for the time I owned the car.

[stuey]

My old e36 had a layer of "fat" over everything where the previous owner was a butcher and didnt seem to wash his hands before driving it- I used autoglym fabric cleaner and a cheap hand held steam cleaner (makro have a vax one for about £25 at the mo i think) to take the smell out followed by some autoglym "autofresh" fabric freshener- this made mine smell great from smelling efectivly like dead cow...

[ahebron]

Wet dog tends to mask cigarette smells.
But this can go down the "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" route if you are not careful.

Adrian