Cigarette smoke odor is one of the intoxicating and challenging to eliminate in vehicles. Smoke proves challenging to eradicate from cars because it permeates the air system, upholstery and penetrates the hard surfaces and carpet. For instance, preparing your vehicle for resale requires thorough cleaning to get the best value.
Most potential car buyers and enthusiasts like to compare prices before making a final purchase decision. So, what if the car you intend to sell has an unpleasant smell? What’s the best method to use to eliminate smoke out of the vehicle?
There is no easy way out in removing such kind of odor from your car. You need to do a thorough car detailing smoke odor removal because it is healthy. Therefore, during the detailing process, use the vacuum cleaner to clean the seats and carpets and wipe all the affected surfaces.
If you want to be time-saving, please check the comparison table to go to our top recommendations:
Image | Features | Further information |
|---|---|---|
Zero Odor Multi-Purpose | - Brand: Zero Odor - Product Dimensions: 11 x 1.75 x 4 inches - Item Weight: 1.09 Pounds - Size: 16-Ounce - Doesn't mask odors, or cover up with a fragrance/perfume - Non-toxic, non-allergenic, cruelty-free, & biodegradable - Eliminates odors in the air, on surfaces, and in fabrics | |
Detail King Car Odor Remova | - Brand: Detail King - Item Weight: 3 Pounds - Eliminate extreme odors in less than 24 hours - Eradicate odors caused by mold, mildew, cigarette & cigar smoke, skunk, body sweat, spoiled food, gasoline, sour milk & chemical compounds. - Quick and Safe Odor Eliminator - automobiles, boats, houses, confined spaces, hotel rooms, freezers, and more | |
Biocide Systems 3213 Auto Shocker Interior Odor Eliminator | - Brand: Biocide - Product Dimensions: 6 x 5.5 x 6 inches - Item Weight: 3.2 ounces - Hygienically deodorize any car interior up to 300 cubic feet - Eliminate the toughest odors in as little as 4 hours and a maximum of 24 hours depending on severity - Safe for all automotive interiors | |
Zep Smoke Odor Eliminator | - Brand: Zep - Product Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 10 inches - Item Weight: 1.25 pounds - Counteracts Tobacco, Marijuana, campfire and other smoke odors - For use on: Cigar, cigarette, marijuana, fire, pet, food, garbage and bathroom odors - Not for use on: Upholstery, fabrics or painted, plastics or rubber surfaces |
How to Eliminate Smoke Odor from the Car
The best way to eradicate the smell is to clean and thoroughly detail your car interior correctly. Start by wiping all the surfaces that smoke has infiltrated and settled. Vacuum all the carpets and eliminate the accumulation of odor particles on these materials.
Sweep out any butts of cigarette leftovers and any other assorted rubbish. Check the glove box and clean the trunk of your car by removing all the items that contain smell smoke. Use the recommended products to unmask the stink.
Next, focus on car detailing to remove smoke smell by cleaning all the leather materials and clothes. The scent always clings to these materials. Scrub them, but you should observe the user manual to reduce any possible damage.
At the same time, check the ashtray because this is one source of nasty smoke smell. Wash it carefully and give it about 24 hours to dry before placing it back in its usual position. It is also imperative to buy a smoke diffuser because it prevents the odor from spreading to other surfaces.
Use a steam cleaner to disintegrate the smell. Treat all the covered surfaces such as seats, door trims, carpets, and the dashboard. After steaming the interiors, ensure you dry your car thoroughly.
Wipe the treated interior surfaces dry using a clean, soft towel to remove the visible smoke stains and close them. If you don’t close the door, it can attract moisture and become damp. Repeat this process frequently to ensure that your car detail smoke removal is perfect.
After you cleaned your car in detail, apply products that can absorb the odor and leave them overnight. Some of the products recommended include baking powder, vinegar, cat litter because it is fragrance-free. These smoke removal products eradicate the odor. Don’t use air fresheners because they cover the smell.
Clean the vents systematically and at the same time replace the car filter. Spray the plastic areas with a strong cleaner as you follow the manufacturer’s manual. Lastly, use a soft cloth to wipe excess sprays.
How to Remove Cigarette Smell from the Carpet and Upholstery
You need a different approach and care to eradicate the smoke smell of carpet and upholstery. You will be required to have baking soda and vacuum cleaner, and then proceed with the steps below:
- Vacuum clean the carpet and upholstery thoroughly. Ensure that you penetrate under the seats, between the crevices because old specks of dust could have settled in there.
- Sprinkle the baking soda on the surfaces such as the carpet and upholstery and let it settle on those areas for quite some time. Baking powder captures all the unpleasant stinks, and it also neutralizes the odor.
- After the baking soda has ultimately settled, clean it up using the vacuum cleaner. Repeat all the processes until the scent is eliminated. You can also decide to leave the baking soda in your car overnight to absorb the stink.
Cigarette smell can also infiltrate your car leather, hence leaving smoke residues. To remove these smell from trim and leather:
- You should get a product specially formulated for these particular areas. For instance, it is advisable to clean products designed for leather and dashboard.
- Clean the surfaces severely because the cigarette scent can penetrate deeply into leather surfaces. Regular cleaning ensures that you have eradicated the smell.
Tips of Car Detailing Smoke Odor Removal
Now that you understand the car detailing process, another important thing is to exterminate the cigarette scent completely. You might have masked the scent with fake air fresheners or scrubbed your vehicle with very harmful chemicals.
Therefore, to ensure that your car retains its natural sweet smell, you should apply detailing techniques such as cleaning the interior surfaces, upholstery, leather areas, wiping the dashboard, and vacuum cleaning the carpets. To do that systematically, you should know the essential tips of eliminating cigarette scent:
Tip 1: Always Conduct Regular Cleaning
To achieve regular car detailing, you should establish a cleaning routine and strictly stick to it, and then you can emerge victorious in removing unpleasant scents. Therefore, if you clean your car regularly, you can eliminate stubborn smoke contaminants without any hassle.
Tip 2: Wash the Roof Liner
Most car owners always forget to clean the roof liner and believe that a significant amount of cigarette smell always sits in the carpets and upholstery. This is true, but when smoke particles always rise upwards, Thus, the roof liner in an area that these particles settle.
The main challenge you can face as you clean the roof liner is that the steam cleaner’s excess heat can destroy binding glue. Despite the challenges, don’t forget to include the roof liner in your cleaning routine.
Tip 3: Apply Wide Range of Odor Removal Products
If you have decided to remove the car’s unpleasant smell, you should have the correct car detailing tools. To remove acrid scents, you need to have a steam cleaner, baking soda, white vinegar, and odor bomb.
Steam cleaner is used to clean the upholstery because it penetrates the car fabrics. Apply some powder-based cleaning products and allow them to sit on the fabrics, then vacuum clean it. The odor bomb releases aerosol, which also infiltrates the affected surfaces.
The circulation of aerosol allows you to remove the scent. Apply white vinegar in the areas that smoke sits. After cleaning your car to your satisfaction, use a soft towel to dry clean the whole vehicle.
Tip 4: Use Ozone Equipment to Eliminate Smoke Odor
It is a highly effective machine because it disintegrates all the cigarette scents in molecular form. But do you understand how this ozone machine works? It converts oxygen into ozone and circulates it in the vehicle.
It then hard-presses the ozone and enables it to be in contact with smoke particles. The reaction between these elements and ozone leads to rapid oxidation, removing the scent naturally. You can use as well use an ozone generator to speed up the oxidation process by following the steps below:
- Clean your car, then connect the ozone generator to a hosepipe.
- Let the device fill your vehicle with ozone particles.
- Turn on the air conditioner and allow the ozone to penetrate the affected areas
- Air out your vehicle by driving around.
Best Smoke Odor Removal Products
Smoke smell is a nuisance to most people, particularly your family members. Now, do you wish to solve the cigarette smell menace in your car? Then the products reviewed below can be beneficial in this task:
1. Zero Odor Multi-Purpose Eliminator
Zero odor multi-purpose Eliminator is a highly effective product for auto detailing smoke removal. It eradicates the smell rather than unmasking it. It does not leave any stink in your car; hence you are assured of getting fresh air. Its formulation functions appropriately on any smoke odor.
It is ideal to use it in your vehicle because it is non-toxic, decomposable, and non-allergic. It is quick in preventing smoke build-up, hence exceptionally convenient. Zero Odor is durable, and it comes with about a 16-ounce product bottle. It is also applicable during the breeze.
One of its disadvantages is that some users think it leads to sudden leaks due to its fragile triggers. Another one is that the product bottle is not well designed, so you should be very careful during car detailing operations. Ensure your vehicle is adequately ventilated so that you can remove the smoke smell.
Pros:
- Highly convenient
- Non-toxic
- No allergies, and it is biodegradable
- Eliminates smell permanently.
Cons:
- The trigger on the bottle is very fragile.
2. Detail King Automotive Odor Remover
Chloride dioxide is the main formulation in the Detail King Automotive Odor Remover. You can use a generator to spray its vapor in your car, and it eliminates the smell within 24 hours after you apply it. It contains a deodorizing powder that reaches the surfaces affected by smoke; hence it does not mask the stink.
Chloride dioxide is a chemical compound that is relatively easy and safe to use. This product removes all the lingering smell from your vehicle and can cover a wide surface area of about 350 square feet. You cannot have any breathing complications because it is safe. Only one cup of this chemical compound can give you almost 20 parts per million (ppm).
Pros:
- Highly effective
- Works quickly
- Eliminates stubborn smoke smell
- Extremely safe
- Highly penetrable
Cons:
- N/A
3. Biocide Systems (3213) Auto-Shocker Interior Odor Eliminator
You should consider Biocide Systems Auto-shocker interior Odor Eliminator as the best product to eliminate the smoke stink. It also contains chloride dioxide as the main chemical compound. This chemical compound is highly safe for use in detailing your car. This smoke smell product is not only the best eliminator but also improves the quality of air in your vehicle.
Add water into chloride dioxide and use it to clean your car’s ventilation system thoroughly. If you do it correctly and systematically, you can remove the odor from your vehicle in less than 24 hours. This is one of the most excellent car detailing smoke odor removal products to use in your car.
Pros:
- Improves the quality of air
- Highly effective
- It is excellent value for your car detailing money
- It’s easy to use
Cons:
- N/A
4. Zep Smoke Odor Eliminator
Zep car smoke eliminator is the best choice to eradicate cigarette or nicotine smell from your car. This odor remover is cost-effective, safe, and lasts for long, hence making it safe for use on your car’s interior surfaces.
It has a long-lasting formulation and provides refreshing air in your car after detailing it. To allow it to work perfectly, spray it on the affected surfaces and exterminate nasty odor. It is highly efficient and convenient.
Pros:
- Cost-effective and durable
- Safe for use
- Quite convenient around your car
- Eradicates all unpleasant smoke odors
Cons:
- The formulation has a strong smell
Common Questions Asked
How difficult is it to detail my car with an odor product remover?
It’s not that hard. A comprehensive car detailing includes cleaning both the exterior and interior of your vehicle. But it is advisable to use these odor remover products. But you should follow the instructions carefully.
Is it reasonable to use an air freshener to remove the smoke smell?
Air freshener is not considered the best car detailing product because it does not remove the smell. Instead, the freshener covers it. Covering up the smell with an air freshener is not a brilliant idea because it always returns. Therefore, don’t waste your money buying it; instead, invest in a highly effective deodorizer.
Is it advisable to hire a car detail expert to remove smoke odor from my car?
Yes, you can hire an auto detailing smoke removal near me (you) professional if all the methods fail. Most of these experts equip themselves with the right tools and products to do their jobs. So it is highly advisable to get yourself a car detailing expert.
Conclusion
Car detailing smoke odor removal is a challenging and tiresome task. Therefore, you should create enough time if you decide to clean your car. To solve the smoke smell problem once and for all, buy either of the products highlighted above. Don’t let your car smell!
