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Smoke smell from car

Started by robailey, February 24, 2009, 09:23:30 PM

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robailey

Are there any good ways to get that old smoke smell out of a car with cloth seats?  This is the only problem with a great car.

Thanks,
Rob
Rob Ailey
Seymour, TN

1975 Coupe Deville
1987 Fleetwood Sixty Special
2014 XTS

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

Rob, isn't it disgusting!!! I bought a low milage 88 Buick from a old lady smokers estate. Took it to a professional detail shop. They did the deluxe interior cleaning job. Helped a lot, but you can NEVER get rid of the smell completely. HTH, Bob
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

TJ Hopland

I have also heard that a detail shop can do it but it will cost you a few bucks and take a few days.  I guess its a combo of steam cleaning and some industrial air freshener. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Otto Skorzeny

Are you talking about cigarette smoke?

Sometimes that's impossible.

Make sure the car is spotless. Clean the leather and vinyl with appropriate products. If there's a film of the tobacco goo on everthing, it holds the odor.

Vacuum the rugs and use carpet cleaner if necessary.

The headliner is the biggest problem.That's where smoke ends up. It can also permeate the headliner and be absorbed by the padding inside. Headliners are also hard to clean. Do the best you can wiping with mild soap or cleanser like fantastik or 409.

Keep the windows down to air it out. Baking soda in saucers on theseats and floorboards can absorb odors. Vinigar will do the same.

Hopefully the guy wasn't a super heavy smoker. I have heard of cars still smelling like smoke even after being re-upholstered.

Good luck.
fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

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homeonprunehill

02-24-09
OTTO,It will cost you a bunch,take 3% hydrogen PROXIDE (An acid, mild) Use a SPRAYER that will screw-on the proxide bottle and don't satirate the headliner or seats, but wipe off as soon as praticle. TEST FIRST in an area where it won't fadeing won't be noticed. Good Luck,Jim
USED,ABUSED AND MISUSED CADILLACS AND LA SALLES

R. Anthony

To remove smoke odor from a vehicle, you will first need to clean all hard surfaces.
Next you will need an ozone generator which will destroy the particulates in the cloth and headliner.
An ozone  generator is  a simple device that passes air through an electric grid createing ozone from oxygen.
The ozone is particularilly effective at neutralizing tobacco smoke odor.
Try calling a local carpet cleaner or restoration company that deals with smoke and fire damage and see if they'll rent you one .If they want to do it ,you would have to leave the vehicle with them for the afternoon.
Either way should be less than $100, maybe less if you find someone helpful.
Good luck.

jaxops

Rob,

  Once the interior material is clean, you may want to check your heater / air blowing system.  Someone was a big cigar smoker in my car 50 years ago, and even after removing the interior it stunk.  Once we pulled the heat-exchangers for the heater system under the rear floor it stopped.  It gets everywhere!!  Good luck.
1970 Buick Electra Convertible
1956 Cadillac Series 75 Limousine
1949 Cadillac Series 75 Imperial Limousine
1979 Lincoln Continental
AACA, Cadillac-LaSalle Club #24591, ASWOA

Walter Youshock

The problem, too, is that it gets into the foam of the seats and you can NEVER clean that deep.  From the jute under the carpeting to the foam in the headliner and sailpanels and even the back sides of the "B" pillar covers.  Anywhere air goes, so will the smoke.

I'm guilty of this myself.  Once I got a new car, I refused to smoke in it.  I broke that part of the habit.  Still working on the rest of it!
CLC #11959 (Life)
1957 Coupe deVille
1991 Brougham

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

Another place where smoke odor can come from is the evaporator in an air conditioned car when someone has smoked while the AC is in recirculation mode (which occurs for rapid cool-down without operator input in a car with automatic climate control). The owner's manual for my Volkswagen states that smoking while the system is in recir. will leave a permanent odor in the evaporator which requires replacement to eliminate it.  Unlike deep foam padding, I don't think that's necessarily a permanent problem and there are spray treatments that will eliminate or reduce the smoke odor as well as kill any mold or mildew which also causes an unpleasant odor in the AC.

Bill Gauch #23121

There are some dry cleaners who have purchased portable equipment to clean things like office building curtains. I would imagine that would do wonders pulling everything and anything out of car upholstery.
WANTED: Nothing right now.

- 1938 Series 65 - 4-door sedan - Restoration (slowly) ongoing

http://38caddy.blogspot.com/

Hollywood

I agree with the guest R. Anthony.....The ozone machine is for those types of odors/situations ;), and is probably the best solution IMO.... ;)
Eric D. Cook
1965 Coupe deVille

homeonprunehill

03-04-09
ALL; i had an '86 SDV that I had in the body shop  when I went to pick it up, it had every odor in it that the 'Body- Shop" had, plus
Bon-do dust. The shop foreman had a OZONE  GENERATOR. It took about 3 days or running to get rid of the BS Small and another 3 days to Get rid of the OZONE smell!. Good Luck,jim







USED,ABUSED AND MISUSED CADILLACS AND LA SALLES

RexXar

I accept aswell heard that a detail boutique can do it but it will amount you a few bucks and yield a few days. I assumption its a admixture of beef charwoman and some automated air freshener.




_________________
Aprilaire

Walter Youshock

Quite honestly--no.  NOTHING outside of dipping the entire car in bleach will ever get rid of it.

I have my grandfather's chair in my house.  He smoked.  He died in 1963.  It was in my aunt's house until 1993.  She smoked.  My family doesn't smoke.  That chair still stinks after 2 steam cleanings and 15 years.

It gets in EVERYTHING and ON EVERYTHING--ON plastic; IN foam--from the top and bottom--ANYWHERE that air goes.
CLC #11959 (Life)
1957 Coupe deVille
1991 Brougham