Does anyone know the best thing to get rid of cigarette smell out of car. Just purchased car previous owner must have smoked like a freight train. Any help please.

I would wash all the plastic and upholstery I possibly could inside the car. Or, leave the windows open for about a year and maybe the smell will dissipate.

Do as the previous post suggested. Then overnight leave a box of baking soda in the car with the top cut off. This will absorb odors. Don't leave the box in the car when driving. Replace it weekly. It may take about three week to neutralize the odor.

Clorox Freshcare......removes odor from fabrics

febreeze usually works or the freshcare like the guy above me said. Just clean the inside and use whatever is good on fabrics.

The only way to really get rid of the smell PERMENANTLY, is to have an ozone treatment done. All other methods take too long or just temporarily mask the smell. Remember, the smell is all through the vent system and deep within the headliner and floor padding.

Might have to take apart the HVAC system and give it a thorough cleaning and deodorizing.

Originally posted by walker45
Does anyone know the best thing to get rid of cigarette smell out of car. Just purchased car previous owner must have smoked like a freight train. Any help please.

I use OZIEM. It works really well. You can find it at most cigar retail stores.

Originally posted by finishingtouch
The only way to really get rid of the smell PERMENANTLY, is to have an ozone treatment done. All other methods take too long or just temporarily mask the smell. Remember, the smell is all through the vent system and deep within the headliner and floor padding.


:iagree:

Ozone Blast in 5 minutes:biggrin:

wash the seats but don't touch the cloth on the roof.

Hello From Chi-town,
Yes the fellow that suggested an ozone treatment is correct. Cigaette smoke on any material such as fabric is absorbed into the material, cleaning with a good fabric cleaner will do well, even a lite soapy water with ammonia is excellant. Do not us fabreeze or any other masking perfume spray, they are bad. All of the plastic or non-porous maaterials jus need cleaning. For more info e-mail me!

Have you tried CarZyme for odors. i think they have a website www.carzyme.com

i'm having a similar dilemma with a used bmw 325i that i just bought. i like the idea of ozone/negative ion treatment. if i used an XJ-800 beetle ionizer, would the cigarette smell be completely gone permanently? i would not have to change filters or anything like that?

You also have to consider whats making the smell. If the car was smoked in for years and years , ozonating will last a few days then odor will reoccur. Another thing is to determine if its just smoke smell or mildew(mildew can smell like stail cigars) if thats the case the underlay carpet is soaked and rotting. If it is cigarette smell shampoo the headliner , seats and carpets then clean the windows and vinyl with interior cleaners (also spray the cleraners in the open vents and air blast it through) and clean the windows with glass cleaner to remove the interior cleaners residue. Then dry it completely and then use an ozonator.
Another method is to thermal fog , a thermo fogger is a way to permanently etch the scent in a car and most of the fog liquids out there are designed to cover or remove smoke smells.
Another method is to use LIVE ENZYMES to eat the source of the odors , but only suggest this used on floors and in vents/cabin filter not seats and headliners.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19819&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1 ozonator
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19818&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1 shampoo
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19820&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=2 live enzymes
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21713&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=2 Thermo fogger

ehh... smoking for years and years.... dunno about that. its a 2002 bmw so only 2 years old and its in very nice condition. just the lingering smell of cigarettes xT. o well i will try cleaning and ozone/negative ion treatment.