There are not too many odors as hard to get rid of as a smoky smell in your car.
The smell of smoke from cigarettes, cigars or marijuana permeates into all surfaces, upholstery, carpet and everything else inside your car.
Not only is the smell embarrassing when you have passengers in the car, it also significantly reduces the value of your car.
If you would like your car to smell fresh and clean, here are some tips to lose the smoky smell for good.
Step One: Deep Clean
While air fresheners help mask odors, they don’t attack and remove the source of the smoky smell.
The only way to effectively remove a nasty smoke smell from your car is to clean all the hard and soft surfaces followed by steps to deodorize the inside of the car and trunk.
The first step to eliminate a smoky smell in your car starts with a deep, thorough cleaning.
Remove Personal Items
Remove everything from inside the car and the trunk because a strong smoke smell permeates and lingers in paperwork, clothing and all other items inside.
Remove/Clean Car Mats
After clearing out the car and trunk, remove and vacuum all the car mats.
Clean them thoroughly with a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar or use a non-sticky odor neutralizing commercial cleaner specifically designed to remove smoky odors. You could also use a steam cleaner or degreaser to do the job.
Hard Surface Cleaning
Wipe down all the hard surfaces with a soft microfiber cloth and a mixture of white vinegar and Dawn dish soap, which does an excellent job of cleaning and leaves behind a very pleasant odor.
Be sure to clean the dashboard, steering wheel and column, door panels, console, cup holders and inside the glove box.
To get crumbs or loose tobacco out from around the gear shifter or in tight crevices, use Q-tips™ or a thin ruler covered with paper towel to easily get in those hard to clean areas.
For a leather steering wheel or upholstery, it’s important to use a non-sticky leather cleaner and conditioner because regular cleaning products won’t clean or protect leather and may cause damage.
Windows
Next up is cleaning the windows both inside and out.
Smoking in the car leaves a sticky, yellow or brown colored residue behind on all the interior windows. Don’t forget to clean the rearview mirror and vanity mirrors.
It may take a few times to clean the windows because depending how much smoke residue is left behind, it smears and looks greasy until thoroughly cleaned.
Carpet/Upholstery Cleaning
Sprinkle baking soda on the carpets to help absorb the strong smoke odor. Leave the baking soda on carpets for about 30 minutes before vacuuming.
Steam cleaning is the best method of really deep cleaning upholstery. If you don’t have a steam cleaner, you can clean the upholstery with a soft brush and the vinegar/water solution.
Sprinkle baking soda in the trunk and let sit for 30 minutes before vacuuming. Steam clean or use the soft brush and cleaning solution for deep cleaning. Leave the trunk open so the cleaning solution has time to dry completely.
Wash both sides of seat belts with the vinegar/water or vinegar/dish soap solution or steam clean. Don’t forget to clean the buckles.
Vents
To clear out the air vents, turn the air conditioner on high and let run for about 10 minutes. Do the same for the heat by turning the heat up high and let run for about 10 minutes. This helps clear the smoke smell out of the vents.
Clean the vents with a small brush and cleaning solution or try using Q-tips™ or compressed air to get at the dust, grime and odors from vents.
Change Inside Cabin Air Filter
Replace the inside cabin air filter. The air filter should be changed every 30,000 miles or so, but more often if you are trying to eliminate a smoky smell.
Step Two: Deodorize
There are several things you can use for deodorizing the interior of your car.
Try different methods until you find one that works best for you. No matter which method you choose, there should be a noticeable difference within 48 hours or less.
- Use fabric spray (like Febreeze™) on cloth upholstery seats and carpets.
- Wipe cloth seats with dryer sheets (also leave some underneath seats to absorb odors).
- Pour a bottle of undiluted vinegar in an uncovered bowl. Place in vehicle overnight with windows closed. Remove in the morning. If smell still lingers, repeat for the next night or two. For bigger vehicles, use two or even three bowls of undiluted vinegar.
- Other absorbing materials such as a bowl or two of charcoal, kitty litter or coffee grounds can be effective as deodorizing agents when left in the vehicle for 48 hours.
- Citrus fruit peels from oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruits left in a bowl for 48 hours work to absorb smells and leave a fresh citrus scent behind.
Maintenance
After getting rid of that smoky smell, it’s important to keep up with your cleaning and deodorizing routine in order to maintain the sweet-smelling results. This is especially true if you or someone in your vehicle smokes.
For lingering smoke odors, repeat the deodorizing methods or take the car in for professional detailing.
Conclusion
To make driving a more pleasurable experience for you and your passengers and to retain the value of your car, start by getting rid of that smoky smell from your car interior.
Once your car interior is fresh and clean, contact Downtown Autobody to repair and refresh the exterior of your car. Our expert car body and paint technicians deliver showroom quality results for competitive prices.