If you’ve got a smoker in your car, you
might just have a nasty odor in your car.
Cigarette smoke is one of the most
pervasive odors you can encounter and it can be tough to get rid of once it’s
soaked into the upholstery of a car.
So many people have had the unfortunate
experience of buying a used car; complete with new car smell, only to find
after a few weeks’ time that the real scent of their car is used ashtray. Even
if you are a smoker, you don’t really want your car to smell bad and there are
great ways to prevent the odor from sinking in and taking hold inside the car.
Your attack on the odor will be
three-fold. You have to remove the smell, improve the scent of the car and
prevent it from coming back. If you allow someone to smoke in your car, you
should take the following steps to keep the odor from sticking around.
Removing the Smell:
Empty the ashtray of cigarette butts and
ashes at the end of each day. The stale tobacco odor can be largely prevented
if you keep the ashtray clean and empty. Just having a pack of cigarettes
sitting in the car, especially if it’s a hot day, can make your car stinky in
no time.
Keep the windows open or cracked as much
as possible if you are smoking in the car. The smoke will go out the window
instead of getting trapped in the car.
Use an odor control air freshener. There
are products designed to eliminate odors rather than just mask them. Make this
part of your process when cleaning and deodorizing your car.
Clean the Car:
Then there is vacuuming and cleaning the
interior of the car. Smoke smell is so prevalent that this is really something
that should be done weekly. If you can't manage weekly, get to this as often as
possible and occasionally spring for getting your car detailed.
If smoking isn’t allowed in your car, but
you are stuck with the lingering odor of cigarette smoke and ashes, you can
take a more direct and complete approach.
Start with the floor mats. Remove the mats
and shampoo them as best you can. Any upholstered surface in your vehicle is
going to be a magnet for odors; smoke and otherwise. Get the mats as clean as
you can and leave them outside to dry while you work your way through the car.
Hit the seats hard:
Use the best
upholstery cleaner you can find for your seats. Take your time and do a
thorough job, because most of the trapped odors in the car are emanating from the
seats. If you can do this job on a day when you can leave the car open and get
a breeze going, the job will go much better and the results will be much better
smelling.
If you have a vinyl or leather interior,
use appropriate cleaners for the type you have.
Not only do you want to clean the seats
but give the door paneling, dashboard, gear shift, etc. a good cleaning too.
Vacuum everything:
There may be ashes
trapped in all kinds of places in your car. Thoroughly vacuum every part of the
car-getting into the tightest spots and removing anything that might contribute
to the odor in your car.
Leave the car open for as long as you can.
If you can have the car covered from the elements and safe, like in a garage be
sure to keep the doors and windows open whenever you can. This will naturally
aerate the vehicle and help dissipate any residual odors.
The Air:
Once you’ve tackled the odor the best you
can, it’s time to freshen the air in your car so you can mask any small odor
that might be left after all your hard work. Smoke odors are hard to get rid
of, but not impossible. If there is any stink left, or if you are still smoking
in the car, you can try some of these remedies:
- Hang an air freshener. Rear view mirror
ornaments have come a long way and are available in a ton of scents.
- Spray air fresheners and odor removers
onto the seats and carpet. (check to make sure it won't damage the material
first).
- You can also purchase air fresheners that
fit in the air ducts of your car.
- With some elbow grease and a little
persistence, you can fully eliminate lingering cigarette smoke odors from your
car.
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