How To Get Smoke Smell Out of Car

Smoking inside a car causes different irritating smell levels, all dependent on the frequency of smoking. If you want to get the smoke smell out, you have to try one or two of these processes.

Home Materials to Get Rid of Light Smoke Smell

• Charcoal

Have some charcoal in a non-spill container with holes on the cover. Keep this inside your car.

• Baking Soda

Have a cup sit in your car half full with baking soda. This is a pretty common method that could be tried first. You can also sprinkle baking soda over your car mat and seats – just be sure to vacuum in the morning.

• Newspaper

This is quite intriguing. Crinkle some newspapers and leave it to sit overnight. This works well with smelly shoes and cabinets as well. News papers tend to absorb smells but be sure not to stain the interior with its cheap ink.

• Ammonia

Straight ammonia is known to fight off smoke smell. Leave some on a small basin in your car. Let it sit over night but don’t drive off with it around.

You can leave these materials inside your car for a week or do the process every night until the smoke smell greatly reduces.

Commercial Products for Heavier Smoke Smell

These four have had the best feedback but all are generally temporary solutions to the problem of smoke smell. These products are all ready to use and instructions should all be available on the back cover.

• Febreze

This is a general air freshener not limited in car applications. Use it with a simple “spray and wait” procedure.

• Ozium

A range of products offering air sanitizers, air purifiers and air deodorizes. The company claims not to cover up the smell but eliminates it – although reviews still suggest short term effects.

• Renuzit

An air freshener with a wide range of scents, offering odor neutralization. A few reviews have actually highlighted this product line but then again: short term results.

• Odoban

A more specific product for odor elimination and disinfectant. Odoban works well to take out the smoke smell in a car but not permanently.

There are reasons why these commercial products only work on a short term basis – they do not target the source of the smell which is the tar residue in the headliners, seat upholstery, air vents and car mats; basically everywhere. This brings us to a more specific question: How to get smoke smell out of car permanently? The last 2 items help the most.

Replace/Clean Car Parts to Get Rid of the Smoke Smell Permanently

These actions should do the trick but, replacing the parts involved is not a cost effective solution unless you are really planning on upgrading the interior of your car. Cleaning it yourself will present a tedious task and you may need to turn the car parts inside out to completely eliminate smoke smell.

These are the car parts you need to focus on:

• Headliners
• Upholstery
• Car mats
• Air vents
• Car door assembly

You can wash these parts with leather cleaners, vacuum them, or use rented specialized cleaning machines, shampoo, soap, fabric conditioners and baking soda. Be patient as you really need to get to the tar deposits. You should also use the proper materials and chemicals when doing this, otherwise you are better off hiring the services of professionals.

Last but not Least, You Can Always Contact Professionals!

Professional auto detailers still provides the final answer on how to get smoke smell out of car. There are plenty of advantages with a professional auto detailing service: it provides long term results, you get to have proper materials and chemicals used, you won’t get tired and you get to sit back and relax for the afternoon. There is only one disadvantage: cost, but it should all be worth it.

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