How to remove cigarette smell from a vehicle

This is a question we get asked frequently, so we thought why not make a blog about it!

As we all know, some people are real smokers and will even smoke inside their vehicles. Some will even keep their ashtray in their car...

You can therefore imagine the smell that can develop over time when you constantly smoke in a vehicle without even opening the window.

How can I get rid of this intense odor?

The first piece of advice: don't be fooled by marketing that will try to convince you that you will get rid of the odor with a miracle product that eliminates and encapsulates odors.

Yes, there are good odor neutralizers on the market. However, in the case of a smoker's vehicle, it will take much more than that.

Here are the different steps we recommend to make the bad smell disappear forever:

Step 1: Thoroughly clean the interior of the vehicle

So, as you normally would, take the time to thoroughly clean all plastic surfaces, the center console, etc. Use a good interior cleaner at this stage that's appropriate for the cleaning task. It's not uncommon to be recommended an all-purpose cleaner (APC), as the goal is to deep clean every surface. Also, use brushes and sponges as needed to work the product in effectively.

Be sure to clean the interior windows of your vehicle as well. Use your preferred window cleaner with a microfiber cloth designed for windows. Don't be surprised if you have to change cloths several times while cleaning the windows, as smoker's windows tend to be full of brownish grime.

Step 2: Thoroughly clean all fabrics and leather surfaces of the vehicle

Once you've done a good general cleaning, we'll tackle the surfaces that tend to absorb odors more, namely fabrics and leather. It's really important to take the time to do this step properly if you want to ensure that bad smells don't return after a few weeks. For the floor and fabric seats, we recommend using a drill brush combined with a cleaner specifically designed for fabrics, such as Gyeon Fabric Cleaner .

If you are not equipped with a drill and a drill brush, you can still do it by hand with a brush.

Once the floor and fabric seats have been thoroughly scrubbed with a fabric cleaner, vacuum up the excess product with a vacuum cleaner.

A crucial point at this stage is to remember the vehicle's trunk and headliner. For the headliner, you'll need to be more delicate, as the fabric is generally more fragile; use only a microfiber cloth, a soft brush, or a soft cloth, and apply the cleaning by hand.

For leather, use a brush designed for cleaning leather combined with a powerful leather cleaner such as Gyeon Leather Cleaner Strong . Shake the product vigorously with the brush and remove any excess with a microfiber cloth.

Step 3: If you have a carpet extractor, use it on the vehicle's fabric floor and seats.

This step is not mandatory, but it is a plus to perform a professional quality job and ensure that the smell does not return in the long term.

Allow the fabrics to dry thoroughly after completing this step.

Step 4: Use an ozone machine

This step is truly the most important if you want a really effective result. There's no need to invest an exorbitant amount in a huge ozone machine; you can usually find machines under $200 that will do the job perfectly well.

An ozone generator is a device that produces ozone, a three-atom form of oxygen, to eliminate unpleasant odors. Ozone works by oxidizing the odor-causing compounds, transforming them into odorless substances. These generators must be used with caution, as excessive exposure to ozone can be harmful. Therefore, obviously, do not remain in the vehicle when the ozone generator is activated.

Depending on the severity of the odors, it will usually take a maximum of 2 hours to get rid of them for good.

Then you might be surprised at how little smell will be perceptible, to the point that it can become unsettling to feel this complete absence of smell.

Step 5: Now it's time to use an odor neutralizer or your favorite air freshener to breathe some life back into the vehicle's interior.

Now that no more odors are perceptible inside the passenger compartment, you can enhance the experience with an odor neutralizer or air freshener of your choice.