remove cigarette smoke

Daphne · Post by **Daphne** » 09 Jul 2011, 07:29

Hi,
I've fallen in love with a 2005 S40 that gives me a headache due to old cigarette smoke. Although the seats are leather, there is much to be cleaned. The car appears very clean in the interior except for the smoke smell. Is there a sure way to remove smoke smell so that I can buy this car?!
What should I offer for the with this harsh residual smell? Mileage 105,000 from California.
Thanks, Daphne

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 09 Jul 2011, 07:38

There will be a good amount of work in removing the smells:

-Windows need to be cleaned on inside with any good cleaner.
-Remove all mats and wash those.
-Wipe off dashboard with a good cleaner.
-Wash the carpets as best as you can with a strong solution. People have used vinegar as well as baking soda solutions that are quite effective.
-Also, copious amounts of Febreeze.

Even with all that, there may be a tiny residual smell, but hopefully not that nauseating pungeant smell. I know exactly what you mean, I get the same headache around that nasty smell.

Sent from my Droid Incredible using Tapatalk.

dimasp28 · Post by **dimasp28** » 09 Jul 2011, 07:41

Just tell the seller, that you are going to detail the car to get rid of that smell and ask if he/she agrees to deduct that amount from the sell price

Post by **bronxnativ** » 09 Jul 2011, 07:43

Very simple less tedious solution: Dryer sheets.

Post by **JimBee** » 09 Jul 2011, 10:10

The headliner will be saturated. To clean it, you can use a clear window cleaner with ammonia. Lightly mist it onto the fabric, brush lightly with a soft brush and vacuum. That will also brighten it up a bit as it will remove soil. I got that hint from a detailer and CAUTIOUSLY tried it. It worked. As always, though, it's a good idea to try it on a less conspicuous swatch—maybe the fabric on the sunroof shade.

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 13 Jul 2011, 15:17

bronxnativ wrote:Very simple less tedious solution: Dryer sheets.

Really?? Never heard of anyone doing that before. Do you just rub the car down with them?

Post by **bronxnativ** » 13 Jul 2011, 17:28

A very close friend (at the time) suggested this option to me years ago. I smoked for 17 years and smoke smell was gone in a week. You place the drier sheets underneath your floor mats. Do this when you're done with the car for the day. Let it sit overnight and you will notice a major improvement. Do not remove the sheets BUT replace them at least every other day for a week. Problem should be solved by then.

vlv2012 · Post by **vlv2012** » 16 Aug 2011, 15:46

This is a nasty smell and very hard to get rid of. I would suggest getting it detailed. Hopefully you can get the seller to help cover the cost of this. Sometimes there are filters that filter the air that comes from the air conditioning and heating. If the previous owner allowed the smoke to linger in there with the windows up, it could have saturated that. You might get some relief by changing this. This could also be different than the typical air filter that is serviced during a tune up!

Post by **JimBee** » 16 Aug 2011, 19:29

Last year I recall a post on MVP about spraying something into the cabin air intake to clean the ducts. Can't recall what it was, but some sort of deodorizer. Fabreze? I don't know but he said it really helped eliminate the odor built up in there.

Post by **fazool** » 07 Sep 2011, 10:24

A good cleaning has to be done first but there is a solution:

Do not try spray nonsense, chemicals, air fresheners and such - they are all chemical masks .

I purchased a 1 year old smoker's car. When I took it, it was absolutely PERFECT. I have a hyper-sensitive-smell family and they knew it was a smoker car and were very aware and never smelled a thing.

I had a similar experience in a smoked in hotel room once.

The solution is ozone. Ozone is highly charge O3 molecules. Its often formed by electric sparks (its that smell when you run a sparky electric motor or the scent after a lightning storm. By its highly charged nature it attracts dust and smell particles like a magnet.

This isn't some snake-oil late-night-TV hype. Pools and aquariums use ozonators to help clean the water.

A commercial cleaner will have an ozone generator. For my car (pre-purchase) they tented it (covered it with a huge tarp), ran the ozone generator (which has a shop vac air filter system). It pumped ozone-rich air into the car, then sucked it out and filtered it. Usually its a short process. The delaer had his hired guy run it all afternoon on my car and it was unbelievably clean smelling and stayed that way for 6 years. The smoke smell never came back. No one ever knew it was ever smoked in.

I had a fully booked hotel room that was smoked in once down in Orlando. They couldn't move me so they told me go to lunch and they would clean the room. I came back and saw their ozone machine (looked like a fireman's air mover). It cleaned the room perfectly.