Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Getting smoke smell out of a vehicle

I'm interested in a used vehicle but the previous owner was a smoker. I hate that stale smoke smell and will pass on the purchse if I can't eliminate the smell. Is it possible to get the smoke smell out?

I have and older 'air cleaner', the ones sold by in the 90's that creates ozone. I wonder if running that in the car for a week or so will eliminate the smell. I know Fabreeze and the like do nothing.

Any suggestions?

Put some charcoal (not the matchlite kind) in a tray on the floor for a couple weeks.
It will absorb odors.

The vent system is another issue.

To really get rid of it permanently, you have to put an ozone machine in it and leave it for awhile.

There are places that do that.

Judging by the cars I rent while traveling, a lot of people get rid of the smell by turning 'em back in to Hertz or Avis......

I would pass on the car.

I have removed cigarette smoke smell from a car with coffee.
Get a pound of ground coffee. Lay a sheet of newspaper on the floor and dump that coffee out.
After several days, dump that coffee out and put in a fresh pound. Coffee works great for absorbing nasty smells, and then, for a while your car smells like coffee.

Pass or get used to it.




Dave

Banana peels.....

Find a local cleaner/detailer that can get that stench out and see how much it will cost. They know how to clean the car, including the upholstery and every nook and cranny, and how to run the machines necessary to get that stench out. If the price they charge is too much to make the car worth the deal, and you can't get the seller to drop it enough to make it worth it, then pass. The seller is going to have a hard time finding someone, unless it's another smoker, to buy the vehicle in that condition.

This is the only way to REALLY get rid of the smell, everything else just covers it up, for a while.

Had a bud do this in his rig over 3 years ago that was so bad it dam near made me sick, the smell never came back.

For the vents Wurth do a very good air conditioner vent spray that works wonders, for the headliner (vinyl) use cold black tea and a soft cloth to clean it up, for the carpet remove and hand-wash in wheelie bin.

Best of luck with the last one as it is a pain in the arse.


And no...I am NOT doing that again!

Others may work but I do know this works. Used a buddies in my daughters first car for smoke and mouse piss smell, worked great.

wheelie bin:



If this were Start Trek, we would have a universal translator.

Most of these suggestions are more trouble than they're worth. There are lots of other cars out there that don't smell like smoke.

I have the same problem , tried Ozium, works temporarily , as does GoneSmoke. It keeps coming back. GoneSmoke being the more effective of the two.

might have to try the ozone machine next.

Get a cat to spray in it. You'll never notice the smoke smell after that.

Thanks for the translation. I didn't know what the hell he was the talking about. LOL

Take an ugly woman with you whenever you drive it.
It will smell like a cheap hooker......



Problem solved.

My dad always used bags of fresh cut grass.
It always worked pretty well

Sacrifice a box of fine Cigars in the passenger compartment.
Fine Whiskey optional, just don't spill any.
If Cigarette smell returns, repeat as often as needed.

GTC