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My uncle is the proud new owner of a 1995 Jeep Wrangler. It's in great condition with low miles, but the only problem is a cigarette smoke smell.
Has anyone successfully removed a cigarette smoke smell from a vehicle? I'm guessing it would involve steam cleaning carpets, seats, and the headliner.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I had to deal with that on one used car, and another time it was dog smell. In both cases I waited until summer. After shampooing all of the carpet, upholstery, and headliner I left the windows open all day out in the sun. After it was totally dry, there was still some lingering odor, but much less. I then used Fabreze, and then those little hanging tree deodorizers which have their own bad smell but better than dog or smoke. The problem is that smoke gets into the seat foam, and under the cloth on the headliner and door panels, and you can't get to that by shampooing. In the case of the smoke, it never went away completely, the dog smell was totally gone after about 2 years. Some detailing shops advertise that they can get rid of foul smells, but it will cost a few hundred and may not actually work.
Will that remove the smoke smell entirely from the fabric? Smoke smell lingers because it sticks to fabric.
It basically gets all of the smells out.
I will say that it didn't totally remove the "old Mercedes smell" from my wife's car, but I don't know if that's even possible.
I think it's just inherent to the things. My Merkur also has a smell that's different from modern cars.
This past summer, my wife went grocery shopping and forgot to bring in a package of chicken. Nobody needed that car for like 3 days, so by the time it was discovered it was absolutely horrid.
Chicken + summer heat in Florida = disgusting mess.
We couldn't get the smell out. I tried everything for two months. We hired a local mobile detailer who came out and did a complete interior detail. They were able to remove the smell completely. No idea what they used, but I am amazed at their success. Bottom line, a pro should be able to get satisfactory results for you.
This past summer, my wife went grocery shopping and forgot to bring in a package of chicken. Nobody needed that car for like 3 days, so by the time it was discovered it was absolutely horrid.
Chicken + summer heat in Florida = disgusting mess.
We couldn't get the smell out. I tried everything for two months. We hired a local mobile detailer who came out and did a complete interior detail. They were able to remove the smell completely. No idea what they used, but I am amazed at their success. Bottom line, a pro should be able to get satisfactory results for you.
Gross, but that's good to know. How much did the detail set you back?
I'm guesstimating it should be $150-300 depending on the severity of the smell.
1) a complete cleaning of the interior, to include removal of the seats, door panels, carpeting, etc. Shampoo/high pressure wash everything that can be accessed and washed/vacuumed, then air dry in the sun for a day. The backs and undersides of the components are essential to wash, as is the headliner.
2) spray apply commercial auto detailer supplied "reodorant" to all accessible surfaces, including under the dash, behind the glovebox, etc. This is a product that absorbs odors rather than masks their smell with another stronger odor like those perfumed hanging tags. Allow the car to dry out, then
3) reassemble the car. A 2nd application of reodorant may be needed and it will take time to absorb the remaining smoke odor.
Tobacco smoke residual odors make me ill, so I'm particularly sensitive to this smell in a car or living space; I will not tolerate a residual smoke smell recurring after a simple detail cleaning.
I have successfully removed the smoke odor from a number of cars with the above method. It's not a quick or simple process as the smoke has permeated every surface of the car and the residue will stink unless removed as much as possible and the remaining residue odor absorbed. In a strongly smoke smell car, it will not be an easy "spray and it's done" job to deal with ... the car really needs to be disassembled and cleaned to remove the residue as much as possible. I've even used a small steam cleaner to clean off a lot of underdash wiring/components (gotta' be careful around electronics, however), or the underside of seats/seat tracks, seat belts, etc. The difference is remarkable. In some cars, the headliner panels aren't very cleanable nor is the substrate hidden by them cleanable ... which presents an even bigger challenge to remove the smoke smell. In some cars, it's functionally impossible to remove all the smoke residue and they will always stink of it, even if a smoker or one who isn't sensitive to it doesn't notice it.
Those detail guys have access to tech that ordinary people don't.
Whenever I took my cars in to those guys it always came back a shade brighter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lepoisson
How much did the detail set you back?
$175 for a complete detail inside and out.
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