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  1. #1

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    Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    Hey Everyone!

    Just bought a Mercedes with an Alcantera headliner and trim on seats. The previous owner was a smoker and even though he said he never smoked in the car with windows up it still smells like smoke. Just wondering if there is a way to clean the suade headliner as I imagine most of the smell is in there. I will be replacing the cabin filter with a charcoal activated one as well. Thanks for any suggestions!

  2. #2
    rlmccarty2000's Avatar
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    Re: Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    Alcantara is a fairly durable material. I would spray lightly with a mild APC and wipe carefully with a microfiber towel. I do believe Sonax makes a cleaner for Alcantara although I have not tried it. Good luck.

  3. #3

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    Re: Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    Leave an open bowl of vinegar in it overnight, it will absorb the odor.
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  4. #4
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    Quote Originally Posted by maximus16v View Post
    Hey Everyone!

    Just bought a Mercedes with an Alcantera headliner and trim on seats. The previous owner was a smoker and even though he said he never smoked in the car with windows up it still smells like smoke. Just wondering if there is a way to clean the suade headliner as I imagine most of the smell is in there. I will be replacing the cabin filter with a charcoal activated one as well. Thanks for any suggestions!
    Too bad the owner was not very truthful.. Sorry this had to happen to you..
    When you put your nose close to the Headliner, the seats, the door panels, carpets, do you smell smoke ??

    In my experiences with smoked out cars, it is never easy to remove the smoke smell, and worse, all the nicotine that is stuck to everything in the entire Interior..
    If it was smoked in a lot, there is a film of nicotine on every square inch of the Interior that contributes to the smell..

    If only the Driver smoked, the most nicotine will be on the entire left side of the Interior, from the front glass, the dash, steering wheel, the carpets, doors, seatbelts, the entire headliner all the way back to the left side of the back seat, back glass, the package tray, all the surfaces back there especially on the left side..
    If both Driver and Passenger/s smoked, then its twice as bad..

    For sure, even if one 1 person smoked, every square inch of the Interior needs to be cleaned really well with a good, All Purpose Cleaner that does not foam a lot so it can be rinsed carefully, or even better, carefully steamed into every square inch, and wiped carefully..

    You should be able to see the Nicotine come off things if you use white towels... Hopefully , hopefully, it was just smoked in a little and there will be not as much work here..

    I also use the same good, low foaming APC on all the carpets with steam and then rinse and extract everything..

    Another solution that some people do, that I don`t recommend, is to put a bomb thing in there that puts out an overpowering scent that covers up the Nicotine smell, but in my experiences, this new smell makes some people so ill, they cannot drive the car any longer..

    Be careful with Alcantara, it does not like a lot of brushing sometimes, and too much moisture can change the way it lays down, etc..

    Follow your nose, when you don`t smell it anywhere, then you are done..

    Yes, change out the Interior Filter and that may help from recycling the smell in it already from the cigarette smoke..

    The last place that may harbor the smell will be all the ducting for the AC/Heater..

    Einszett may still make a product for this called Klima-Kleen, that you set on the floor, open up the can, turn on the AC with the car running, so it sucks it up into the duct work, and helps remove the smell from the ducts..
    Dan F
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  5. #5
    trashmanssd's Avatar
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    Re: Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    Cleaning every surface as Stokdg said will be the biggest help but until then or if it lingers in the cushions and in the carpet padding and in the vents. Baking soda spread out on a cookie sheet left in the car for the weekend (if you are not driving it). Or one of those larger bamboo charcoal deodorizer bags meant for a car or closet.
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  6. #6
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    Re: Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    Quote Originally Posted by rlmccarty2000 View Post
    Alcantara is a fairly durable material. I would spray lightly with a mild APC and wipe carefully with a microfiber towel. I do believe Sonax makes a cleaner for Alcantara although I have not tried it. Good luck.
    I have gone through about 4 bottles of that Sonax Alcantara cleaner, it`s really good... but I don`t think it has any biocides or whatever you`d need to eliminate the nicotine/smoke smell


    Brandt K.
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  7. #7

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    Re: Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    Thanks all for the recommendations! Its pretty cold up here right now so Im worried that it will get worse come summer so that will be the true test in a few months

    What are your thoughts on an Ozone machines? I can get one for decent price that gives off 5g/h. Might be handy to have or would that be pointless?
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  8. #8

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    Re: Smoke and Alcantera/suade

    If you are looking for ozone generators, check out Detailed Image and their line of Jenesco Ozone Generators (sorry, no link due to forum rules).

    They are pricy for the hobbyist to own, but if you do smoked-in vehicles for others who may be wanting to sell their vehicle outright on their own, you may be able to re-coup your initial investment. You may also find a detail shop in your area that will do this for a fee, but it is usually not "nominal" (IE, its an expensive service).

    I really think ozone is probably the most reliable and effective method for "permanent" smoke-odor removal and if its extensive, ozone may not even remove all of it. I do know that even to my more-than-sensitive nose, smoke odors in vehicles can be (and are highly) offensive to non-smokers.

    I am not sure if enzymes "work" on smoke odors, as Poorboy`s World introduced an enzyme-&-stain cleaner recently. I think they are more for pet urine and protein- based odors that need to be "dissolved" (eaten) by the enzymes.

    One thing that will NOT work: Fra-Breeze or Lysol Deodorant Spray. They may "mask" the smell for a short time, but they will not eliminate it.

    That said, a company namedOdorcide makes a deodorant specifically for cigarette smoke: see this link CIGARETTE SMOKE that you may want to check out, but I think this is more for residential (home) cleaning and not vehicle cleaning. I have used ODORCIDE Original 210 product for a pet & smoke-odor vehicle ONCE and it was a good outcome, but that was more pet odors and some cigarette odors in that vehicle. "Odorcide is not an enzyme. Odorcide uses a chemistry called Zwaademaker Conjugates. This process bonds, absorbs and then counteracts the odor molecules ability to emit a vapor. The result is complete elimination of the odor." according to the Frequently-Asked-Questions from their webpage (FYI or MTYRWTK: you decide)
    .
    GB detailer
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