Advice on de-smoking an interior

Don

Don

Darth Camaro 12/27/15
I started taking CHANTIX and I`m on week 2 of no cigarettes. One of my issues now, is that I can now smell the interior of my car (smells like an ashtray).

What is a good way to de-stink my interior without having to resort to shampooing or other "wet" types of cleaning seeing how it`s January and a bit chilly out?
 
Congrats, Don on starting the process !! Keep going - forward - not backward !!!

Unfortunately, given the time of year for you, there is no super magic way to get it better other than to clean the ashtray/s out really well, and perhaps see about putting something inside the car to "cover" the nicotine smell, which is probably coated on most of the interior if not all of it..

This product may help -- https://www.autogeek.net/so2pure-air-purifier.html
Or this product --- https://www.autogeek.net/eco-odor-eliminator.html

What can help to start getting the smell out for good, is to really clean all the Interior Glass several times, as you see the nicotine come off on your towels.. It may be the worst on the driver side glass and the driver side back glass.. But do all of it including the moon roof glass...

Then, see about cleaning all the dashboard, especially the driver side, the Steering Wheel, and all the plastic panels, if possible.

In my experiences Detailing out smoked in vehicles, the only way to get them as best as possible was to absolutely - clean - steam- , extract all the carpets, fabrics, Headliner, every square inch of the Interior..

Be careful about putting in some of those quick detailer bomb things in there that release all this stuff that supposedly -removes- the smell...

I had a Client that bought a new BMW M5 that had been - bombed - to hide the extreme smoking inside it, and it made him so sick, that he didn`t drive the car for a year...
Until he found me, and I removed it all out.. Took over 10 hours of extreme, detailed, cleaning...

Good luck with this !!
DanF
 
I agree with dan with the best way is to clean all, and thoroughly. I tend to use paint prep on smoked in glass cause it cuts so well and use many, many fresh rags-short nap works best. Then I use megs all purpose cleaner at a 1:5-1:8 ratio for first 2 cleanings of vinyl before my normal cleaner is used, with lots of fresh rags as well and keep a bucket of hot water to rinse the brushes out as you scrub the vinyl.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
Don’t forget the air filters,cabin and engine if your car has the two if no cabin air filter then just change the one In engine bay.
 
Piling on top as I agree, gotta deep scrub the interior. I keep finding cars that are otherwise ideal except they reek of smoke. Bonus points because I`m allergic to smoke and the smell gives my wife headaches. If there is an easily available product that kills the smell, I haven`t found it.

A multi pass carpet scrubbing and interior wash are imperative. An ozone machine or chemical (not fragrance) bomb are helpful.

For interior cleaning I love Mr Clean. It is rinseless like ONR and does a great job of cutting through old grime.
 
I can`t add anything to the deodorizing answers, but congrats on taking the plunge to quit smoking, hope you`re able to stick with it.


bigfish528 said:
Don’t forget the air filters,cabin and engine if your car has the two if no cabin air filter then just change the one In engine bay.
Click to expand...

Maybe I`m being hopelessly naive but I don`t see how changing the engine air filter is going to have any effect on cigarette smell in the car interior, but perhaps I`m just not up to speed on modern automotive technology, I mean I still have a dwell meter somewhere.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I can`t add anything to the deodorizing answers, but congrats on taking the plunge to quit smoking, hope you`re able to stick with it.




Maybe I`m being hopelessly naive but I don`t see how changing the engine air filter is going to have any effect on cigarette smell in the car interior, but perhaps I`m just not up to speed on modern automotive technology, I mean I still have a dwell meter somewhere.
Click to expand...

Amigo !
I believe he was referring to the one that is sometimes under the front windshield cowling, as in my `09 Grand Cherokee.. It fits in a slot that is actually in the top passenger-side of the firewall, so yeah, there are some like mine in the engine bay..

I had for many decades, since the mid-60`s, a SUN Dwell Meter/Tachometer and Timing Light !!! :)
Must have opened the little window on GM distributors and turned the points with the allen wrench a zillion times for that many vehicles, looking at the Dwell Meter.. :)
Then, turn the bolt under the distributor to loosen it and set the Timing.. :)

Think in the last move, these two awesome test tools got separated from me.. Hopefully whoever has them is using them again..
Dan F
 
Stokdgs said:
Amigo !
I believe he was referring to the one that is sometimes under the front windshield cowling, as in my `09 Grand Cherokee.. It fits in a slot that is actually in the top passenger-side of the firewall, so yeah, there are some like mine in the engine bay..
Click to expand...

Oh...my bad...I have two in my fleet like that, but to me it`s still a CABIN air filter even if you have to change it from the engine bay. I still have my Sun Gun if you need to borrow it.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I can`t add anything to the deodorizing answers, but congrats on taking the plunge to quit smoking, hope you`re able to stick with it.




Maybe I`m being hopelessly naive but I don`t see how changing the engine air filter is going to have any effect on cigarette smell in the car interior, but perhaps I`m just not up to speed on modern automotive technology, I mean I still have a dwell meter somewhere.
Click to expand...

LOL, some cabin air filters are accessed through the engine bay, mine is, it`s against the firewall on the passenger side.
 
Don- If you decide to try an ozone treatment, note that most ozone generators don`t really make enough of it to do much of anything. The ones that do will require rubber items to be protected as the ozone will oxidize them.

Steam is indeed a good idea, but be careful as it can be sorts surprising how damage that you never would`ve expected can happen, and fast.

Some vehicles lose the smokey smell pretty easily, while others (Crown Vics!) don`t..like...ever. Hope yours is in the first group.
 
ValuGard Odor Terminator---usage instructions, etc at Valugard.net
The product is non-toxic, non-staining, been in use by vehicle manufacturers for over 20 years.
Only equipment required is a pistol sprayer and the ability to follow directions.
 
A great friend of mine just got this Champix. So we talked about just the other day. I don`t know if it`s happened in the US but the price of it has been lowered alot. Could be that the patent on it has gone out. So there are coming in other manufactures too know. I did what you don`t are suposed to doing of course a couple of years ago. Have quit smoking in 2002 and took a couple of cigarettes after all those years was a bad idea. But I`m building up the motivation to quit again and think I will try this Champix to help out with it. Hope you will succed Don!

Think you have been recommended it in the thread on AGO. After a thorough cleaning of the interior I would test to apply Carpro So2Pure. It`s a combo product that is both a vinyl protection and an odour elimenator. I just saw that Dan F had linked it here too LOL. It`s based on tio2 or just the Ti/titanium and are suposed to be doing a great work in both categories. And last a long time too. Treat it little as a coating and use a cleaner that don`t leave anything behind on the places you are going to apply it.

A carpet extractor is something that will help you to get deep in the fabrics and clean them out good. Some kind of pretreatment to desolve the nicotine and the tar from the smoking would help alot. Maybe you could use an APC based on citrus oils and dilute it to heavy cleaning on interiors. 3D and Meguiars and Nextzett is some brands that comes to mind that have those. And if used with an extractor look for a low foaming citrus based APC or degreaser that are able to be used on the interior as well.

/ Tony
 
I remember when Ozone machines came out perhaps 15+ years ago..
Came from the people who do major flood clean ups..
Can be pretty hazardous to your health while they are in use, so you have to set the timer and stay away for awhile, even after its done..

My only question about this box is this -- does it really work to remove odors - AFTER - all the cleaning has been done ????

If this is really the case then, how will it ever benefit removing smoke odors off, if the particulate/s is/are still adhered to all the surfaces ???

Im still of the - however many are in this camp - that knows by experience that the best odor removal will always be removing the source of the odor/s first...

Don -- for all the work I ever did in this odor removal area, I had the best results with the old Meguiars APC+, which is of course, no longer available..

Meguiars DID come out not long ago with Meguiars D107 Citrus Power Cleaner Plus... I would absolutely try this product out first..
Dan F
 
Congrats on quitting smoking! Everyone has great ideas on removing the smell. I removed the door panels from my son’s used truck and nicotine had infiltrated that area too, so removing all the smell would probably take removing the door panels and that is not fun on newer cars. There is a thing called Auto Shocker from Biocides Systems that works by attaching itself to the order causing molecules, similar to the SoPure technology. You just place the cup in your cup holder add water and roll up the windows. It’s available from Amazon for $25.
 
Stokdgs- My AirZone Ozone machine, which does indeed need to be used in an uninhabited area when at its highest settings, definitely eliminates odors when used correctly. It also kills black mold. BTDT, first-hand experience. No, I don`t know the science behind it. Yes, I should :o
 
Stokdgs said:
Im still of the - however many are in this camp - that knows by experience that the best odor removal will always be removing the source of the odor/s first...

Don -- for all the work I ever did in this odor removal area, I had the best results with the old Meguiars APC+, which is of course, no longer available..

Meguiars DID come out not long ago with Meguiars D107 Citrus Power Cleaner Plus... I would absolutely try this product out first..
Dan F
Click to expand...

I think - when it gets warmer or I get access to a heated garage - I`m going to use a spray bottle of hot/warm water with some liquid laundry detergent and my wet/dry vac and go over my upholstery and carpets a small section at a time. Until then, I will probably use some Febreze (heavily) on the seats & carpet.
 
Don- I`d pick up a bottle of the ValuGard stuff or somebody else`s equivalent. IME those work better than Febreze (not flaming it, just sayin` ).
 
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