smoke

[robj6767]

Anyone know a good Meguiar's product to get cigarette smoke out of a recently bought car? I recently purchased a 2006 ford explorer, and I don't think the owner ever opened the window when she smoked in there. The deal was just too good to pass up.

[Murr1525]

Re: smoke

It'll take some work.

You'll want to change the cabin air filter, possibly even spraying some Odor Eliminator into the ducts.

You'll want to clean all the surface, vinyl, fabric, etc with something like All Purpose Cleaner. Cleaning carpets, cleaning seats, blotting the headliner, wiping down hard surfaces, etc.

And then a good dose of Odor Eliminator all around. Then lots of airing out. And maybe repeating once or twice, and hoping for the best.

[robj6767]

Re: smoke

okay, thanks!

[Golden]

Re: smoke

Do not forget to do the windows! That ALWAYS helps.

[Andrew C.]

Re: smoke

It'll take some work.

You'll want to change the cabin air filter, possibly even spraying some Odor Eliminator into the ducts.

You'll want to clean all the surface, vinyl, fabric, etc with something like All Purpose Cleaner. Cleaning carpets, cleaning seats, blotting the headliner, wiping down hard surfaces, etc.

And then a good dose of Odor Eliminator all around. Then lots of airing out. And maybe repeating once or twice, and hoping for the best.

I would agree with Murr's advice here. The smoke from the previous owner will have gone into every last nook and cranny of the interior, so you are going to have to throroughly clean every last part of the interior if you want to get rid of the smell as much as possible. After cleaning it, like Murr said, spray odor eliminator onto all the fabric surfaces, maybe even 2 or 3 times, giving around a week between applications.

[TOGWT]

Re: smoke

Smoke

Its molecules are microscopic and they exhibit a very strong adhesive quality; plus they don't conform to normal cleaning standards. It is these micro particulates that embed themselves in the fibres of the headliner, seats and carpet. These are particles of incomplete combustion with a size of 0.1 to 4µ, the average human hair is between 40 – 600 µ; whereas the average smoke particle is 150 times smaller.

A solvent will not break their bond; a detergent will not suspend them for extraction. More than any other odour problem smoke removal is a process. You cannot eliminate odours by shampooing the interior, and/or spraying a deodorizer. Many odours are caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, mould, and mildew.

It amazes me that even professionals still think they can eliminate odours by shampooing the interior, and spraying a deodorizer. Nothing is farther from the truth, technically, an odour is an invisible gas, and so it can permeate any material or crevice. Many odours are caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, mould, and mildew. Not only does shampooing not eradicate these odours, it spreads them over a much wider area.

You eliminate dour-causing organisms with very specialized chemicals. Look for stains, if there are no stains, use the process of elimination; it is very effective when searching for the source of an odour; floor or seats, mats or carpet. If the vehicle has velour upholstery, a spill can penetrate on contact. If it is vinyl or leather, it will run to the deepest seam. Pay special attention to the headliner and all glass surfaces.

The most important aspect of removing as opposed to using a product that will cover it, only for the odour to return later on, or at the very least mitigating an offensive door is that you must find and remove its origin. Don’t be fooled by the claims of odour removal products; if it doesn’t have a cleaning agent in it, you’re not going to get rid of the odour.

If you thoroughly clean the interior and it still smells you have not removed the material which is generating the smell. You can use an ozone machine, steam / extractor, scrub, and vacuum etc but if you do not remove the origin the smell will remain. Replace the cabin air filter (if fitted) as it will retain the smoke micro-organisms

[Michael Stoops]

Re: smoke

Cigarette smoke will permeate every fiber of every fabric or upholstered surface in a car - carpets, seats, headliner, etc. A thorough cleaning of every inch is the best way to start, and after everything dries give a very light misting of Odor Eliminator to all of the surfaces. OE works by actually encapsulating the micro particles that cause the odors, so just spraying into the air vents isn't going to gain you much. Don't be dismayed if the scent of OE dissipates quickly - it is not a simple air freshener that masks the odors and the intent is NOT for it's own scent to stick around for long periods of time.

You may find that you need a few applications of OE over time, but many here have reported excellent results using this product.

But by all means change out that air filter and clean, clean, clean to start.