Can't Rid Cigarette Odor! Smell's Bad.

[MikeDre]

I just bought this 1998 Accord Coupe. The car is really well taken care of except that it smells like an ashtray! I already did the following to it. Took seats out and shampooed the seats, carpet, headliner & door panels (all with allergen shampoo). I took a mixture of soap & water and wiped all surfaces. I even took some trim pieces out completely and washed with a mitt that had soap & water. I sprayed the vents with lysol and changed out the cabin air filters. I then sprayed the whole interior with Renuzit. It still smelss like an ashtray! I can smell the smoke on my hands from gripping the steering wheel when I drive.

Can anyone suggest what my next step could be? I currently have fabric softener sheets under the seats. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[SRHTX]

Wish I could assist ya but, I have not been able to smell since June '01. :(


I just bought this 1998 Accord Coupe. The car is really well taken care of except that it smells like an ashtray! I already did the following to it. Took seats out and shampooed the seats, carpet, headliner & door panels (all with allergen shampoo). I took a mixture of soap & water and wiped all surfaces. I even took some trim pieces out completely and washed with a mitt that had soap & water. I sprayed the vents with lysol and changed out the cabin air filters. I then sprayed the whole interior with Renuzit. It still smelss like an ashtray! I can smell the smoke on my hands from gripping the steering wheel when I drive.

Can anyone suggest what my next step could be? I currently have fabric softener sheets under the seats. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Craig]

Try this Dakota Non Smoke - odor remover, smoke odor eliminator, tobacco odor eliminator, odor remover, smoke odor remover, car odor eliminator, remove smoke (http://www.autogeek.net/smoke-odor-eliminator.html)

[Jimmie]

Try this Dakota Non Smoke - odor remover, smoke odor eliminator, tobacco odor eliminator, odor remover, smoke odor remover, car odor eliminator, remove smoke (http://www.autogeek.net/smoke-odor-eliminator.html)
:whs: that looks like a good one. Here's another link for your duct work Clean Air, Air Freshener, Odor remover (http://www.autogeek.net/cleanairhigp.html)

[MikeDre]

has anyon actually used any of these products? the dakota sounds good but does it work?

[sal329]

Find a local shop that uses an Ozone Generator. If you like the smell of coffee you can get a small bag like the Folgers and open it place it under the seat for a few hours.

[Blackthorn One]

has anyon actually used any of these products? the dakota sounds good but does it work?

There are various products out there that encapsulate the molecules of offending odors, like smelly shoes that should work. First I think you should attempt to clean the interior as well as possible maybe 4 times with shampoo, interior cleaner, and a wet and dry vac to thoroughly remove the residue. Use a crevice tool for its more concentrated suction power. Ozone can be used to reduce these smells, too. Leave an ozone generator in the car for a few hours. Cigarette smoke is insidious stuff, very fine particles which cling to fabrics easily which stink horribly and are difficult to remove because ash particles are so small. I suggest you clean the car thoroughly 3 more times. Of course, you need to clean out the vent system, or it will just recirculate into the car again after you clean it. It may take time to get all of it out. We bought a used Camaro with horrible cigarette smell. It took a while to remove, but it's basically gone now. The car was shampooed and I believe ozone was used, but it still wasn't instantaneous. It took time to leave, but it did. You really have to be picky about buying cars with cigarette odors if you are a non smoker. Best of luck.

[AeroCleanse]

I would use an ozone machine

[Jeremy]

throw a bunch of bounce fabric softener sheets in there for a day or two.I have never used them for cig smoke,but it will take care off almost anything

[Emile]

It sounds like you need to do two things:

1.) Keep cleaning the interior. While the interior still smells gross, repeated applications of cleaning the whole interior should slowly kill the cigarette odor entirely.

2.) I feel that you are using all the wrong products to remove the cigarette odor. Use Einszett Cockpit Premium to clean all of the interior. Use Einszett Klima Kleaner to properly clean out the HVAC vents. These two products have a gentle citrus formula that is designed to neutralize offensive odors. Also, use a proper carpet and upholstery cleaner to clean up the carpet floor mats, as well as the carpet lining, such as Tuff Stuff. Use the Tuff Stuff on the seats liberally. If your seats are leather, do a two-step leather cleaning and conditioning for automotive leather, such as Lexol Leather Cleaner and Lexol Leather Conditioner.

[Showroom Shine]

I have detailed quite a few vehicles with smoke smell. The only thing that has worked completely was the Ozone Generator I purchased from DetailKing. If it is not removed from the vents the smell will recirculate when the heat and air are turned on. There are some products that claim to remove the smell,but I have not used them!

[MikeDre]

where can i rent an ozone? or should i call detail places and ask if they have one and have them perform the job?

[Showroom Shine]

Check your local detail shop. There should be one that provides the service.

[ANDYS87]

...........must be a Honda thing!(just kidding)...I bought a 96 Civic about three years ago. The used car dealer must have sprayed it with an air freshener or something because it didn't stink when I went for a test drive. About a week after I bought, it stunk like hell from cigarette smoke. I didn't do much for it...just bought two odor eliminator air fresheners from walmart and put under the front seats. They are big, round, white plastic containers filled with a solid air freshener/odor absorber. The inside "puck" drys out and shrinks/disappears after a month or two. I changed both a few times....drove with the windows open most of the time....and the smell finally was gone after about 4-6months. Maybe you should use Febreeze spray on everything(seats if cloth, carpet, headliner, blast out the airvents, etc). Your car will smell like a french ##### house for a while but it just might take the smoke smell away! Check out those things at wally world. They are in the car air freshener section. Usually on the bottom shelf. I think one is a citrus scent and one is a clean linen scent or something. They are about 5 inches in diameter, white plastic, with a sticker on the top that you peel off to reveal the vents. Good luck!

[ANDYS87]

Also, spray the trunk(the carpet and side panels). Odors from the trunk find their way into the cabin very easily.