What is your plan of action to remove scent smell from a used car?

[Maestro Sam]

A client just bought a Lexus ls460 used and is having trouble with the odor left by one of those pine tree scents you hang on the rear mirror. He stated that he aired out the vehicle for couple of weeks and changed his air filter to remove the odor. Removing the air filter reduce the odor substantially, but still lingers a scent smell. He wants to get rid of the scent smell completely so what is your plan of action/chemical use to tackle this? I was going to extract and vapor steam the whole car and use a ozone generator? I am also looking for a ozone generator for cars so what would be the best one economically out there that works?

[GSKR]

I would bomb the car with a odor bomber,with the car on and ac on as well.ozone machines are the biggest scam since believing in Santa Claus.I think if you wet the fabric it will be more pronounced.ozone machines are dangerous and emit toxic gas.Bombing the car may take 2 cans and sometime for it to devour the pine scent.If it were me I would use 4 cans all at once.

[Maestro Sam]

Oh really damn got to do some more research on ozone generators. I looked up odor bomer by dakota with mixed reviews on amazon. I guess this product can also damage the interior due to the reviews I read online?

[GSKR]

The Dakota bomb is good used it on several cars.The promblem with Dakota is your replacing a scent from another.you have to get a neutral product like ozium aerosol.more than likely it will take some time to get rid of.If you are charging for this service,this can be one of those deals where you are gonna loose.Tell him to buy a product at ag or retail and send him on his way and don't get involved.Been down that road many times not worth the headache .

[GSKR]

[QUOTE=Maestro Sam;1387290]Oh really damn got to do some more research on ozone generators. I looked up odor bomer by dakota with mixed reviews on amazon. I guess this product can also damage the interior due to the reviews I read online?[/QUOTEDeosnt harm the interior,just have to clean the glass after.

[pickles]

I had this same issue when I bought my 4runner used 4 years ago. Previous owner was a smoker. I initially tried all kinds of odor bombs and had the ozone treatment done but didnt work like I wanted. The main two things that basically eliminated the smell were changing the cabin filter and having all of the cloth inside the cabin steam cleaned and extracted.

I wipe down the rest of the interior every chance I get and haven't smelled smoke in a long time.

[GSKR]

Time is the cure along with multiple cleanings and neutralizer spray.Hard to achieve excellent results with one visit to a detailing shop.The owner will have to play a part in this to remove.I can't count how many cig smelled cars we tried to fix.There is a spray that a lot of dealers use and it's very effective.cant mention forum rules.

[Joe@NextLevelDetail]

While shampooing a little bit of fabric softner makes the carpets smell amazing

[usmcpab]

While shampooing a little bit of fabric softner makes the carpets smell amazing

Im gonna have to try that fabric softener one of these days. I was considering an ozone generator but after reading GSKr's comment I gonna lay off of it.

[GSKR]

That's a good idea for your personal taste,but at the end of the day they will complain about that.just abort these kind of jobs or get the $$$ to do a interior detail,but don't under any circumstances guarantee the smell will come out that's were the promblems occur.you will find yourself cleaning that interior pro bono 2 or 3 times if you commit to them on the scent or smell.I got a friend who owns a corvette dealer in town and will not buy any car even if it's way under book value at auction pertaining to cig smell.