How to Get Rid of Smoke Smell in a Car

When you opt for a pre-owned vehicle over a brand new car, you can enjoy many benefits like driving a vehicle with all the features you desire for a budget-friendly price. However, there are sometimes a few minor issues left behind by the previous owner of the vehicle. One common issue is the lingering smell of cigarette smoke. Smoke permeates soft surfaces, so it may require a bit of work to eliminate that smell from the upholstery. Wondering how to get smoke smell out of a car? These helpful tips from Joe Basil Chevrolet should do the trick.

How to Remove Smoke Smell From Car: Upholstery

Get smoke smell out of your car upholstery by following the steps below. All you need is baking soda and a vacuum to get started:

1. Vacuum the upholstery and carpet – Thoroughly vacuum all soft surfaces, and be sure to get under the seats and in crevices as well. There may be old ash hiding in those areas. Note that you should use a wet/dry vac, aka shop vac, as the fineness of baking soda can cause a standard vacuum motor to overheat.
2. Sprinkle baking soda over carpet and upholstery – Baking soda is an effective odor neutralizer that can absorb scents. Once you sprinkle the baking soda over these soft surfaces, let it sit for a while.
3. Vacuum up the baking soda – After the baking soda has sat for a while, vacuum it up. If the smell of smoke still remains, sprinkle small amounts of baking soda to further get rid of the smell. Another option is to leave an open box of baking soda in the vehicle overnight to continue absorbing the scent.

How to Remove Smoke Smell From Car: Leather and Trim

The smell of smoke can also permeate into leather and trim, leaving residue behind. The steps for how to get cigarette smell out of a car vary a bit if you have leather seats.

1. Use a special cleaner for the purpose – You’ll need to use a special cleaner for each surface (leather, dashboard, etc.).
2. Clean the surface multiple times – Smoke can deeply permeate surfaces, so this may require you to clean the surface multiple times to eliminate the scent and residue. Some smell will likely remain.

Additional Steps

Now that you know how to remove smoke smell from car upholstery, you don’t want to forget the other surfaces in your vehicle. Remember to wipe down your windows, clean both windshields, and replace the air filter in your car. Smoke smell can linger in the air vents, so you don’t want to miss this step.

Contact Joe Basil Chevrolet for More Information

If you still have questions about how to get rid of smoke smell in a car, do not hesitate to contact us. We want to help get your vehicle in pristine condition.