If you’ve spent time around habitual smokers, you’ve likely dealt with the unpleasant task of getting that smoke smell out of your clothes and hair. If you’ve ever ridden in a vehicle owned by a heavy smoker, it seems as if that unpleasant odor is multiplied. The unfortunate truth is that getting the smell of smoke out of your car is much more difficult than getting it out of your clothing or hair. But don’t worry—in this article, we’ll share some useful tips for getting the smell of smoke out of your car.
You may be tempted to grab a brush and some heavy-duty upholstery cleaner and get right to scrubbing, but you should hold off.
Effectively getting the smoke smell out of your car requires some prep work.
Here’s a deeper look at some of the steps you should take to prepare your vehicle for getting that smoke smell out.
Completely removing the smell of smoke from your car isn’t a quick job.
You’re going to need to set up shop someplace where you can work for a while without being in the way of other people trying to park their cars.
More importantly, you’re going to need to work in an area with plenty of ventilation. You’ll be using some cleaners that you don’t want to constantly inhale, and your car will need to “breathe,” too, to effectively get rid of the smoke smell.
In short, your garage probably isn’t the best spot. Instead, set up in your driveway or in a parking lot where you have room to work.
Plan your cleaning on a day when the weather is going to be nice.
If you have one of those pop-up tents, it wouldn’t hurt to set it up so you have some shade as you work.
Before you get into all of the smoke-specific cleaning methods below, you need to give your vehicle an initial cleaning.
The first step is to get rid of any trash or litter you have in your car. Things like fast food wrappers and scraps of paper can soak up the smell of smoke.
Getting rid of this litter will go a long way in eliminating that smoke stench. Most modern vehicles have eliminated ashtrays in their interior designs.
However, if you happen to have an older vehicle that still has ashtrays, clean them! A couple of old cigarette butts left in an ashtray make it impossible to get the smoke smell out of your car!
When the trash is out, break out your vacuum cleaner. We’re not talking about one of those tiny dust busters you plug into your car’s cigarette lighter.
You’re gonna need a serious shop vac for this job.
If you don’t have one, head to a commercial car wash that offers stations outside. Most of them will provide heavy-duty vacuum cleaners. Sometimes they’re even free to use if you purchase a car wash.
Once you’ve got the appropriate vacuum in hand, start cleaning every inch of your car’s interior.
Remove the floor mats and make several passes over them with the vacuum.
Much like getting rid of the litter, you’re not necessarily trying to “vacuum out” the smoke smell, but the tiny particles that might have soaked up the smell.
If you can remove your vehicle’s seat covers, great! Give them the same treatment as your floor mats.
Then, leave them outside in the sun for a while to air out. Finally, run the vacuum over your car’s carpet, seat upholstery, and headliner.
If your vehicle has leather seats, you’ll likely need to take some additional steps to deep-clean the surface.
We recommend using a quality cleaning product, like the Leather Cleaner from Chemical Guys. It’s a great product that’s safe to use on all types of car leather. It not only does a great job of cleaning up leather surfaces but also creates a protective layer that will help preserve your vehicle’s leather.
When you’re done vacuuming and, if applicable, cleaning your leather, move on to the other surfaces in your car.
Pay special attention to your steering wheel, as it’s an area that tends to get the brunt of exhaled cigarette smoke. A good all-purpose cleaner like Simple Green will do wonders on your wheel. Hit your dash, center console, and armrests with some Armor All.
If you have cloth seats, you should consider using a steam cleaner to give them a deep-cleaning.
Also, steam cleaning your headliner goes a long way in getting the smoke smell out of your car.
The sad truth is that sometimes the stench of smoke is impossible to completely remove from upholstery. In these extreme cases, you might actually consider replacing your vehicle’s headliner, carpets, and floor mats entirely.
Now, we’re getting into some serious deep-cleaning territory. Deodorizing your car’s air duct system isn’t exactly part of a “normal” maintenance routine.
However, when it comes to getting the smell of smoke out of your car, it’s a step that needs to be taken. Here’s how to do it.
First of all, you need to get your hands on a quality odor neutralizer that’s designed to combat the stench of smoke.
Ozium is one of our favorite brands. Not only does it do a great job of killing the smell of smoke in your car, but it also protects against harmful bacteria. More on this product later.
Initially, you’ll use it to clean your car’s ductwork. Begin by starting your car and cranking up the air conditioner. Set the temperature as low as it will go and blast the fan on high. Roll all of your windows down and let everything run for a while.
This will help “blow out” a portion of the smoke smell. After five minutes or so, move around to the front of your vehicle and look for the intake vents for the air conditioner.
They’re usually located right under the windshield wipers.
Next, take your can of Ozium (or a similar odor neutralizer) and spray the contents directly into the vents. You’ll be amazed at how much this step can reduce the smoke smell in your car.
Next, turn off the air conditioner and crank up the heating system. When it warms up, blast the outside vents with the odor neutralizer again.
The above tips will go a long way in getting the smell of smoke out of your vehicle, but they’re certainly not guaranteed to do the trick, every time.
Here are 9 more home remedies you can try to get rid of smoke smell.
White vinegar can be used for countless home remedies and most people have at least a quart or two on hand at any given time. As it turns out, vinegar also does a great job of eliminating smoke smell from a car.
Simply pour a little vinegar in an open container and leave it sitting in your car overnight.
You may need to repeat this step over several nights, but there’s a good chance you’ll find the smoke stench in your car has dwindled.
Another common ingredient in home remedies, baking soda can also be used to eliminate smoke smell.
Baking soda is often used as an odor neutralizer, and chances are, you’ve placed an open box in your fridge from time to time.
Sprinkle baking soda on your vehicle’s floor mats and carpet and let it sit for an hour. Then, vacuum it up.
With any luck, you’ll vacuum up a good portion of the smoke smell with it.
Eliminating the smell of smoke from your vehicle isn’t something that can always be done in a single attempt.
To keep the lingering smoke smell at bay in between treatments, you can use coffee grounds.
While placing a container of grounds in your car won’t necessarily get rid of the smell of smoke, it will overpower the smell for a short time.
This might just make driving around until your next treatment a little more bearable.
Obviously, cat litter is designed to absorb odors. But using it to get rid of the smell of smoke in your car might not be so obvious.
Simply put some cat litter in a bowl and leave it in your car for a few days. Then, toss out the litter and repeat as necessary until the smell of smoke diminishes.
By now, you’ve probably seen the emerging trend with our DIY solutions. It boils down to absorption.
As it turns out, that bag of charcoal you have sitting next to your grill is also a great tool in removing the smoke smell from your car.
Like many of our other suggestions, a bowl of charcoal left in your car for a few days can “soak up” some of that stench.
A simple box of dryer sheets kept in your glove box is one of the most useful items you can have in your vehicle.
However, dryer sheets run counter to the point we made in our last suggestion. They won’t “absorb” the smoke odor.
Instead, they’ll help mask the smell for a quick fix. If you have cloth seats, you can rub a dryer sheet on the upholstery for a quick refresher.
That method won’t do you much good if you have leather seats. However, you can toss a few loose dryer sheets under your seats for some quick, cheap DIY air fresheners.
One of the best ways to eliminate smoke smell from your car is as easy as stocking up on fruit during your next grocery store run.
Keeping lemon, lime, or orange peels in your vehicle for a couple of days will work wonders on that smoke stench.
Just make sure you don’t forget about the peels. Otherwise, you’ll be trading smoke stench for rotten fruit.
Up to this point, we’ve offered up some simple and cheap solutions that you likely have hanging around your house for other purposes.
But sometimes the best solution is the one specifically designed for the problem. We’ve already mentioned Ozium as part of the air duct cleaning process, but it’s also one of the best solutions for getting the smoke smell out of your car’s interior.
As we mentioned, Ozium does more than just eliminate the stench. It also kills any bacteria that might be harboring the smell.
The best part is that it’s simple to use. You simply spray the inside of your vehicle, close up the doors and windows, and let it hang out overnight.
While Ozium does a great job, your smoke problem may call for an actual “fog bomb.” This is a product that literally fills every crack and crevice of your vehicle with an odor-killing mist.
One of our favorite products is the Dakota Odor Bomb. The product description suggests that one can covers 6,000 cubic feet—about the size of a hotel room.
So, even if you’re trying to clear a huge SUV, this product will get the job done. In fact, the company recommends that you don’t use an entire can in a vehicle.
The final method for removing the smell of smoke from your vehicle is also the most sure-fire way.
However, it can be dangerous, so that’s why we’ve saved it for last. An ozone treatment will essentially “shock” the air inside your vehicle by bombarding the stinky particles in the air with oxygen particles.
An ozone generator uses UV radiation to break down existing oxygen particles only to recreate “extra” oxygen atoms. These extra atoms attach to the odor molecules and break them down.
Here’s the thing:
In many locations, you can rent an ozone generator yourself. However, generating the O3 (ozone) particles can be hazardous to your health.
If you decide to try this method on your own, make sure you’re using it in an area with plenty of ventilation. Follow the directions to a T.
If an ozone treatment is your only option for completely removing the smoke smell from your car, we suggest checking with a professional service before trying it on your own.
You might find that the additional expense is worth avoiding the health risks of trying it on your own.
Smoke smell in a car can be a major turn-off.
But, depending on how severe the stench is, we’ve shown how a few household items can get rid of it.
If you’d like more advice on which route you should take, consider taking your car to a professional detail shop.
They may have resources like ozone treatments that could get rid of the smell quick and without any headaches.
