This isn't exactly e-cig related, but since I've stopped smoking, I'm starting to notice just how badly my car smells. As easy as it would be to just get a new car, that isn't in the budget, so what worked for you?
Any tips for cleaning the stench out of my car?
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Didn't smoke in the auto..but maybe a good steam cleaning, rinse with vinegar, regular rinse and then a good air dry. Follow that up with a boatload of fabreeze or lysol air disinfectant. Use a good foaming window cleaner/degreaser, some foaming bubbles in the air vents. Maybe after scrubbing the trim, dash, etc. wipe down well with some more vinegar..then hang a pine tree!
Could just have it detailed somewhere..dunno how well they do with odors though.
Could just have it detailed somewhere..dunno how well they do with odors though.
My in-laws don't know my husband smokes so I am a pro at this. First, clean out your car. Vacuum all carpet and any fabric surfaces. Wipe down all leather and vinyl. Then stick Bounce fabric sheets under floor mats, in spaces you can't clean well like between the seat and center well. I use maybe 6 or so. In a few days, the car smells great and the inlaws have never figured it out.
I look forward to never having to do this again now that he is starting to vape instead.
I look forward to never having to do this again now that he is starting to vape instead.
I would recommend:
- a basic interior clean: remove any debris, etc, wipe hard surfaces and leather, and of course, make sure the ashtray is thoroughly cleaned. vacuum the carpets too.
- place bowls filled with vinegar-soaked towels/paper towels around the car overnight for a couple nights. Make sure one is near the ashtray. Go with 3-4 bowls or a couple more if it's a large vehicle.
- then try a few drops of liquid Nil-Odor on front and back carpets and wait overnight
I found that worked pretty well when I bought a new car a couple years ago.
~Acheron
- a basic interior clean: remove any debris, etc, wipe hard surfaces and leather, and of course, make sure the ashtray is thoroughly cleaned. vacuum the carpets too.
- place bowls filled with vinegar-soaked towels/paper towels around the car overnight for a couple nights. Make sure one is near the ashtray. Go with 3-4 bowls or a couple more if it's a large vehicle.
- then try a few drops of liquid Nil-Odor on front and back carpets and wait overnight
I found that worked pretty well when I bought a new car a couple years ago.
~Acheron
Cleaning my van this weekend for the same reason. I use to smell like this???? ACK!!! Never again analogs! Never again!
No quick solutions to this problem. The best thing after the usual filter changes and cleaning is to leave the car windows open to the air when parked. Having a garage helps in this respect. I had to leave the car open for several weeks to get rid of most of the cigarette smell.
I managed to get the smell out but it cost me a pretty penny...... Didn't want to spend a whole day cleaning it myself so I took it to a hand-carwash, Cabana, here in Houston...... Paid for a "deep clean and wax:" They hand-waxed the car (that didn't do anything about the smell inside, naturally, but it needed it anyways... LOL!), shampooed my carpets, cleaned the windows, wiped down the leather seats and cleaned them, washed floor mats, the whole 9 yards.... $100 later, it didn't smell anymore and was as clean as it hadn't been for a while! Well worth the money, IMO! ...... Bounce sheets, vaccum, scrubbing.... will work, too, but I didn't want to put that much work into it myself.... LAZY! LOL! 
Unless you just want to mask the odor, nothing beats a good airing out .. several open boxes of baking soda works ..
I'm going to vacuum the van out, wash down the seats, clean the windows and then place bowls of white vinegar around the van. Hopefully this will help.
First wipe down everything you can reach to remove any cigarette residue. Use glass cleaner on the windows to remove the cigarette haze.
Vacuum and Febreeze all cloth surfaces. Place bowls of vinegar around the car and leave in the car overnight. That will get the smell out of the seat padding and head liner.
The hard part for me was getting the smell out of the AC system. I changed the filter but that didn't help much. I tried running the AC with vinegar, a cloud of Febreeze, dryer sheets, Ozium and such but at best they only masked the smell until I let the car sit for a few hours. As soon as I hit the AC again, it was like someone had just lit up. My local auto parts store has a fogger type odor neutralizer (I'm sure they're easily found online as well). I put that in the car with the AC running for 20 minutes, then quickly jumped in an switched it over to the heater for another 20 minutes. It had a heavy scent that took several days to disperse and I couldn't breathe in the car unless I kept the windows down for about 3 days. But there's absolutely no hint of cigarette smell left in the car now.
Vacuum and Febreeze all cloth surfaces. Place bowls of vinegar around the car and leave in the car overnight. That will get the smell out of the seat padding and head liner.
The hard part for me was getting the smell out of the AC system. I changed the filter but that didn't help much. I tried running the AC with vinegar, a cloud of Febreeze, dryer sheets, Ozium and such but at best they only masked the smell until I let the car sit for a few hours. As soon as I hit the AC again, it was like someone had just lit up. My local auto parts store has a fogger type odor neutralizer (I'm sure they're easily found online as well). I put that in the car with the AC running for 20 minutes, then quickly jumped in an switched it over to the heater for another 20 minutes. It had a heavy scent that took several days to disperse and I couldn't breathe in the car unless I kept the windows down for about 3 days. But there's absolutely no hint of cigarette smell left in the car now.
I had to get all of mine professionally detailed. Then I shot a little fabreeze on the floor where the air return for the air conditioner is.
These little odor defoggers work wonders. It doesnt matter how much you clean the car, you cany physically clean the air ducts completely. Turn on your heater full tilt, roll up the windows, let one of those suckers off in the car and shut the door, and leave it running for about half an hour. If you have a switch on you vehicle that lets you go between "fresh air" and "cabin air" or "recirculate", choose recirculate, and the defogger will sorta scrub out the ductwork. These also work great in the house, although you have to use a lot more of them...
Check your owners manual, if you have one. Or look online for the manual.
They are usually located under/behind the glove compartment.
I've had to stand on my head on the passenger floorboard to change some I've had!
Mine was behind my glovebox. (toyota corolla). It's generally not far from the AC return
odyssey cabin filter is behind the glove box. easy to change. instructions should be in owners manual if you're not handy enough to figure it out.
Ozium air sanitizer works great, also try sprinkling baking soda on the cloth parts and letting it sit a day or 2 then vac it up.
one other thing, if you have a hallmark store close that sells Yankee Candles, their car air fresheners are the @&#$$!!!!!
Ozium air sanitizer works great, also try sprinkling baking soda on the cloth parts and letting it sit a day or 2 then vac it up.
one other thing, if you have a hallmark store close that sells Yankee Candles, their car air fresheners are the @&#$$!!!!!
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