Was wondering if anyone has found anything to get rid of lingering stinky smoke smells from cars and other areas?
Eliminating smoke smells
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Funny, we were just talking about this tonight. A couple weeks after I'd switched to vaping I got in my car and it stunk. I had never noticed it before. I literally took half a Saturday detailing my car vacuuming everything and wiping every surface down with spray cleaner (worked like a charm). I've read of other folks using dryer sheets to mask the smell.
There are smoke smell eliminating candles you can find in tobacco shops you could give a shot. Many of us end up cleaning top to bottom! Sheets, cloths, curtains, ect because of how much the smell really sticks into every thing.
For the car though... You could try freebreze, "Oust" claims to do the job better. I never smoked in my car so someone else will probably give you better advice there then I can.
For the car though... You could try freebreze, "Oust" claims to do the job better. I never smoked in my car so someone else will probably give you better advice there then I can.
I've used this before with good results: Auto Shocker. Auto SHOCKER Eliminate Third-Hand Smoke
Ozium. It doesn't have that "moist" smell that some kinds of Febreze have and you can get it running thru the AC / air intake thing in a car.
At work we use something called an .......omg, slipping my mind. It plugs in and you put it in the cars and takes out the smoke smells. I work at a dealership, and they use it on trade-ins. Hang on, let me see if I can find it.
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Man, can't find it. I will find out at work tomorrow. I do think it is called like an Ozimizer Machine or something like that. Most dealerships would have one. Problem is best results would take like an overnight plug-in. If you know someone that works somewhere like that see if they could hook you up with it. Otherwise the Ozium products above would be the best idea. And it may take some time and many saturations at that. Good luck!
There really is no easy fix to get years of smoke build up out of your house. All I can say is wash every thing that can come off the walls, windows, beds, floors etc. Get the carpets cleaned. Wash the walls. Wash ALL of your clothes. (Even the seasonal ones because next year when you reach in to get something out of your closet it will smell like cigarette smoke. WASH EVERYTHING! You won't believe how nice it is to open your closet and smell clean clothes every time. You'll also be able to wear your clothes for more than one day because they won't smell like smoke. It's awesome.
The smell in my car cleared out pretty fast. (Within 2 or three months) I used a lot of Febreeze on the seats and floors and drove with my windows down a lot to air it out. It sounds like a lot of work but it's worth it to get the dreaded smell of the stinkies out for good.
The smell in my car cleared out pretty fast. (Within 2 or three months) I used a lot of Febreeze on the seats and floors and drove with my windows down a lot to air it out. It sounds like a lot of work but it's worth it to get the dreaded smell of the stinkies out for good.
Cut an apple in half and stick it in the car overnight. Should suck up any odors
I can only really speak for the interior of your vehicle. I worked at a detailing shop when I was in my teens, when smoking was still very popular, and I will tell you the best kept secrets for cleaning the inside of your vehicle.
Cheap dollar store baby wipes. They clean fabric, leather, and plastics better than ANYTHING else I've ever used. Plus, when you're done, your car smells as fresh as a baby's clean bottom. The cheaper ones also have less lotions and stuff you don't really need.
For the carpet, it's tough to beat something like Resolve's dry carpet cleaning granules, a brush, and a vacuum.
For windows... And this might sound funny... Meguiar's "cleaner wax". Wax on, and wax off your windows...just like you would on your paint. And, by god, use a little elbow grease when doing it. It will clean the tar off, and make your windows clearer than they've ever been...especially if you also wax the outside of them. Not to mention, it gives a bit of a protective barrier that helps keep your windows cleaner. We still exhale nasty stuff when we're not smoking. Waxing the outside also beads water up like Rain-X does... I recommend waxing your interior windows first, because if you accidentally get wax on your dash or door panel plastics your baby wipes will clean it off pretty easily when you clean all that stuff afterwards.
Also, most vehicles these days have an interior air filter that filters the outside air coming in through your vent. It also filters the air that's already inside the vehicle when you have your vent set to "recirculate" setting. Change that filter out. Remove the filter, clean the inside of the box that it resides in, and install a new filter.
After all that is said and done, you'll feel like you have a new car. Don't be surprised if you buy new wheels, a stereo system, and have a "no smoking" badge put inside.
Cheap dollar store baby wipes. They clean fabric, leather, and plastics better than ANYTHING else I've ever used. Plus, when you're done, your car smells as fresh as a baby's clean bottom. The cheaper ones also have less lotions and stuff you don't really need.
For the carpet, it's tough to beat something like Resolve's dry carpet cleaning granules, a brush, and a vacuum.
For windows... And this might sound funny... Meguiar's "cleaner wax". Wax on, and wax off your windows...just like you would on your paint. And, by god, use a little elbow grease when doing it. It will clean the tar off, and make your windows clearer than they've ever been...especially if you also wax the outside of them. Not to mention, it gives a bit of a protective barrier that helps keep your windows cleaner. We still exhale nasty stuff when we're not smoking. Waxing the outside also beads water up like Rain-X does... I recommend waxing your interior windows first, because if you accidentally get wax on your dash or door panel plastics your baby wipes will clean it off pretty easily when you clean all that stuff afterwards.
Also, most vehicles these days have an interior air filter that filters the outside air coming in through your vent. It also filters the air that's already inside the vehicle when you have your vent set to "recirculate" setting. Change that filter out. Remove the filter, clean the inside of the box that it resides in, and install a new filter.
After all that is said and done, you'll feel like you have a new car. Don't be surprised if you buy new wheels, a stereo system, and have a "no smoking" badge put inside.
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Dude, I got one of those car air fresheners from Bath and Body works and it is so strong! Mine is a mint chocolate smell, so now every time I get in my car I get hungry. Bad smell choice! I want chocolate every time I get in my car! But it doesn't smell like smoke anymore.
I can only really speak for the interior of your vehicle. I worked at a detailing shop when I was in my teens, when smoking was still very popular, and I will tell you the best kept secrets for cleaning the inside of your vehicle.
Cheap dollar store baby wipes. They clean fabric, leather, and plastics better than ANYTHING else I've ever used. Plus, when you're done, your car smells as fresh as a baby's clean bottom. The cheaper ones also have less lotions and stuff you don't really need.
For the carpet, it's tough to beat something like Resolve's dry carpet cleaning granules, a brush, and a vacuum.
For windows... And this might sound funny... Meguiar's "cleaner wax". Wax on, and wax off your windows...just like you would on your paint. And, by god, use a little elbow grease when doing it. It will clean the tar off, and make your windows clearer than they've ever been...especially if you also wax the outside of them. Not to mention, it gives a bit of a protective barrier that helps keep your windows cleaner. We still exhale nasty stuff when we're not smoking. Waxing the outside also beads water up like Rain-X does... I recommend waxing your interior windows first, because if you accidentally get wax on your dash or door panel plastics your baby wipes will clean it off pretty easily when you clean all that stuff afterwards.
Also, most vehicles these days have an interior air filter that filters the outside air coming in through your vent. It also filters the air that's already inside the vehicle when you have your vent set to "recirculate" setting. Change that filter out. Remove the filter, clean the inside of the box that it resides in, and install a new filter.
After all that is said and done, you'll feel like you have a new car. Don't be surprised if you buy new wheels, a stereo system, and have a "no smoking" badge put inside.
Great tips! I did get my car detailed to get the smell out but I'll have to remember these tips.
Always glad to be of help. Just another tip... I ALWAYS keep a package of baby wipes in my glove box. If you spill something or have a soda can explode (I've had this happen a couple times), you can wipe the areas with the baby wipes, and you'll never know it happened.
A really cheap tramp,
Their stink can eliminate the strongest of smells.
How to get rid of the tramp stink is another problem alltogether though, perhaps a rotting Muskrat carcas left to stew for a month.
On a more serious note-
-Clean interior glass spotless, remove stinky tar film left behind.
-Headliners will hold stink, spray mist headliner with colorsafe general cleaner and wipe with absorbent cloth with a dabbing swipe motion in one one direction, the same can be done with seats.
-Hard surfaces just need a simple wipe down with a mild soapy water solution and soft rag, commercial automotive cleaning products can be used at greater expense, follow up with amorall or equivilent if desired.
-Floormats can taken to car wash, squirted with some dish soap or laundry detergent(sprinkle powder on then grind into fiber), hang mats and blast away with pressure washer untill water runs clear.
-Carpets can be professionaly shampoo'ed or if you are a DIY'er take bucket soapy water(I have used a ounce of Tide in warm water bucket before, just keep it mild), dip and scrub with bristle brush, saturate well, suckup wetness with wet/dry shop vac.
-Take cig lighter and ashtray into house and carefully scrub in sink, spray shot of oven cleaner onto lighter coil and soak for 5 minutes, rinse and wipe coil with a gentle twisting motion. spray shot of oven cleaner into ashtray and soak for a few minutes as well, rinse and wipe with rag.
Assemble all and crack windows slightly to assist drying
During or after drying
-Spray with favorite cologne/perfume/automotive air freshner
-Install odour absorbing puck or equivilent under seat
-For a little extra odour nuetralizing leave a small dish of vinegar on the console overnight, the vinegar vapors will destroy other odours, the vinagar smell will dissapear after a day or two.
If this fails just torch the car.
Their stink can eliminate the strongest of smells.
How to get rid of the tramp stink is another problem alltogether though, perhaps a rotting Muskrat carcas left to stew for a month.
On a more serious note-
-Clean interior glass spotless, remove stinky tar film left behind.
-Headliners will hold stink, spray mist headliner with colorsafe general cleaner and wipe with absorbent cloth with a dabbing swipe motion in one one direction, the same can be done with seats.
-Hard surfaces just need a simple wipe down with a mild soapy water solution and soft rag, commercial automotive cleaning products can be used at greater expense, follow up with amorall or equivilent if desired.
-Floormats can taken to car wash, squirted with some dish soap or laundry detergent(sprinkle powder on then grind into fiber), hang mats and blast away with pressure washer untill water runs clear.
-Carpets can be professionaly shampoo'ed or if you are a DIY'er take bucket soapy water(I have used a ounce of Tide in warm water bucket before, just keep it mild), dip and scrub with bristle brush, saturate well, suckup wetness with wet/dry shop vac.
-Take cig lighter and ashtray into house and carefully scrub in sink, spray shot of oven cleaner onto lighter coil and soak for 5 minutes, rinse and wipe coil with a gentle twisting motion. spray shot of oven cleaner into ashtray and soak for a few minutes as well, rinse and wipe with rag.
Assemble all and crack windows slightly to assist drying
During or after drying
-Spray with favorite cologne/perfume/automotive air freshner
-Install odour absorbing puck or equivilent under seat
-For a little extra odour nuetralizing leave a small dish of vinegar on the console overnight, the vinegar vapors will destroy other odours, the vinagar smell will dissapear after a day or two.
If this fails just torch the car.
This...
I forgot to add that to my post. I use apple cider vinegar. Also a few dryer sheets under each seat works well too.
Apple cider vinegar gets smells out of EVERYTHING! I put it in a spray bottle and spray it on my furniture (didn't smoke in the house, but I do have a dog! lol!). It does smell for a few minutes, but no lingering odor of any kind. You can also stick a cup of it in a "problem area" (i.e. your car) overnight and it'll "suck up" the bad smells!
I put it in a spray bottle and spray it on my furniture (didn't smoke in the house, but I do have a dog! lol!). It does smell for a few minutes, but no lingering odor of any kind. You can also stick a cup of it in a "problem area" (i.e. your car) overnight and it'll "suck up" the bad smells!
If this is something that you need a quick fix for then using some essential oils in a burner would help around the house or scented candles. Another product we have is called NIL-Odour which is in a small dripper bottle and a few drops absorbs all odours, it really works well sort of a super air freshener. We buy that at hardware stores or Pharmacies. So that would help in your car but also sprinkling a few drops of essential oils could help in the mean time. Some of the essential oils can also be very relaxing which could also help you at this time.
Some of the essential oils can also be very relaxing which could also help you at this time.
Wow, these are some great tips!
I've been wondering what to do about the smell in furniture (we bought a new car a few months ago, and it's never been smoked in, so I don't have to worry about that!). I really don't want to have it professionally cleaned, and I'm incredibly allergic to febreeze and most products with perfumes. I think I'll try the vinegar in a spray bottle (should I mix it with water??) or the baby wipes.
I've been wondering what to do about the smell in furniture (we bought a new car a few months ago, and it's never been smoked in, so I don't have to worry about that!). I really don't want to have it professionally cleaned, and I'm incredibly allergic to febreeze and most products with perfumes. I think I'll try the vinegar in a spray bottle (should I mix it with water??) or the baby wipes.
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