If you have struggled to eliminate lingering tobacco odor in your car, you are not alone. Tobacco smoke can cling to the seats, carpet, and even the air inside your car. This can make it tough for you to enjoy your drive. However, for every problem, there is a solution, and this article has one for you. With the right cleaning techniques and a little patience, you can get rid of that car smell for good.
This article is a step-by-step guide of simple yet effective ways to freshen up your car. The best part is that you can use everyday products and just a few clever tricks.
Clean Your Car Thoroughly
If you want to eliminate tobacco odor from your car, cleaning should be the first thing to do. Here are tips on how to clean your car to get rid of tobacco smell:
- Start With Floor Mats: Take out your car mats and clean them with a carpet cleaner. If you do not have one, you should at least try to use a vacuum to remove dust and ash from the car. A quick vacuum can help you get eliminate tobacco odor.
- Empty the Ashtray: Take out the ashtray, remove all the ashes, and wipe the ashtray with a paper towel that has been sprayed with an air freshener. This will eliminate the tobacco odor and leave a nice scent behind.
- Use Air Freshener: You can use a hanging air freshener or a vent clip in your car. This can help to cover up the smell while you clean the rest of the interior.
- Use the Car Heater and Air Conditioner: Turn on the car heat or air conditioning. Set it to “recirculate” for about 30 minutes. This will help to spread fresh air throughout the car.
- Replace the Air Filter: If the air filter in your car has not been changed in a while, it might still have that smoky smell. You should consider replacing it to make a big difference.
Use Cleaning Products
When using cleaning products, do the following:
- Clean the Seats and Fabric: Use a fabric or an upholstery cleaner to scrub the seats, floor, and any other fabric inside your car. If possible, take out the seats to clean what is underneath. The goal is to clean anywhere smoke particles might be hiding.
- Try Pet Odor Eliminators: Products that eliminate pet odors can also work for smoke smells. They are designed to eliminate lingering tobacco odor, so you can spray them on your carpet and seats.
- Use Dryer Sheets: You can make use of dryer sheets by placing them under your car seats. When your car gets warm, the dryer sheets will release a fresh smell. Replacing them regularly can keep your car smelling good.
- Clean the Air Vents: If the smell of smoke is really strong, you can spray a cleaner like Lysol into your car’s air intake vents. This will help to get rid of the tobacco odor that might have been trapped in the ventilation system.
ALSO READ: Rehydrate Dry Tobacco Fast with 10 Simple Tips
Use Natural Solutions
The following are natural products you can use to eliminate the smell of cigarettes in your car:
Vinegar and Water & Ammonia
- Ammonia: You can leave a cup of ammonia in your car overnight. However, you have to remember to open the windows and air out the car the next day. This is because ammonia has a strong and choking smell.
- Vinegar and Water: Mix a small amount of vinegar with water and spray it on some surfaces in your car, such as the fabric and windows. Wipe it off after a few minutes. Do not worry; the smell of the vinegar will disappear once the surfaces dry up.
Baking Soda and Coffee Beans
- Baking Soda: Sprinkle baking soda on your car seats, mats, and carpets. Leave it to sit for at least 30 minutes. If you can, you can let it sit overnight. It will absorb the odor, then you can vacuum it up.
- Coffee Beans: Place small bowls or uncovered containers of coffee beans around the car. Try to leave the bowls or containers of coffee beans in the car for a day. Coffee absorbs bad smells and leaves a pleasant smell behind.
Newspaper
Although using newspapers to remove bad smoke odors is not a sure solution, it works well because newspapers are naturally odor-absorbent. Squeeze or crumple up old newspaper sheets and place them in certain areas in your car. Leave them in the car for a few days, at least 48 hours. Let the newspaper absorb all the smell of smoke. Then you can remove the newspaper.
Newspapers are known to work quite well, but this method works better when combined with other methods. You can place newspapers along with the coffee bean containers or bowls. Another combination is to coat the newspapers with baking soda.
Use Activated Charcoal in Your Car to Act as a Local Filter
Activated charcoal is easy to find. You can find them at pet supply stores, health food stores, malls, or big department stores. Pour some powdered activated charcoal into a cup or bowl and place it in your car. Leave it in your car for a day or two. By this time, the charcoal would have absorbed a lot of the smoke from your car.
Many animal products have activated charcoal in them, and they cost less. For example, kitty litters have activated charcoal in them. It is cheaper and easier to place around your car instead of buying a whole bag of activated charcoal and using it just once.
If you have tried using baking soda and it did not entirely eliminate the smell of smoke from your car, you should use activated charcoal. It will surely work, as it is a strong natural odor eliminator that is used for neutralizing offending odors.
