After receiving my car back from friend, it smells like cigarette smoke. any suggestions to get the smell out?
they used to make this stuff that blocked old smells, but I heard that Fabreeze bought it and then stopped making it. But you could try Fabreeze, or you could get a stronger smell you like more to mask the one you dont like.
and by the way, how do you define the word “friend”, cause the person you lent your car to does not sound like a very respectful sort.
I’m questioning that too…you have no idea;) I will definitely give Fabreeze a try.
Spray the interior down really well with it, and let it air out. Then run the car for about half an hour with the heater on full and all the windows up, and about 15 minutes in spray a whole bunch of febreeze into the intake vent under the wiper blade. After that, turn the car off and open all the doors and the sunroof if equipped to let it air out. That will hopefully get most of the smell out.
Be sure to check the ash tray if equipped and clean it if they used it.
A detail shop can hook it up to an air blower (cyclone machine I think it’s called) that will “air your car out” in no time.
Ozium air sanitizer does a pretty good job.
Take some distilled white vinegar and soak a couple rags with it. Place the soaked rags in food containers without the lids and set the containers on the passenger side floor and in the back seat floor. In about a day the vinegar soaked rags will absorb the smoke odor.
Tester
I have heard a lot of urban legends like that, including the 100 mpg carburetor. However that is a different story.
Fabreeze seems to have helped a lot of people. If that fails you may be able to find a professional with an industrial ozone generator. That should take care of it. An auto detailer likely can do the job for you, and may well use ozone.
The ozone you need is not going to come from a non-professional machine.
Good Luck
The smoke is going to be in every square inch of anything porous. The seats, seat backs, carpet, headliner, headrests, etc. Be thorough with whatever you try.
Ask your friend if they smoked in it. If they say yes, tell them they owe you a detailing to get rid of the smell. If you don’t smoke, and they do, it’s just bad form for someone to smoke in it without permission, and shows lack of respect for other people’s property.
Thanks everyone for the reply. I should ask for detailing fee but waiting for the person to fix a tear in the leather lining of my back car seat door…will cost around $600 so if I get that I will be so happy!!! I will try to take care of the smell myself. I heard about the vinegar trick before except using cut potatoes in container of distilled vinegar. I’ll try that first…then maybe fabreeze …and if that doesn’t work look for product that gets rid of pet smells;)
(I have not been compensated for this endorsement, but I wouldn’t turn it down.) There is a pump-spray product called “Vamoose!” that must use that vinegar absorption principle, because it has a very intense acrid odor. The directions call for spraying all the surfaces and waiting for it to dry. It works pretty well.
Set an open box of baking soda in a secure spot so it does not spill in the car. It soaks up the cig stink
I’ve heard charcoal is a good odor absorbent as well