Just bought this car and happy with it except I detect that previous owner smoked some. Any way to clean or improve the smell of the recirculated air?
https://www.armorall.com/car-air-fresheners/product-types/vent-duct-cleaner-odor-neutralizer
Have a 2008 Ascender with 150000 miles . Still going strong . One of the best cars I have ever had . They are actually just a GMC Envoy made by GM with a different front and rear bumper. The interiors look exactly the same .
You won’t like my answer… it is a lot of work.
Rent or borrow a carpet cleaning machine with an upholstry attatchment. Unbolt the front and rear seats. Clean the carpet in the car. Clean the seats. Let dry. Before you put them back in clean the undersides. If the headliner is a soft material, spray with Fabreeze or similar. If it is a vinyl material, wipe down with a mild cleaner. Wipe down the doors and dash with a mild cleaner. Reinstall everything.
Time will take care of the rest of it.
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There are methods involving a lot of work, but we did the following:
Bought a Doge Colt (Mitsubishi clone) and cleaned the inside with vacuum and wiped down surfaces. Then put those Bounce towels you put in the drier to freshen clothes under the seats and parked the car inside with all windows open. After a couple of weeks the smell was almost gone and the rest gradually disappeared.
Good Luck!
If you cannot park the car with the windows open it will take a very long time to completely get rid of the smell.
Find a car detailing shop that has an ozone generator.
Tester
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