Best Methods You've Used for Removing Smoke Smell from Cars

For some reason I have an unnatural obsession with 3rd Gen 4Runner Sports and recently procured an 02 4WD model with about 120k on the clock. The only downside to this purchase is it does appear to be formerly smoked in. Not bad, per se, but it can be detected when you open the door to get in the car.

It is a cloth interior (in really good shape actually), and I have ordered a set of neoprene CoverKing seat covers from Costco for the front and back. But, I ask ye, how can you get as much of the smell out of the car as possible? I know this crowd likes its cars older and somewhat neglected, so I'm sure there are lots of people who have tried all the ways I've seen listed out there (baking soda, Febreeze, Ozium, ozone, vinegar, etc.). So, what worked best for you?

I have a couple boxes of baking soda sitting in it (worth a shot, right?) and I bought the ozium stuff but haven't noticed a sustained difference. The truck was detailed before purchase, but I am planning on doing the interior at some point. Is paying someone to deal with it and shampoo the carpets/seats worth it?

Anyways, thanks for the advice, and hooray for new 4Runner

No personal experience (I loathe cigarette smoke enough that I pass on a smoker's car completely), but I've heard that ozone is the only way to do it..

Spread the baking soda all over anything like carpet, upholstery, anything that would absorb smell. Use lots - 3 or 4 boxes. You can even rub it in a little with a stiff bristle brush.

Leave it like that for 2-3 days, then vacuum it out. According the detailer my brother uses, it will even take out the smell of vomit.

My parents bought a camper that had smoker stink in it. They rented an ozone generator, and it didn't do much. This helped a bunch more, and was cheap.

Also start by physically cleaning any surface that can be cleaned. Fabric, carpet, trim panels, etc. If you can remove panels and clean behind them, clean air vents, etc. do it. Getting as much of the tar and other residue out as you can will make it much easier to get the smell out.

Time and fresh air. Dad smoked in my Ranger before I inherited it and it stank pretty strongly. Several cleanings and leaving the windows open as much as possible.

Multiple applications of Febreeze. Don't forget the headliner.

Charcoal helps a lot in refrigerators and in hotel rooms, might try putting a few pieces in out of the way places like under the seats.

edit: We used to use ozone generators in the hotel I worked at, all they did was make the room smell like ozone with a smokey undertone.

Windows will definitely help, its almost scary how much nicotine/tar/whatever they collect, even in convertibles.

For the record, I'm a smoker myself, but walking into smoking hotel rooms for maintenance, and cars where people didn't put the windows down to smoke still hit me hard.

I definitely want to run some deodorizer through the a/c vent on the firewall as I am cranking the a/c (no cabin air filter).

Also, I do plan to clean all surfaces of the interior and Febreeze the crap out of the carpets, seats, headliner, etc. so hopefully that will do a thorough job.

I was thinking that it might be good to also clean the inside of the windows, as it could collect a film over time. I would imagine the drivers seat is where most of it occurred, so plan to pay extra attention to the surfaces and headliner in that area.

I had read about this fancy ozone treatment, but hadn't found anyone who PERSONALLY had results to justify the price.

+1 for baking soda, or you can try a powered carpet deoterizer, one for pet smells worked really well on a car I bought that smelled of wet dog.

Also agree on the vents, a can of lysol, the chemical smelling old fashion one unloaded in the vent under the hood with the fan on should take care of any smell from there.

like said before. clean all surfaces, a good odor killer spray, and lots of time with open windows.

My C4 Corvette had a nasty pipe tobacco smell. I paid a car wash place $100 to steam clean it. A bit price, but totally worth it.

Meguiars odor bomb

I've had good luck with this in my 350z. I didn't even try that hard with cleaning. Just let it do its thing.

My first MX3 was formerly owned by a smoker with a big dog. I put two bags of open charcoal in it for a month, shampooed rugs and upholstery after covering with baking soda. It worked well, but on a damp day I could still smell it. Still, it's much easier to get rid of than cat pee.

Ive replaced a full interior too get rid of that smell. On a less extreme note i used a local detailer to do my dads old kia when it went up for sale. Great results but 125 for shampoo/steam clean

My buddy runs fishing chapters and he keeps a 5 gallon bucket with some charcoal in the cab of his truck to neutralize the fish smell. It works really well!

Don't forget to pull the seatbelt to it's full length and clean it. When it's retracted, it's hiding behind a panel, but chances are it smells, as it would have been pulled out when the PO was driving.

Be prepared to pull the dash and clean inside the a/c system. Tar, ash and general gunk builds up in them pretty bad, Especially on the a/c evaporator.

I'm rehabbing a smokers car at the moment, it's amazing where the residue gets into, and just how much collects. The evaporator was over 80% blocked, the ashy smokey smelling dust on the back side of the interior trims was everywhere. It's even up above the head lining...

I'm actually pretty annoyed that I didn't pick up on the warning signs when I bought it. The seller did just enough to mask the smell just before I got there, but by the time it got to my place a few hours later it absolutely reeked.

Fresh coffee grounds in a can under the seats work ok especially after a steam clean.

turn on heater full blast sucking in outside air, febreeze the crap out of the cowl to suck it through the system, turn it on recirculate and let it run for 30 minutes. then change cabin air filter if it has one.

Bought another one.

Although, storing rally tires in the cabin with outside parking also does a helluva job.

Can't handle regular Febreze but they make a non-scented Febreze now and it actually works. Clean everything twice (thrice!). Leave the windows open at every opportunity, especially in baking hot sun.

I still notice the smoke smell in a car that I've owned for 16 years. The headliner was pulled years ago, carpets removed and cleaned, but the smell is still faint but noticeable, especially after sitting closed up. I'll try some of the above tips.

If all the above doesn't work, spill a container of garlic shrimp takeout in the passenger floorboard and get rid of that smell. You won't notice the tobacco stank so much after that.

In reply to johnnie:

Or a fish