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How to Get Smoke Smell Out of Car? 3 Cool Ways to Follow!

Updated On January 18, 2021 By Marcus Ford

How to Get Smoke Smell Out of Car?

One beautiful afternoon! You’re on a long drive with your friends, chilling out and smoking cigarettes. As pleasing as it sounds, you’ve to keep in mind also – all this smoking will leave a huge smell in your car. Let's dive into the details of everything about car smoking and how to get smoke smell out of car? 

How to smoke in car without leaving smell?

To save yourself from trouble, you may want to know how to smoke in car without leaving smell. You won’t like to take that smell home.

These are some ways how to smoke in car without leaving smell –

  • Opening Window: Don’t open a lot of windows. Open the window adjacent to the smoker by a very small amount. Half to one inch can be enough. Hold the burning cigarette close to that window or exhale the smoke towards it.
  • Car is on the move: Avoid smoking while the car is standing still or moving very slowly. Fresh air circulation helps to get rid of most of the smell. But if you open the window largely, you may get uncomfortable by the air and the cigarette ashes may fly all over the interior.
  • Having Sunroof: A sunroof will be of great help. It can certainly make the smoke go away easily. A sunroof can provide you with better air circulation so that the smoke gets out instantly.

How to tell if a car has been smoked in?

Before going on a road trip, it’s important that you get a good vibe from your surroundings. You can’t start with a cool mood if your car is stinky and smelly. Let me show you how to tell if a car been smoked in –

  • Smell: The first obvious sign is the smell. Smoke smells don’t easily go away in a short time. If there has been regular smoking in the car, a permanent smell remains in the car, unless you take preventive measures. You can take a smell test performed by a car professional shop.
  • Burn Marks: You may find burn marks in the back seats where cigarette butts may have re-entered the car after throwing from another window. Sometimes, while putting out the ashes, the burning part may fall and leave a burn mark in the car.
  • Dust Spots: If the ashes are not put out properly, they may fall on some part of the interior of the car and leave dust spots.

If you want to buy a used car from any stranger, you should avoid buying a car that has been smoked in. It is neither safe nor hygienic. Now, you should know how to tell if a car has been smoked in.

How long does cigarette smoke linger in a car?

It may wander in your mind - how long does cigarette smoke linger in a car? Let’s see what the answer is.

It is never possible to keep out the whole smoke from the car. If you use proper measures to get the smoke out of the car, you may be able to get rid of most of the smoke within 2 hours of time.

Besides experiencing first-hand smoke as a smoker, the second-hand smoke as a non-smoker, you have to face another kind of smoke. It’s referred to as third-hand smoke. It’s a term used to describe components that may cause a high probability of cancer.

These components get formed when tobacco smoke particles get mixed with gases in the air. Nearby surfaces in the car, like carpets, clothes, bedsheets, rugs, paint, car dashboard, and even toys absorb these components. The residue from smoke remains in these materials for years, and it is a threat to your health for that long.

Even after years after a burning cigarette is extinguished from a car, the effects of third-hand smoke remain the same. Now that you know how long does cigarette smoke linger in a car, you should be aware of not smoking inside a car.

What absorbs cigarette smoke?

To get you in gear, we’d like to suggest you should know what absorbs cigarette smoke. These materials will certainly help you to recover from a bad smelly vibe inside the car.

Some basic affordable products from your household may help you a lot in fixing the indoors of your car. You cannot remove all the toxic effects, but can surely bring a better smell to the environment.

These are the materials if you ask me what absorbs cigarette smoke -

  • Vinegar: Vinegar has a sharp abrasiveness that can efficiently remove improper smell like cigarette smoke. Here’re some ways you can utilize vinegar effectively –
  • Mix vinegar and lemon juice in a bottle and spray it like an air freshener inside the car.
  • Keep a bowl of white vinegar inside the car and let it absorb the smoke overnight.
  • Use vinegar as an acidic cleaner to dissolve any nicotine residue inside the car.
  • Spray vinegar on a towel or cloth and wave it inside the car for a few minutes. It will absorb the smoke odors quite nicely.
  • Citrus: Leave a large number of citrus peels inside the car for a couple of days till they become desiccated.
  • Baking Soda: Sprinkle baking soda on a small portion of the smoke-affected area to see if the area reacts in an unpleasant way. If it is okay, you can apply the soda on the whole area and the soda will absorb the smoke odor from that area.
    Leave the soda on the area for some time, then wash it off with a clean and wet rag. If you’ve already used the vinegar solution, sometimes you’ll get vinegar smells from that area. Using baking soda on that area will help remove the vinegar smell as well.
  • Activated Charcoal: Charcoal is an excellent non-toxic cleaner, which can be used to filter air for its ability to absorb contaminants and strong odor. Place the charcoal in a small box or container.
    Put the container inside the car for a couple of days. If the old charcoals don’t absorb the smell fully, replace them with a new batch of charcoals.
  • Coffee Grounds: Coffee can help reduce odor. Fill up several coffee filters with fresh grounds and place them in the smoke-affected area. Within several days, these will absorb the smoke odor.
  • Cotton Balls with Vanilla Extract: Vanilla has a very sweet aroma that can fill the air quickly and remove any smell or other bad odors. Pour several drops of vanilla extract on cotton balls or gauze pads and leave them in the car for several days. Heat up 1-2 tablespoons of vanilla extract and place it in the car. Let the aroma absorb the smoke odor quickly enough.

Extra Tips: Do you know you can easily preserve and carry your precious cigars without leaving smell in your car using the perfect electric cigar cooler humidor?  

How to get smoke smell out of car? 

Above you’ve seen ways what absorbs cigarette smoke, but there are some more ways to get the smoke smell out of the car.

Here are some steps you can apply on how to get smoke smell out of car –

  •  Vacuum Cleaner
    Begin by doing a thorough cleanup using a vacuum cleaner. Sweep up any leftover cigarette butts or ashes. Sort through the glovebox and also clean the trunk. Remove any item that can create a smoke smell.
  •  For leather and fabric material
    You have to go through the leather and fabric material. Read the instructions for any special cases you need to know. It will certainly minimize any further damage.
  •  For hard surfaces
    Clean all hard surfaces in the car thoroughly using ammonia. For cleansing any woodwork, you need to apply less acidic materials. Baking soda solution can help you get rid of any ammonia smell afterward.
  •  Air purifiers
    Use an air purifier with activated carbon filters to remove any sort of smoke smell or odors in the car. It may not be an economic solution like all the previous, but it’s the most efficient.
    HEPA Filters alone can remove particles as small as 0.1 microns, such as dust mites, mold spores, and allergens like pollen and pet dander. However, for particles smaller than 0.1 microns, this is not an effective solution. For this, most HEPA filters have a carbon filtration layer that can remove odors like cigarette smoke.
  •  New in-cabin air filter
    Remove the previous smoke-saturated air filter. Replace it with a new in-cabin air filter.
  •  For seats and carpets
    Apply leather/cloth cleaners to clean the seats, headliner, and any carpets if you have in the car. Use a clean and dry microfiber towel for removing any detectable odor/ stains.
  •  Deodorizers
    Use deodorizers to reach deep into the vents and car surfaces. Turn on the maximum level of air conditioning and the air recycle feature. Put the can on a cup holder or on the car surface and firmly press down the valve.
    It will enable the automatic mist to come out. Leave the car and let it do its job for 15 minutes. This automatic mist will clear out the smoke smell from the vents and remove odors on a molecular level.
  •  Go to Professionals
    Besides all the DIY tricks and methods, make sure to visit a car wash professional. If you don’t feel safe to apply any of the methods by yourself, a professional shop is where you need to go.
    Even if you applied any method by yourself, you should take your car to a professional to make sure your car has the safest environment.

Never compromise with your safety over the cost. If any low-cost method doesn’t solve your issue, it’s a must that you make your way to a professional.

Don’t lose your car’s value by keeping all the smoke smells for a long time. Maintain hygiene for your own safety and enjoy the ride to the fullest.

Last Updated on January 18, 2021 by Marcus Ford

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