HOW TO GET SMOKE SMELL OUT OF CAR SURFACES
Cigarette smoke is one of the most potent and hard to remove odors in vehicles. Smoke is difficult to remove from cars because it penetrates upholstery, carpet, hard surfaces and it infiltrates the air system. The good news is, whether you would like your car to smell like new, you’re selling your used car, or need to get smoke smell out of a car fast when returning a rental car, you can learn how to get smoke smell out of car surfaces in 3 simple steps.
Reading time: 4 mins
STEP 1: REMOVE PARTICLES AND FALLEN ASH
- A lot of products mask the odor of smoke, but Turtle Wax Power Out! products eliminate smoke at its source.
- First things first, to remove smoke in a car, all hard and soft surfaces should be vacuumed.
- The smoke particles and fallen ash seep and release odor into carpets, car seats and vents until they are removed.
INTERIOR DETAILING FOR SMOKE ODOR REMOVAL
STEP 2: CHECK & CLEAN THE ASHTRAY
- Vacuuming carpets, seats, dashboards and vents will pick up the odor particles and ash and will allow you to properly remove the smoke.
- Another common culprit of smoke odors in vehicles is the built-in ashtray. Remove the ashtray to wash it out and allow it to air out for 24 hours prior to returning it to the original place.
- If you are a regular smoker, it would be recommended to invest in an ashtray cup with a cover and a smoke diffuser. This will reduce the exposure of smoke odors to your car interior surfaces.
STEP 3: CLEAN AND DEODORIZE CAR INTERIOR SURFACES
As a final step for cigarette smoke removal, we would recommend using a multi-purpose interior cleaning spray, such as Turtle Wax Power Out! Fresh Clean All-surface Cleaner, in order to quickly remove any lingering smoke smells that have penetrated both hard and soft car interior surfaces.
- Step 1: Shake the bottle well prior to the application. Soak the odor source and other interior surfaces that are affected by the odors.
- Step 2: Firmly wipe the treated area with a clean and dry microfiber towel. Repeat the process if there are any detectable odors/stains.
- Step 3: Blot the area dry using another clean microfiber cloth. If applied to upholstery or carpets, ensure to leave some time for the areas to dry thoroughly.
For best results, it would also be recommended to use a specialized air freshener for smokers, such as Turtle Wax Odor-X Fresh Blast.
HOW TO GET SMOKE SMELL OUT OF CAR VENTS
If you’re not a smoker and can smell cigarette smell in your car, or have purchased a used car from an ex-smoker, the vents are usually the culprit.
- Step 1: For the Turtle Wax Odor-X Fresh Blast to reach deep into vents and car surfaces, turn on the car’s air conditioning to the maximum level and turn on the air recycle feature.
- Step 2: Place the can in a cup holder or on the floor of your car and firmly press down on the valve to release the automatic mist.
- Step 3: Leave the car and allow it to run for 15 minutes. The Fresh Blast will enter the air vents, penetrate hard and soft surfaces and remove odors on a molecular level. As a quicker option, spray the Turtle Wax Power Out! Odor-X Spray directly into the vents using the Jet-stream setting.
On rare occasions that this doesn’t solve the problem, especially if it’s an older car or the driver is a heavy smoker, we recommend replacing the air filter within your AC system.
HOW TO DEODORIZE YOUR CAR FAST
- Turtle Wax Odor products are specifically designed as a complete all-in-one auto interior deep penetrating odor eradicator. It is perfect for taking care of old or concentrated odors without the need to focus on any one car interior area at a time.
- The Turtle Wax Odor-X Fresh Blast aerosol foggers have been tested in both cool and hot conditions and returned excellent results in both cases, hence the process can be undertaken in any conditions, perfect if you’re looking to remove odor while on the go or from a rental vehicle.
- The exclusive aerosol formula contains a combination of malodor eliminating chemistries, combined to neutralize deeply absorbed odors in fabric, carpet, headliners and in automotive ventilation systems, which provides a quick way to eradicate smoke smells out of multiple interior surfaces at the same time.
- However, to get the best results, it is advised to also clean the interior surfaces in order to remove the source. When using a cleaning product that is suitable for multiple surfaces, this won’t add much time to the odor removal process.
“Perfect product so glad I got it very fresh clean scent that blasts odors away and lasts”
FatKid161
HOW TO GET CIGARETTE SMELL OUT OF A CAR WITH LEATHER SEATS
Cigarette smell tends to linger and is quite difficult to remove from most interior surfaces, however, it becomes even more difficult when trying to tackle smoke odor that has permeated leather car interior surfaces.
Due to this, we would recommend using a specialized leather cleaner, such as Turtle Wax Power Out! Leather, which also has a detachable brush that allows deeper penetration of the surface.
- Step 1: Spray a light layer of the foam on the leather car seats or other areas that need deodorizing.
- Step 2: Remove the brush attachment by pressing the button on the of the brush. Rub the brush in back and forth motions, one section at a time.
- Step 3: Immediately wipe off any excess with a clean and dry cotton or microfiber towel.
- Step 4: Repeat the application if necessary.
SUMMARY
While cigarette smoke odors are difficult to remove from most surfaces in both household and automotive areas, due to the concentration of the smell in cars it becomes a bigger challenge.
That is why we recommend using specialized smoke odor remover products rather than more general odor removers or household items, which have been extensively tested in a laboratory environment and have shown superior odor reduction that lasts up to 30 days, hence provide much better and longer-lasting results.
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