How Do You Get Rid Of Overpowering Smoke Odors Inside Your Car?
If you're a smoker or bought a used car that was previously owned by someone who smoked, you've probably tried to get the smoke smell out of the car. Smoke odor inside a car can be overpowering because it's all concentrated in such a small area, and it can be very difficult to get rid of.
The main problem with smoke odors is that cigarette smoke leaves sticky tar on every surface of the car, including the air vents and the seats. When you sit down or use the air conditioner in the car, you'll disturb the tar and cause it to release smoke odors into the air. In order to get the smoke odor out of your car's interior, you'll need to clean it thoroughly. To learn how to get rid of overpowering smoke odors inside your car, read on.
Remove Tar From the Car's Interior Using a Multi-Surface Cleaner
When you're trying to remove smoke odors from a car, the first step is to thoroughly clean the interior. You'll need to purchase a multi-surface cleaner to loosen the tar. If your car has leather seats, make sure that the cleaner you buy is safe to use on leather. Spray the multi-surface cleaner onto every part of the car's interior that you can access, then scrub the surface vigorously with a paper towel.
You'll need to clean every part of the car's interior that you can reach, including the floor underneath the seats and the upholstered headliner on the ceiling. You'll notice that the paper towel picks up some of the tar when you're cleaning with it. Switch your paper towel for a new one when it starts to accumulate too much tar. Once no more tar is being picked up by the paper towel, let all of the cleaner on the surface air dry.
Replace the Car's Air Filter
The purpose of a car's air filter is to remove particulate in the air, and this includes cigarette smoke. Air filters often become completely clogged with tar since they collect so much smoke. Remove your car's air filter and replace it to cut down on the odors inside the car and trap any lingering odors that remain after you've cleaned the interior.
Clean the Car's Air Conditioner With a Fogger
You can't reach inside your car's air vents, so you'll need to purchase a fogger in order to clean them. These cleaning products release a fog into the air that can break down organic compounds, including the tar from cigarette smoke. Buy a fogger, set it inside your car, and turn it on. Run your car's air conditioner to circulate all of the fog throughout the air vents, allowing it to come into contact with any tar that's stuck in your car's air conditioning system.
Ultimately, the only way to permanently remove smoke odors from a car is to get rid of all the tar. Using fragrances to cover up the odor won't work since the smoke odors will come back once the fragrance wears off. Deeply cleaning your car using the right interior auto cleaning products is how you can eliminate the odors for good. A multi-surface cleaner can break down the tar that's stuck to the upholstery and plastic surfaces inside your car, and a fogger can deodorize all of the tar that's stuck in the air conditioning system.
For more information on interior car cleaning products, contact a professional near you.