Eliminate the Smell of Smoke from Inside Your Car

Whether you just purchased a used car and found that it reeks of cigarette smoke, or you’re a former smoker yourself and want to get your car clean and smelling great again, you should know that it can be difficult to eliminate that pesky odor. There are plenty of products out there that claim to be able to do it, but the honest truth is that none of them are going to be able to handle the job on their own. You aren’t without hope, however. There are ways to vastly reduce or even eliminate the odor of smoke in a car. Below you’ll find some steps that we encourage you to take if you want the best results. Past that, we’ve listed out some of the most effective products that can remove the smell of cigarettes from your car. Try out these steps with our recommended products and we’re confident you’ll be able to spend time in your vehicle without becoming overwhelmed by that unwanted cigarette odor.

Step One: Deep Clean the Car Interior

You’re going to want to start by performing a deep clean on the interior of the car. That means wiping down all surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner, vacuuming and washing the carpets and floor mats, and cleaning the seats with an appropriate cleaning solution suited to leather, faux leather, or cloth. Go through this step carefully, making sure you clean every inch of the car. When it comes to your carpets and interior upholstery, your best bet is going to be using a dry foam and brush combination. One great option can be found down below on our list – the Chemical Guys fabric cleaning kit. Once you’ve used the right products, you might be surprised at how much of a difference it can make when it comes to removing the smell of smoke from a car interior. However, there are more steps you’ll need to take to completely eliminate unwanted smells.

Step Two: Change the Air Filter and Clean the Air Conditioning System

The next step is to change out the air filter in your car. The filter helps remove dirt and other hazards from the air, and in the car of a cigarette smoker, these filters can get incredibly dirty. Each car is different, so you’ll want to do a little bit of research to find out how to correctly remove the one in your car. Once you do, there’s something else you’ll want to do before you replace it with a fresh filter. Spray some de-odorizing anti-bacterial spray into the air conditioning intake, which is where the filter is housed. From there, put in a new filter, and start up your car. Turn the air conditioning on full blast, making sure to turn off the re-circulation mode that keeps reusing the same air in the vehicle. Leave your doors open and let the air conditioning do its thing, letting the solution you sprayed into the air conditioning make its way through the system, doing its best to clean what it can. Like our deep clean step, that should make a huge difference in the smell of your car.

Step Three: Run an Ozone Generator and Let the Car Air Out

After you let your air conditioner run for a few minutes, it’s time to let an Ozone generator purify the air in your car. You can either buy or possibly rent one of these items, but they’re not too expensive and they can be useful to keep in the garage for when you need one. We’ve shared our favorite option with you on the list below, but any reliable product will get the job done. Plug your Ozone generator in, and keep the air conditioning system in your car running once again, but make sure to turn the re-circulation mode on. You can crack a window if you’d like, or leave all doors and windows closed. Then just turn the Ozone generator on and let it work its magic inside your car, removing smoke odor from the air.

You’re going to want to stay out of the vehicle while the generator is running, as it can be hazardous to your health with too much exposure. Wait until the device stops running, and then go ahead and turn the vehicle and generator both off. Open up your windows and doors to let the car air out, and wait about 30 minutes after the device finishes running in your car before you get back inside. Your car’s air should have much less smoke smell than it did when you started this whole process. While it’s not guaranteed to completely eliminate the smell, it will remove as much of it as possible and should allow you to spend time in your car without feeling ill.

Best Odor Removal Products for Smoke Smell

Looking for the right products to clean out your car and the air inside? Below you’ll find our recommendations, from simple cleaning products to more in-depth items like an Ozone generator. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the manufacturer or reach out to Ultimate Rides for advice.

1. Enerzen Ozone Generator In-Cabin Air Purifier

Coming in at around $65 and featuring a fan capable of reaching 11,000 mg/h, this Ozone generator from Enerzen is our favorite option to use in your car. It’s incredibly easy to use, and customers who have used the device have excellent things to say about the results it leaves behind. The “ozone” emitted by the product will react to unwanted contaminants in the air, as well as in the fabric of your car’s interior. Once you finish running it, you should notice a huge difference when it comes to the air quality of your car.

2. Chemical Guys Foaming Citrus Drill Brush Carpet & Upholstery Fabric Cleaning Kit

In our opinion, the best way to clean the carpets and floor mats in a car is with a brush cleaning kit, and this is our preferred choice. Chemical Brothers have a wealth of useful products, and with this kit, you’ll be able to get rid of unwanted smells and messes in the fabric inside the car. No longer will you have to try and concoct at-home remedies involving baking soda and other materials. With this kit, just spray, brush, and eliminate that unwanted smoke smell.

3. Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Early Morning Breeze, 2-Pack

While this item can help you keep your car smelling fresh and free of bacteria, it does a whole lot more than just that. You’ll find that this disinfectant spray from Lysol is nice to keep around the house as well as in the car. It works to eliminate unwanted smells while also removing viruses and other germs from surfaces and in the air. This spray gets rid of 99.9% of bacteria, making it a great choice to keep your in-cabin air fresh and the entire car free of that pesky smoke smell.

4. Zero Odor Multi-Purpose Spray to Eliminate Cigarette Odor

Another multi-purpose spray we encourage you to look into is this Zero Odor product. Instead of featuring its own fragrance, you’ll instead find a compound that works to get rid of any smell present in a car or elsewhere. Using this product alone without any other cleaning supplies, you may find the results are only temporary. However, if you use this spray in conjunction with other cleaning products, the result will last longer. It works great for smell removal – just be sure to combine this process with other cleaning duties for the best results.

5. Nature Fresh Charcoal Bags to Remove Smoke Smells

Charcoal is becoming increasingly popular as an aid for cleaning, as it naturally absorbs the sources of many unwanted odors, including the smoke smell from cigarettes. Like many of the other products on our list, if you use this product alone, you may find mixed results. However, in combination with other cleaning products and procedures, you’ll have a lot to gain by hanging a few of these extra-large charcoal bags around your car. Give it a try and see what we mean!

6. Ozium Smoke & Odors Eliminator Gel

Last but not least, we bring you Ozium gel. These containers are filled with Ozium’s signature product – the source of the new car smell that so many drivers love. This is the official product that dealerships around the country use to get that odor, and it does more than just fill the air. Ozium also eliminates unwanted smells by absorbing the source of the odor, like other products on our list. Keep an open jar of this in your car and you’ll find that it does a great job helping you remove cigarette smell from the vehicle.

Choosing the Best Product to Remove Cigarette Smoke Odors

The honest truth is that any one of these products probably isn’t going to be completely successful when it comes to getting rid of the odor of cigarette smoke. That’s why it’s important to pick up a few products to get the job done. Choose a smart combination, like the Ozone generator, charcoal bags, and Lysol spray. Follow our tips and you should have a smoke-free car in no time!