How to Get Rid of Cigarette Smoke in Car

There are many reasons why you might want to rid your car of cigarette smoke. Perhaps you just quit smoking and want to eliminate any reminders or temptations. Maybe you just bought or borrowed a car from a smoker and you can't stand the smell. Or perhaps you don't want your mom, dad, husband, wife, or child to know that you've been smoking. Regardless of your motive for doing so, it can be a difficult and time-consuming process to get the smoke out of your car. Fortunately, it can be done using some or all of the steps below.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric and upholstery cleaner
• Fabric refresher
• Vacuum cleaner
• Vinyl cleaner
• Air purifier
• Air freshener

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Instructions

• 1

  Open the windows. To reduce the amount of smoke in your car in the first place, open the windows while smoking.

• 2

  Empty the ashtray. This will be the single most effective thing you can do to rid your car of lingering smoke smells. After you empty the ashtray, thoroughly clean it with soap and water. Finally, after it is dry, sprinkle it with baking soda to absorb any remaining odors.

• 3

  Vacuum the car. A thorough vacuuming will remove any ashes or cigarette butts that have fallen onto the floor of the car. A vacuum can also be used to clean out the ashtray.

• 4

  Refresh the upholstery. Though it will not completely remove the odor of smoke from your car's interior, spraying your seats, carpet, and headliner with a fabric refresher.

• 5

  Clean the interior windows. Amazingly, smoke residue builds up on interior glass and leaves a smelly film behind. A household window cleaner will easily remove this residue. To avoid streaks, use newspapers or coffee filters to wipe the windows.

• 6

  Clean interior hard surfaces. Just like with the windows, residue can build up on the dashboard, armrests and trim. Use a vinyl-safe cleaner to wipe down all of the hard surfaces in your car.

• 7

  Have your car detailed. If you are not getting satisfactory results yourself, consider paying a professional to clean your car. Detailers will shampoo your carpet and upholstery, clean out every nook and cranny, and leave your car smelling almost as good as new.

• 8

  Install an air purifier. After you have cleaned your car, keep it that way by reducing the amount of smoke in your car while someone is smoking. Purifiers pull in the smoke filled air, clean it, and circulate clean air back into the car. Purifiers made for cars are typically small and include a cigarette lighter adapter.

• 9

  Freshen the air. Although air freshener is very ineffective at getting rid of the smell of smoke, it can help to cover up any odors that remain after a thorough cleaning. There are many air fresheners on the market just for cars. Alternatively, consider tucking an unused dryer sheet or two under the seats of your car.