How to Get Smoke Smell Out of a Car

The last thing you want on your daily Matthews commute is to have to deal with the smell of smoke inside your car. Smoke gets into every part of the interior of your car, from the seats to the flooring to the vents, and it can be hard to remove smoke smell from a car if you don’t know where to start. 

Fortunately, we at Hendrick Chevrolet Monroe have assembled a quick and easy guide to getting the smell of smoke out of your car. We’ve also included some specialized tips for leather interiors and car vents, which both require a bit of extra effort when it comes to cleaning. Read on to discover how to get smoke smell out of a car, then feel free to browse our service specials if you’d like any other work done on your vehicle!

How to Get Cigarette Smell Out of a Car: The Process

If you recently bought a used vehicle and you’re wondering how to get cigarette smell out of the car, we’ve got the tips that can help. First, to get the smell of smoke out of your car, you’ll want to go over the surfaces in your car and look for things like leftover cigarettes, ash particulates, and other debris. Vacuum all the surfaces of your car thoroughly as an easy way to get rid of these surface-level problems. Don’t just examine and vacuum the obvious surfaces, either — go through areas like the trunk, glovebox, and under the seats as well.

If you find leftover cigarettes or ashes in your car’s ashtray, be sure to remove it and wash it before returning it to the car. The smell of smoke can stick around, so you might want to let it air out before putting it back.

After vacuuming and removing the source of the smell of smoke, you’ll need to deodorize all the surfaces in the car. Check your owner’s manual to see if there are any products to stay away from; otherwise, use the strongest interior spray cleaner you can find. Spray down all the surfaces and wipe them with a microfiber cloth. You can also use odor-absorbing products like baking soda if you’d like. 

Finally, consider hanging an air freshener if you’d like to keep the smoke smell away even further. Just follow these steps and you’ll be back on the streets of Waxhaw in a fragrant-smelling car in no time!

How to Get Rid of Smoke Smell in a Car: Leather Seats

Unfortunately, leather seats and surfaces are a bit more difficult than upholstery when it comes to removing the smell of smoke. That being said, it can be done! You just need to find a heavier-duty cleaner specialized for cleaning leather and clean all the seats and surfaces a few times to make sure everything gets removed. 

How to Get Smoke Smell Out of Car Vents

As we’ve stated above, smoke is notorious for getting into just about every part of your car. If you’ve cleaned out the seats, floors, and surfaces, and you find you’re still smelling smoke, the smell may be coming from your car vents. We’d recommend finding a good deodorizer or odor neutralizing spray for this step.

First, turn on your car’s air conditioner to its maximum setting, and make sure air recirculation is off. Then, spray the deodorizer into your car’s vents (if you can’t find them, your owner’s manual should be able to tell you). This should solve the problem of the smell, but if you want to be extra-careful, you can replace the air filters entirely.

Hendrick Chevrolet Monroe is Here to Help 

If you’ve tried everything above and you find that the smell of smoke is still permeating your car, you may want a professional to examine it. Bring your car by our dealership near Weddington and our service team will have it cleaned out and back to you in no time. In the meantime, feel free to contact our office with any questions about this process, or to learn more!