Removing the smell of smoke from a car’s interior can be a challenge. Bad odours tend to linger in upholstery, air vents, and carpets, making it difficult to completely eliminate.
But don’t worry – whether you’ve just bought a used car that smells like smoke or you’re trying to freshen up your own vehicle, there are tried and tested ways to neutralise and remove the odour for good so that your car smells like the day you bought it.
By following these steps and using high-quality cleaning products like Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner and Simoniz Air Con Cleaner, you can restore your car’s fresh, clean scent.
How do you get rid of smoke smells from a car?
To fully eliminate smoke odour, you’ll need to tackle the issue across multiple steps, which include deep cleaning, sanitising, and deodorising your vehicle. Here’s how:
Clean interior surfaces thoroughly
Smoke particles are renowned for settling on all surfaces, so your first step should be a deep clean of your car’s interior.
Even if you no longer smoke in your car, lingering ash, or cigarette butts can keep the smell around. Start by thoroughly cleaning the ashtray or removing it altogether.
Smoke residue can also coat dashboards, steering wheels, and door panels. Use SimonizCar Interior Wipes for general use and matt finish or gloss finish dashboard cleaner for the dashboard to effectively clean the surface and remove foul smells.
Deep clean upholstery & interior materials
Fabrics, carpets, and leather absorb smoke odours far more than hard surfaces, so an even more thorough cleaning is essential.
For fabric upholstery & carpets, use Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner, which is designed to lift embedded dirt and neutralise odours while drying quickly to prevent damp smells.
For leather seats & trims, smoke can dry out and stain leather, so it’s important to clean and condition it properly. Simoniz Leather Wipes make it easy to remove grime. Using Simoniz Conditioning Leather Cream will add an extra layer of protection while nourishing your leather seats to keep them looking and smelling fresh.
Use air fresheners & cleaners
Once the interior is clean, it’s time to tackle the air itself.
Simply turn the fans to full, turn recirculate on, place the can in the car’s footwell and depress the top before exiting the car, leaving all doors and windows shut. Its auto-spray action means the product will circulate the cabin continuously, eliminating odours in around 10 minutes.
Once the can has emptied, safely dispose of the can and allow fresh air to enter the cabin.
Pinpoint particularly smelly areas
If smells persist even after doing a deep clean of your car’s interior, it might be time to focus on specific areas that might be holding onto the smell. Check individual seats, floor mats, and the headliner (ceiling fabric), as these materials tend to trap smoke odours. Giving these areas particular attention can make all the difference.
Tips for preventing smoke odours in your car
Now that your car is fresh, let’s keep it that way! Here are some simple ways to prevent smoke smells from coming back:
Avoid smoking in the car
It should be pretty obvious, but the easiest way to keep smoke smells away is to not smoke in your car in the first place.
Don’t let others smoke in your car
A single cigarette can leave your car stinking for weeks or months, even if your passenger cracks a window. Kindly ask that your passengers refrain from smoking in your car.
Regularly clean your car’s interior
A quick wipe-down with Simoniz Interior Wipes and vacuuming once a week can help prevent odours from settling in your car.
Open windows for fresh air
If you do smoke in the car, keeping the windows down will help prevent smoke from getting trapped in the upholstery and air vents. It’s not going to eliminate the smell altogether, but it’s far better than leaving the smoke to penetrate materials.
Getting rid of smoke odours in a car takes a combination of deep cleaning, sanitising, and prevention, but with the right approach, you can fully restore your vehicle’s fresh scent.
By using high-quality products like Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner, Air con Cleaner, and Wipes, you can ensure that the smell of smoke will no longer plague your nostrils.
Want to keep your car smelling great all year round? Explore Simoniz’s range of interior cleaners for the best in high-quality car care.