Remedy for smoke stench in auto interior?

dtw · 11-02-2005, 08:27 AM

Picked up my "new" '01 BMW 530i Sport at the end of last week. Definitely more issues with the car than described by the seller who is now hounding me for positive feedback. Among the items I'm not sure I can live with is the smell inside my "non-smoker car". Nice stale tobacco smell permeates the cabin. I don't smell it 2 seconds after getting underway, but my nose gets kinda itchy anyway. Is there any cure for this? Professional steam clean? Febreze party? I'm all ears.

dhoward · dhoward's Garage

Take up smoking....

bryanthompson · bryanthompson's Garage

dead fish under the passenger seat

RANDY P · RANDY P's Garage

there's that crazy bomb stuff that the dealers use to get pet funk and smoke out of cars. Downside is that the car stinks even worse for a few days after it's done.

If it's that bad I'd check a pro detailer and see what they can do for you.

kqw · 11-02-2005, 08:47 AM

Shampoo your carpets and any other cloth like material, Clean your head liner and vacume every nook and cranny especially in and around where the ashtray is. Don't forget the trunk area also.

Open all the windows and let the car sit for a day, i.e., air it out.

When done spray "Fabreeze" on the cloth areas.

Some folks then put a bar of soap under the seat. Slightly open the wrapper and place the bar under the passenger seat.

bryanthompson · bryanthompson's Garage

Did you guys ever see the BO episode of seinfeld? It's alive!!

creaturecat · 11-02-2005, 09:51 AM

Febreeze is disgustimg - your clothes will smell like febreeze for weeks.
A good cleaning and airing out is the answer.

legion · 11-02-2005, 09:54 AM

Wait...I agree with creaturecat on something. I need to take a few days away from OT and re-evaluate my life.

vash · vash's Garage

i did this for a friend. i pulled the seats and set them in mild sun to breath. i did wipe them down, with soapy water, and then toweled them down. my mom's neighbor is a carpet cleaner, so he ran a hose over and steamed cleaned the carpets. i left the car doors open with an ocilatting fan blowing in. i scrubbed the ashtray, and all the hard surfaces down. i was tempted in putting the ashtray insert through the dishwasher. it came out decent. it smelled like carpet cleaner for awhile. till the new floormats went in, then it smell like new plastic.

kqw · 11-02-2005, 10:26 AM

The good thing about the Fabreeze is that it doesn't cover up odor. It does eliminate them.

Had a client that smoked a (BIG) cigar in the car, and then I left it in the ashtray for about a week (forgot about it while driving other car) and when I opened the door, man, oh man.

Fabreeze on the carpet, cleaned ashtray and aired out....Did the trick.

targa911S · 11-02-2005, 10:36 AM

fart a lot.

tabs · 11-02-2005, 10:41 AM

Ohhhh DTW....get out one of my burning pieces of rope and smoke it....I promise you after that you won't notice anymore stale tobbacco smell....cause you will be overwhel..........

dtw · 11-02-2005, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by targa911S
fart a lot.

A cheap AND entertaining solution...we have a winner...

dtw · 11-02-2005, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tabs
Ohhhh DTW....get out one of my burning pieces of rope and smoke it....I promise you after that you won't notice anymore stale tobbacco smell....cause you will be overwhel..........

I usually only enjoy those with a generous pour of single malt. Last time I did that in the car the nice law enforcement officer got unusually pissy, the more so after I produced another tumbler and invited him to join me. Mother was not pleased about posting bail at 3am, she beat me with her purse until I demanded to be returned to the holding cell...

targa911S · 11-02-2005, 11:40 AM

you guys aren't burning the same rope I am....or are you?

targa911S · 11-02-2005, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dtw
A cheap AND entertaining solution...we have a winner...

glad to help. ;-)

MBAtarga · 11-02-2005, 06:54 PM

I was able to remove about 20 yrs of cigar smoke stench from my dad's 82 S10 PU by using a box of good old Arm & Hammer baking soda. I cleaned/wiped the interior with soap and water, vacuumed the seats/headliner/carpet, and put the open box under the seat. It took a few weeks, but the smell eventually went away.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

SMoke residue seems to be a bit "clingy" or "oily" so a good wipe down of all surfaces with a mild soap solution, then shampoo the carpets... Air it out with a fan for 24 hours...

I HATE febreeze, I don't see why people think it's great... To me it seems like it's just more sickly sweet perfume to cover up an odor.

Howard Agency · 11-03-2005, 08:12 AM

Cleaning, sure, but doesn't the 530 have an cabin filtration system? Replace cannister?

tabs · 11-03-2005, 09:21 AM

Ohhhh He11 just let my Airdale George in the car and after he takes a Dump in there no one will even notice nor complain about a bit of stale Tobbacco smoke...

And it truly is good to hear tales about other Mothers attitudes towards their sons...it does my heart good to know that I'm not the only one with a vicious old hag for a Mother.