How to Get Rid of The Smoke Smell in Your Car
If you live in a cold climate, smoking in your car might be the best option to keep you from freezing. Or, for those long commutes, a cloud of smoke at the end of a long day might be the thing that relaxes you. Even if you're not a smoker, there are lots of reasons smoke can get into your car (every reason from a smoking friend to inheriting the vehicle), and once it’s in there, it can be impossible to get out.
Luckily, there are a few tricks to get rid of the smoke smell in a car, and they range from quick and simple to long-term effective. We'll go over a few of the best methods on how to get rid of the smoke smell in cars, from a quick vacuum to using a strong, anti-smoke car air freshener.
1) Air Out Your Car
The first thing to try is to stop smoking in the car (or letting others smoke). You can’t clean the smoke smell out of a vehicle while pumping more smoke in.
Next, air the car out by leaving the windows (or even doors) open for as long as possible. While driving, you can try setting your AC to pump fresh air in. Introducing all this fresh air can help get rid of the smoke smell. Of course, you can always let it air out while doing other cleaning as well.
2) Vacuum and Clean the Upholstery
Next, clean all the porous surfaces that soak up the smoke smells. Start by getting rid of any ash that’s still in the car.
A great upholstery cleaner for smoke smells is baking soda. Sprinkling it on seats and leaving for 30 minutes to 2 hours will give it plenty of time to absorb any residual odour. Next, vacuum all seats, flooring, car mats, crevices, and under the seat.
Find and use a disinfectant or cleaner that’s marked as safe for car upholstery. Thoroughly clean all fabric, but especially the seats (because they absorb a lot of smoke smell). If you have leather seats, use a cleaner that’s suitable for leather.
3) Disinfect the Hard Surfaces
You can wipe down all hard surfaces using a disinfectant wipe or spray. Use the appropriate cleaner for the surface (glass cleaner for glass, plastic cleaner for plastic).
Wipe down the:
- Dashboard
- Cup Holders
- Door Handles
- Windows
- Windshield
- Gear Shift
- Steering Wheel
- Stereo
- Centre Console
After you’ve wiped everything down, dry it thoroughly.
4) Clean Out Your Car’s AC System
The air conditioning system can hold onto odours even after you clean your car’s interior. You should therefore use an air con bomb/AC cleaner to get rid of any leftover smoky smell before using your AC again. This will disinfect and deodorise your air conditioning system before leaving a long-lasting, fresh scent.
5) Invest in a High-Quality Car Air Freshener
There might be more required than cleaning your car thoroughly to completely get rid of the smell, especially if not smoking inside your car isn't an option for you. Instead, consider investing in a high-quality, strongly fragranced car air freshener that will leave a lingering fresh scent to cover up unwanted odours.
What Is the Best Anti-Smoke Car Air Freshener?
The best anti-smoke car air fresheners are made using high-quality, highly concentrated fragrance oils. Focus on looking for scents that appeal to you, backed by ultra-concentrated fragrance oils and companies that put an emphasis on quality and luxury—like Car Cologne.
Whether you’re using an electric diffuser (that diffuses special car perfume), or a simple card air freshener, Car Cologne provide the highest quality scents inspired by luxury perfume and cologne. All of our car air fresheners are built to erase bad smells and replace them with the luxury scents you deserve.
Car Cologne is dedicated to improving the smell of your car and is proud to offer the best car air fresheners for smokers in the UK. Check out our Scent Quiz to find out which one is perfect for you, and contact us with any questions.