How to Remove the Smell of Smoke From a Used Car
If you bought a used car that smells like smoke, you likely want the unpleasant smell gone. Smoke odor lingers and can permeate the entire vehicle. You can remove smoke smells from your used car using common household products. Your car will smell fresh with no traces of smoke odor.
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Things You'll Need
- Bucket
- Water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- Baking soda
- Spoon
- Rags
- Vacuum cleaner
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
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1
Fill a bucket with 2 cups warm water. Add 1 cup white vinegar and ½ cup baking soda. Stir with a spoon to combine the ingredients.
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2
Dip a rag into the bucket. Wipe down the windows, dash board, steering wheel, plastic moldings and any other hard surfaces inside of the vehicle. Do not use this solution on fabric or carpet.
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3
Rinse the surfaces with a rag and plain water. Go over the surfaces with a dry rag to remove any moisture.
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4
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda onto the carpets and upholstery in the car. Allow it to sit in the car overnight. If the car has an ashtray, empty the ashtray of any ashes or debris and fill it with baking soda.
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5
Vacuum up the baking soda from the carpets and fabric the next day. If you placed baking soda into the ashtray, vacuum out the ashtray as well.
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6
Fill a bucket with white vinegar if the smoke smell persists. Place the bucket on the floor in the front seat of the car.
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7
Close the car windows, and open up the vents. Turn the heat on high, and allow it to run for an hour. If the weather is hot and sunny outside, there is no need to turn on the heat in the vehicle.
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8
Remove the bucket from the car after an hour has elapsed. The vinegar will absorb a lot of the smoke smell.
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9
Freshen up the car even more by pouring a few drops of vanilla extract on a couple of rags. Place the rags under the seats of the car. Change the rags every week or so to keep the car smelling fresh.
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Tips & Warnings
Cut an apple into slices, place it in a cup and sit it on the car floor. Leave it there until the apples shrivel up for another way to get rid of smoke odor.
Place an open bag of charcoal into the vehicle and leave it overnight to further absorb smoke odor.
Sprinkle coffee grounds onto the carpet of the vehicle, and leave them there for a few days before vacuuming them up, which is another method for absorbing odors.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot/Polka Dot/Getty Images
