Hello guys!!!
About to pull the trigger on a very nice meteor gray 997 C2S Cabrio. Still need to get the PPI, but car looks quite solid and well taken care of. The ONLY issue at this time is that the previous (and only) owner is a smoker. He did smoke in the car, with the top and windows up. Is there ANY way to get COMPLETELY rid of the cigarette smell? I am getting the car at a pretty great deal, and I really don't think the cigarette smell will be a deal breaker, but as a non-smoker, it could be a nuisance. Any help would be appreciated!

THANKS!!!!

Abdon

 

Try fabrezze for cars and ride it with the top down. Spend some time cleaning the seats and interiors with Lexol products and shampoo the carpets. That is what I did. If you do not smoke in it, the smell will be gone in several weeks.

 

DrivePur, it's amazing. Send me a PM and I can get you some.


John

 

Thanks John! As soon as I have the car (this weekend I hope!) I will send you a PM with my info.

 

The smoke smell is probably in all the fabrics and in the actual leather. You'll need to give a thorough cleaning of the carpets and leather and then use a product like John is suggesting to get the whole interior smoke-free. I haven't come across any smoker car that was absolutely smoke-free smelling, but you can get pretty close to it. Good luck.

 

Over time, with frequent cleanings, do you think the car will eventually get to "smoke-free" status?

 

That is possible I suppose, or at least reduced to where it did not bother you. However, it may depend on how sensitive you are to the odor.

 

There is an old-school technique that will help if you have the time. Take some plain old baking soda and put a bowl of the stuff on the floor of the car - top & windows up. [obvisouly do this only if the car is going to sit for a while!] This is not practical if the car is driven every day, but if you keep it in the garage for any length of time, try it. This is more of a winter storage technique, which really does not apply in Florida!

 

Removing Smoke Odour
Its molecules are microscopic and they exhibit a very strong adhesive quality; plus they don't conform to normal cleaning standards. It is these micro particulates that embed themselves in the fibres of the headliner, seats and carpet. These are particles of incomplete combustion with a size of 0.1 to 4µ; the average human hair is between 40 – 600 µ; whereas the average smoke particle is 150 times smaller.

A solvent will not break their bond; a detergent will not suspend them for extraction. More than any other dour problem smoke removal is a process. You cannot eliminate odours by shampooing the interior, and/or spraying a deodorizer. Many odours are caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, mould, and mildew.
It amazes me that even professionals still think they can eliminate odours by shampooing the interior, and spraying a deodorizer. Nothing is farther from the truth, technically, an odour is an invisible gas, and so it can permeate any material or crevice. Many odours are caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, mould, and mildew. Not only does shampooing not eradicate these odours, it spreads them over a much wider area!

You eliminate dour-causing organisms with very specialized chemicals. Look for stains, if there are no stains, use the process of elimination; it is very effective when searching for the source of an odour; floor or seats, mats or carpet? If the vehicle has velour upholstery, a spill can penetrate on contact. If it is vinyl or leather, it will run to the deepest seam. Pay special attention to the headliner and all glass surfaces

The most important aspect of removing as opposed to using a product that will cover it, only for the odour to return later on, or at the very least mitigating an offensive door is that you must find and remove its origin. Don’t be fooled by the claims of odour removal products; if it doesn’t have a cleaning agent in it, you’re not going to get rid of the odour. If you thoroughly clean the interior and it still smells you have not removed the material which is generating the smell. You can use an ozone machine, steam / extractor, scrub, and vacuum etc but if you do not remove the origin the smell will remain. Replace the cabin air filter (if fitted) as it will retain the smoke micro-organisms