Greetings-
Anyone have any experience with removing cigarette smoke smells from your car? My Boxster's previous owner smoked. It's not real bad. I've tried Febreeze, vinegar/water solution, ground fresh coffee (oddly enough, this works the best) but now it smells like flowers, coffee and smoke! I'm worried about the convertible top too. What could I use to clean the inside of a convertible top? I bet some odors are there too. I've already cleaned the windows, inside and out and cleaned and treated the seats.

 

I've had ozone used on a car before. This was many years ago, mind you. It was through a friend, so I don't have a business name to recommend. I would start with home reclamation services or fire/smoke damage renovation guys.

It's a machine with a hose, and you shove the hose in the car window and leave it on for several hours. They'll treat a house with several machines in the case of fire/smoke damage, or if someone bought the farm in a house and that's (ahem) left a certain uh, noxious smell that can't be removed.

As it was explained to me, the ozone attaches to the odor particles, and viola, no more smell. There is, actually, a smell (of ozone) afterwards, but it's not unpleasant, and it does fade over time.

 

I have heard of this but I also read that ozone not only destroys odor molecules, it destroys, rubber, plastic and fabric molecules too. While the smell may go away with ozone, I read, the ozone prematurely ages the plastic, rubber and fabric. I paid a good chunk of change for my little car and while the ozone may work, I don't want to run the risk of damaging anything else in the car. It's such a small space anyway. I don't mind having the smell a little while time does it's magic. Would just like to see if anyone has used a good product to reduce the smell or remove it.

 

contact David at atlanta auto salon and see what they recommend. Tell them Brett F sent you.

 

Ask Moe in the detailers forum.

 

Thanks for all your input. The dealer hooked me up with a chlorine-dioxide bomb. I hadn't heard of them before but I guess they use them a lot in the marine industry. I used it last weekend and omg, did it do the job! I put the top up, cranked up the a/c with recirculate on for half hour, closed the windows. After a half hour, I turned the engine off and let the bomb do it's work until the following morning. No more cigarette smoke. Ok, it smelled like a swimming pool for a couple days but that is gone now too. Awesome stuff.


8-13-14 update: Found Star Brite Car Bomb MDG on amazon does the same thing if anyone is interested---