Smoker
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 229
Likes: 28
From: San Diego, CA
Smoker
Not the car...just bought '77 T-Top and previous owner was heavy smoker. Have tried every household cleaner, upholstery, vinyl and marine mold and mildew cleaner and nothing is working...thinking of acetone or lacquer thinner.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,360
Likes: 382
From: Plano TX
Is the problem that it stinks or you have stains? For the smell there are some ozone treatments that are supposed to work (you have to take the car to a shop, it's an expensive machine that does it).
If it is staining, clean well first and then spray a thin coat of interior dye on the panels.
If it is staining, clean well first and then spray a thin coat of interior dye on the panels.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,034
Likes: 503
From: myrtle beach sc
Army
Hotel's and motel's use a portable ozone machine ( oxinator...? ), to remove the cigarette smoke smell from rooms. Maybe you can rent or borrow one from someone close to you. Lou.
Cruising
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Cheap old trick that worked on my 75, also a former smokers car. Get 2 aluminum pie tins and a can of coffee. Put a pie tin full of coffee on each side floorboard. Stir twice daily for a week. Killed the tobacco smell in my car but it smelled like coffee for about a month. I could live with the coffee smell. No smell of any type left now.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,116
From: Crossville TN
Replace the carpeting and clean all the other surfaces with detergent/water. Or you can stick a Glade 'Hang-up' on the roof panel overhead. 
I don't think you can ever get the smoke smell out of the carpeting.
I don't think you can ever get the smoke smell out of the carpeting.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,719
Likes: 95
From: Saskatchewan, Canada
Is the problem that it stinks or you have stains? For the smell there are some ozone treatments that are supposed to work (you have to take the car to a shop, it's an expensive machine that does it).
If it is staining, clean well first and then spray a thin coat of interior dye on the panels.
If it is staining, clean well first and then spray a thin coat of interior dye on the panels.
After my mother (heavy smoker) decided to quit smoking, I took her car to a local auto detailer who did the ozone treatment to her car. The procedure took 24 hours. When I picked up the car the next day I could not believe the difference. That was 10 years ago. She still owns the car - to this day no cigarette smoke smell.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 229
Likes: 28
From: San Diego, CA
Not any smell only the brown nicotine stains on on dash pieces...door panels, seat covers, and carpet have been replaced.
Last edited by San Diego Ron; Mar 3, 2013 at 06:55 PM. Reason: to add picture...just for fun and practice
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Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,979
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From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
A detail shop suggested I buy an ozone generator for a car I had with a mildew smell problem. Bought a cheap one on ebay for $60, closed up the windows and let in run for a long time. had to air it out for awhile later to clear the air in the car, but it worked extremely well.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,152
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From: Kawartha Lakes and PEC, Ontario
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 6
From: Austin Tx
Cheap old trick that worked on my 75, also a former smokers car. Get 2 aluminum pie tins and a can of coffee. Put a pie tin full of coffee on each side floorboard. Stir twice daily for a week. Killed the tobacco smell in my car but it smelled like coffee for about a month. I could live with the coffee smell. No smell of any type left now.
I used the above method of coffee beans (I used fresh ground), and I also added crushed newspaper that I lightly spritzed with water. It worked amazing, and I was able to save the freezer.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 526
Likes: 1
From: Millington TN
I was in New Orleans for Katrina and while I made it out my fridge didn't. Despite removing all interior panels and a bleach scrub the smell remained. I put a bowl of charcoal briquettes in there and when I moved back in a month later...... Presto! Smell that made me wanna vomit was gone.
