Remove Smell of Smoke

Hey guys--

I went through a 6-month period where I was smoking Cloves and friends were smoking Cigs. After ending up in the E.R. and almost losing my job due to medical issues, I quit. Now, I'm suffering the reminder each time I step into my Tacoma.

I have your typical Taco interior. What's the easiest way to clean it? Should I rip it out and have leather installed? Can I buy pre-cut replacement material for the entire vehicle? Thoughts, ideas?

Also, how can I clean out all of my vents?

Thanks
-Will

 

From what I know is I would wash ALL the carpets and maybe change the cabin air filter. Also good choice quitting

 

Clean everything first obviously, then get an Ozone treatment.

Find a detail shop that does them. It should run you about $50-100 depending on where you go.

 

I used to detail cars years ago and one of the tricks we used was white vinegar. We had it in a spray bottle and sprayed the rugs seats and let the car air itself out and really helped to dissipate the smell of cigarette/cigar smoke. White vinegar (DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT WHITE AS IT WILL STAIN) won't harm anything. Good luck

 

Take the seats out and steam clean them, steam clean the carpet still in the truck.

Also, leave all your windows down for an extended peroid, say 6 hours or so. After a bit of time the smell will fade. I used to smoke a pack a day and most of my friends are smokers, can't tell my trucks ever been smoked in.

 

I'll grab some white vin. and go to town. Un-bolt everything, pull it out, and maybe do a few DIY items while I'm at it such as a USB port in the middle console and lights under the dash.

Is there a quick way to clean out all of the vent tubes?

I was at a pack a day of cloves, 2 packs a day of american spirits. I feel better already.

 

does homertaco still have his seat cloth? might be an option if so....

 

I will second that White Vinegar suggestion. I used to detail cars as well, but did not learn of this trick until I bought my Tacoma. The car lot did a good job of disguising the smell, but it came back...bad. Then I did the White vinegar wipe down of everything ESPECIALLY the plastic and leather, and it has smelled great ever since. Granted, it smelled like a pickle for the first couple of days, but that quickly went away.

White Vinegar....the answer for sure.

 

Definitely shampoo everything.

I have an Auto Air Ionizer in my vehicles, it plugs into the cig lighter or whatever. It actually works and even though I am a smoker, my vehicles don't smell like it. You can find several different styles on Amazon, etc.

 

I doubt that any smoke smell is coming from your vents.I wouldn't worry too much about that.

 

Smoke ash gets in everywhere... you will find it coated to everything under the dash and everywhere. you have to clean everything extensively to get rid of smoke smell. Its very difficult to do.

 

Biggest deal I've ever done is get a vent cleaner spray from an autoparts store and spray it in the return air and let it run for awhile and your car will smell way better other then that just a lot of scrubing!

 

Hey bud, I helped my buddy clear out his cig smells and I basically got all of the smell out in one clean.

Here is what you need to do
1) Shampoo/Clean all the floor carpet
2) Replace your cabin air filter
3) If possible, park your car in a garage for a night or two with all windows open
4) Vacuum out every square inch of your rig, seats, compartments, floor, etc.
5) Find some carpet or fiber spray and wipe cleaner for your seats- this really helps!

Let me know how it goes?!

 

A great mod for any truck that gets real dirty inside is to remove all the carpet and bedliner the inner floor. If you had the seats steam cleaned, and did this mod (install a drain plug as well..you never know!) you'd be set I think.

 

RZ Rob

 

What worked for me on several company trucks as well as the Tacoma I have now was "Ozium" spray from the auto parts store. Spray every time you leave the truck with the windows up. Takes care of the smell in a couple weeks.

Also seemed to speed things up on the Taco when I changed the cabin filter. The interior had been steam cleaned right when I got it, but the smell was still there. The Ozium did the trick. My company trucks were never even wiped down, just the Ozium.

 

Along with the long list above,I would recommend using TSP and cleaning inside the vent ducting the best you can. TSP is good for removing nicotine residue off. I use to work section 8 housing in Utah and the guy I worked for had bought one of the old Motels up their that had block walls painted white. We would have people move out after 10 yrs or so who smoked and we would go in and coat the walls with TSP and all the yellow nicotine would come off. It worth a try. Good luck! TSP can be found at Lowe's or Home Depot in the paint section.


Quote:
Mormon Girl: I just don't understand how sperm knows to make it across the sheets, or where to go from there! .....yea,you are living in UT.

 

My buddy bought a used 06 Taco from a dealership. Original owner was a smoker and the dealership tried their best to clean the interior and spray crap to hide the smell. The only thing that has worked for him was to swap out the cabin filter and run my commercial ozonator (http://shop.toolsforhealing.com/KleenAir_2500_Commercial_p/aso-2500.htm) in the truck with the windows up and the air circulating and then with the A/C on. He ran his truck in his driveway (idle) for about a hour while we were out drinking some beers. He did this a couple of times and now there is no smoke smell.

 

Don't forget to clean the headliner. It absorbs a bunch of smoke.

 

White vinegar does work. Use febreeze as well in large quantities, over a period of time (like spray the crap out of the interior every time you leave the truck).

I smoke in my truck on a daily basis and it doesn't smell like smoke, because of the febreeze. (I know I can't smell but my friends who don't smoke can't smell it at all).