So i just bought a new car everything is great, but the previous ownder smoked in it what can i do to get it out?

i need help on the same subject. i dont get how a person in their right mind can smoke in a car.

If you can get your hands on an industrial grade ionizer it'll take out any odor. I have no idea where you'd get one, but I had a friend with one, and it was freakin amazing. Or maybe you could try one of those little cig lighter ones.

just air it out for 3 weeks, drive with the windows down ALL THE TIME

You need an ozone machine. I think it's the 2nd most powerful disinfectant on earth. (don't know what's the first) The ones you plug into your cig lighter don't work. They don't put out enough ozone. The machine is pretty small. Just put it in the car, roll up the windows, turn it on, and let it emit ozone for an hour or 2. Just let it air out for a while when its done, because you can't breathe the ozone. You can get one here:
o3ozone. com/ozone_generators_air_purifiers/ozone_generators.htm

I've read that a lot of what causes the odor is ash. Some gets stuck near the parcel shelf and under the seats. At the very least I would take out all of the seats and use Resolve and a shop vac on the carpets and headliner. That's what I do whenever I get a used car.

It would be easiest to start out just giving the car a good cleaning, and extracting the carpets and headliner. Thats where most of the smell is going to be coming from. If that doesn't take care of it then it's time to move on to the ozone machine.

Febreze auto worked well on my skunk smell.

It would be easiest to start out just giving the car a good cleaning, and extracting the carpets and headliner. Thats where most of the smell is going to be coming from. If that doesn't take care of it then it's time to move on to the ozone machine.

i have aired out the car many many times and ive washed allof the interior twice but still nothing has happened.

good luck, cig smells bonds to all the pieices in your car....i work for a car stereo repair shop, i can definately tell who smokes in their car by looking inside the radio, its all yellow and nasty smelling

Questions and Answers About Ozone:
QUESTION: WHAT IS OZONE?
<center> ANSWER: Ozone, sometimes called "activated oxygen", o3, contains three atoms of oxygen rather than the two atoms we normally breath. Ozone is the second most powerful sterilant in the world and its function is to destroy bacteria, viruses and odors in nature. Interestingly ozone occurs quite readily in nature, most often as a result of lightning strikes that occur during thunderstorms. In fact that "fresh, clean, spring rain" smell that we notice after a storm most often results from natures creation of ozone. Ozone is also created by water falls. However, we are probably most familiar with ozone from reading about the "ozone layer" that circles the planet above the earth atmosphere. Here ozone is created by the sun's ultra-violet rays. This serves to protect us from the ultra-violet radiation. Additionally, each of us is exposed to high levels of ozone sometimes daily for short periods of time. This happens in heavy traffic conditions or during times when the weather forces ozone to remain lower to the ground than is otherwise normal. The combination of these two factors can result in ozone readings as high as 4 or 5 times the "regulatory" levels for continuous exposure with absolutely no adverse affects as our exposure is for such short periods, and the ozone itself decays back to normal oxygen so rapidly.
Bactericidal action:
The highly effective bactericidal action of ozone has been well established in literature. This property of ozone makes it extremely useful for various applications.

Deodorizing action:
Ozone's deodorizing action is not simply a masking effect of unpleasant odors. It is a true chemical destruction of the compounds that create the odors in the first place. The existing air in an enclosed populated environment is rarefied with the decrease of the oxygen content. It has been proven that with ozone concentrations of around 0.01 ppm, the number of air renewals in any closed space is reduced.

</center><hr align="center" width="100%">
<center><hr align="center"></center> QUESTION: HOW DOES OZONE WORK?
ANSWER: While ozone is very powerful, it has a very short life cycle. When it is faced with odors, bacteria or viruses the extra atom of oxygen destroys them completely by oxidation. In so doing, that extra atom of oxygen is destroyed and there is nothing left...no odor...no bacteria...no extra atom, only oxygen. In addition to the effectiveness of ozone, we also know that it is safe to use. We know this from our own safe exposures daily to ozone, Whether, as noted earlier, resulting from being locked in traffic, or passing through industrial areas. These exposures have no effect on us. beyond our acknowledging the smell associated with ozone. It is the strength of this smell that provides ozone with it's "built in" safety mechanism. Ozone is safe because we notice it's smell at very residual levels. By residual we mean, the amount of ozone that is produced in excess of the required amount to eliminate whatever contamination that may be present in the room. This equipment, when used correctly will not exceed government guidelines for continuous safe exposure. Even if used incorrectly, ozone provides its own protection, as ozone warns us in a manner similar to smoke in a room. Ozone does this by becoming so offensive (a strong bleach-like smell) at 1.5 parts per million that we would not be able to stay in the environment for any more than a short period. This is much like what would happen if we entered a smoke filled room. However, while smoke might harm us, research has proven that a limited exposure to a low level of ozone would have no serious long term affect on us just as it does not affect us when caught in a traffic jam during rush hour.
<center><hr align="center" width="100%"></center>QUESTION: HOW IS OZONE PRODUCED?
ANSWER: There are basically two methods of producing ozone...ultra-violet and corona discharge. Most equipment uses the corona discharge method, simulating in essence, lightning. Equipment utilizing UV was hard to find in the past because it was inefficient, expensive to operate, unreliable, and very costly to service compared to the corona discharge equipment available. In recent years the UV technology has improved significantly making it a viable alternative to the corona discharge systems and the preferred choice for remediation professionals.
<center><hr align="center" width="100%"></center>QUESTION: HOW LONG DOES THE OZONE LAST?
ANSWER: As soon as ozone is formed in the generator and dispersed in a room some of it decays back into oxygen. This step occurs by several processes including the following: Natural decay (or revision to oxygen) due to ozone chemical instability. Speeding up of the above process by the presence of such as walls, carpets etc. stimulating the decay process. Oxidation reaction with odor causing organic material, which removes ozone. Reactions with bacteria etc., which again consumes ozone by oxidation reactions. Additionally ozone itself has a half life which means that "residual" ozone created (extra unneeded ozone) will return to oxygen within at most 30 minutes, in amounts equal to half its level. What this means is that after each subsequent 30 minute period there would be half as much residual ozone left at the end of the period as was present at the beginning of the period. This is similar to a geometric progression of 16;8;4;2;1. In practice the half life is usually less than 30 minutes due to temperature, bacterial, and other contaminants in the air. Therefore, ozone while very powerful doesn't last long...just does it's job and disappears.
<center><hr align="center" width="100%"></center> QUESTION: WILL THE ODOR COME BACK?
ANSWER: No. If ozone is applied properly it destroys (oxidizes ) the source of the odor. However, in the case of mildew the odor will return if you are unable to get rid of the moisture that is the source of the mildew.
<center><hr align="center" width="100%"></center>QUESTION: HOW DOES OZONE HANDLE TOBACCO SMOKE?
ANSWER: It eliminates the irritation caused by phenol gasses, by oxidizing them. Phenol gasses are the invisible part of tobacco smoke that causes such discomfort to one's eyes and create the offensive odors. Ozone rids any environment of the effects of smoke completely, rather than merely filtering out some of the visible particles like an "electronic air cleaner".

WHen i got my first car, it stunk like cigars and old people (got it from a very old man) SO i took it home and proceeded to take out the entire interior. I took the seats out front and back, headliner, all plastic trim, almost the entire dash board, pretty much made it into a bare metal can inside. I then washed all the surfaces with warm water and soap and dried them. Cleaned all the glass with a foaming cleaner and then rubbing alcohol. I then shampoed the carpet 2 times along with the seats 2 times. I ended up replacing the headliner because it was too stained. I cleaned all the plastic parts first with dawn dish soap in hot water, then wiped them off with rubing alcohol and finaly treated them with some kind of plastic polish/treat crap. I let the carpet and seats sit out in the sun for an entire day and then put the entire thing back togeather. I then stuck a little air freshener under the seat (new car smell sent) and it looked and smelled awsome.

that is quite an ordeal.

Ozone is the stuff that has a sort of sweet smell to it, correct?

First off you should replace the cabin air filter since it probably is half (or completely like mine) clogged with debris to begin with. This filter has trapped all the dust, smoke, etc from over the years and should be replaced.

I use a product by oxiclean (spelling>me) thats made for interiors. It works great and has a scent that is pleasant and not overthetop. You can use it on carpet or vinyl- but definatly NOT ON LEATHER. I normally use this on my product after the occassional cigar in my car ( 420 ;) )

Put a bowl of vinegar in your car overnight. It will absorb most of the odor away.

Put a bowl of vinegar in your car overnight. It will absorb most of the odor away.


really?

or a bag of activated charcoal.

ozium works well too actually

Put a bowl of vinegar in your car overnight. It will absorb most of the odor away.
Cool!Never heard of that before.

Yeah vinegar works wonders... its just liek putting baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors...better yet put vinegar AND baking soda in your car...double your chances of getting the odor out.

Yeah the vinegar works. Throw some Bounce sheets all over the place.

Yeah vinegar works wonders... its just liek putting baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors...better yet put vinegar AND baking soda in your car...double your chances of getting the odor out.

Um, not sure if you remember, but thats how you made your volcano for the science fair in 3rd grade. I wouldnt recommend doing that unless you want your car to look like a german volcano or in German it would be
" Deutscher Vulkan " :)

umm, you use 2 different bowls. duh

I thought the smell was gone, but it turns out im just used to it. A friend got in the car and was like you smoke in here?

i'm a smoker and i smoke in my car. and anyone who gets in my car can't believe it.

i smoke with the windows rolled down, a/c off and vents closed. and i ash out of the car.

anyways. just vaccum EVERYTHING. carpets, seats, headliner, the console, dash, and rear deck. also, clean your dash and similar materials. i use a product made by meguiars, can't remember the name, but comes in a red spray bottle.

spray some lysol in your a.c vents, and most importantly, change your microfilter.

umm, you use 2 different bowls. duh

Ya that wouldn't work either, since vinegar has such a pungent smell, the baking soda would pretty much just be eating away at that, it may still slightly work, but not as effective if you did one or the other.

yeah, guess you're right

i say lotsa fabreeze

Vinegar doesn't work.... I bought a Rodeo for $1500..thought it was a steal.. guy smoked..

Left two cups of vinegar out... two boxes of baking soda... two bottles of febreeze.... sprayed the whole damn car....

washed the windows with vinegar.. sprayed febreeze in the vents..

THAT CAR STILL STANK!!... like Febreeze.... but when it dried.. it smelled like... Vinegar.... then finally.. it smelled like.

Smoke..:shifty


Smoking in the car = FTL.

Sweet car.. smelled like smoke... sold sweet car to smoker = profit :devillook

:redspot

I have smoked in so many cars and not one of them ever kept the smell after 1 day. the only to make you car stinnk is to smoke with the windows rolled up and a/c or heat on and use the ash tray, (I have actually never used the ash tray in a car ever). and if you can do all that you are truley a discusting human bieng, even as I am sucking the smoke into my lungs I cant stand to hot box, but I see people doing it all the time in nice cars too. it bogles my mind.

any way I know that ozone is horrable for rubber so I dono if you want to use a industral thing in your car. I say just clean everything with good products and give it time, drive with the windows down or even leve them down at night. often times I have found that the simplest and most basic solutions usually work. dont go trying all these voodo remidies untill you have given an honest try first. think if you accedentily made a poop in youre back seat you cant set a bowl of vinagar next to and expect it to not stink you need to clean the poop up first then use the vinagar to clean up any traces...you get my medifor?