Getting Smoke Smell Out

N

nickis

New member
I got a call from this guy yesterday who is buying a 2003 Ford Expedition (used) and he wants it detailed, primarily because it has been smoked in. He wants the carpets shampooed to take care of this, which I can do, but I'm not entirely convinced it will eliminate the smell. I have never dealt with smoke smell in a car before so I need some advice before I tackle this thing. I think I will warn him up front when he calls me back that there I cannot guarantee the odor gone, because I am under the impression this is generally tough to get rid of. Maybe that will sound unprofessional but I would rather give that disclaimer then spend hours on it, have it close to perfection, but still have an upset customer because the smell isn't as "gone" as they wanted.

I want to do my best though, so I would appreciate hearing whatever advice you guys can shell out. I did a search and see that spraying something like Febreeze into the AC vents is pretty important, but I'm sure there must be more to it than that and shampooing. I was thinking of the headliner myself, this seems like a place where smoke odor would really set in. Areas to concentrate on and products to use would be helpful!
 
Your on the right track. Make sure that you clean every thing even the seat belts. I know some people use a foger to get rid of foul oders and I saw some where a spray that you can uae for smoke. I personaly have only used a ozone genrator. It works very well. It got rid of a dead rat smell in a suburban. (dont ask) :hurl Some places will rent one of these machines. If you want to go that route.
 
You definitely have to use an ozone machine. When I bought my Acura I had the ozone generator run for about 4-6 hours. It got rid of 95% of the odor but there was something left over. I ended up taking apart the various panels throughout the car. I found a bunch of leftover ash behind the gauge cluster, ash tray, radio, door/window panels, etc. It's a real labor intensive job if you want to get rid of 100% of the odors. Most people would settle for the 95% that the ozone machine helps with, but we're not normal are we!!!!???
 
Thanks for the advice. What about this guys...? I was in our Pets Mart the other day and just out of the corner of my eye I saw a shampoo/carpet cleaner called ??? something like odor eliminator. I read the description on the back and I was surprised at the odors it guaranteed to eliminate, including smoke odors. It was expensive, like $20 for an 18 oz. bottle.

What is the cost to rent an ozone machine?
 
I'm not sure where (here or Autopia), but I've read that the ozone machine shouldn't be left in car for more than 20 to 30 minutes, because the ozone is pretty harsh on rubber and plastics.
And yeah, in numerous threads people were happy with this machine, especially if they had problems with smoke smell, spilled milk etc.Guess it can be rented (I think someone mentioned a price about 25 $/hour).
 
You can buy aerosol can deodorizers I think that Dwayne has them for smoke smell in cars. They are a fogger that will help to cut the smoke smell. The smoke smell is also in the ash which is every where in the car. From what I have read about this a complete cleaning of the car under the seat, dash and all is needed. Also cleaning the vents I run Lysol threw the intake vents to kill any smell that is in it.
Headliner another biggie, use a APC with a white cotton towel to rub gently to remove what smoke is on it. I did a search on PAC quickly and did not see it this link will show you what I'm talking about. You might start by calling Dwayne and see if he has anything or other sponsors have them or something like them

I did a car for a customer about 2 years ago that was much like yours. I got mine from a local detail supplier can't remember what brand and it worked like a charm. I would say that it took about 95% of the smell out not all but 100% better than it was the customer was happy!

http://www.autodetailingsolutions.com/Deodorizer.htm
 
It looks like I will definately need to do more than shampoo the carpets from what you guys are saying. Unfortunately, this guy wants it done Sunday so I don't really have time to order anything, and I'm not sure what can be found in local stores. I have no idea where to rent an ozone generator and I'm not really sure if that is something I want to deal with anyway, I don't have a lot of time this weekend to get ready. When this guy calls me on Saturday I think I will just tell him up front that I'm not equipped to remove the smoke smell 100%, and see if he's still interested. I would rather lose the detail than have an unhappy customer. I thought I was all done detailing for the summer anyway, this guy just happened to get a flier from somewhere I dropped them off months ago and give me a call on my cellphone. I'm not even in Rochester anymore, I'm going to school in Syracuse, but I happened to be coming home this weekend so I figured "Why not?" I am a poor college student now, after all. We'll see if he still wants it done, maybe minus the shampoo or something. Thanks for the advice guys.
 
Your right pass the job if you can't do what he thinks he wants. Lysol in the intake vents will owrk wonders on getting some of the smell out. This is an 03 so the car can't be really bad jsut remeber the cleaning part is the key and I mean everything
 
Don't forget the seats. I cleaned my grandfather's car after he passed, and he was a heavy smoker. My dad CAN'T STAND cigarette smoke and after I was done, even he didn't mind driving the car. I used an APC for the carpets, and TUFF STUFF foam cleaner (available at just about any store) and my wet/dry vac to get rid of the smell. Like the others mentioned, you have to clean EVERY surface.

For the headliner, I sprayed the foam on a LIGHTLY damp cloth, then lightly rubbed the headliner, moving quickly so the headliner didn't get a chance to soak up a lot of liquid and droop.
 
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