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Interior deodorizing

Sawmill

Old and tired
My wife is looking at a 2005, everything is good except the cigarette ashtray reek.
Any products out there that live up to their claims for removing lingering odors?
 

broncojunkie

Well-Known Member
Just the ash tray? Is it removable metal like the older cars? If so, pull that thing out, clean it up and paint it. If this isn't possible, some vinegar should do the trick (will smell like vinegar for a few days, but it will go away.) You can also try some good scent-killer spray like hunters use. I like "scent killer gold". I got gasoline all over my hands a few years ago and just for fun, I sprayed my hands down with that stuff. After about 10 minutes, I walked inside and had the wife smell my hands and she couldn't smell anything. I was pretty amazed.
 

Redtwilight

Shinigami
You'd probably would want to start by doing a deep cleaning to all surfaces, especially the fabric ones such as carpet and seats and headliner. These will probably be the culprits trapping most of the smell. Cleaning will help eliminate and prevent the odor from returning in the future.
Then you could spray a product like Febreeze or something on those surfaces.
After that a car scent of your choice. Don't forget the HVAC vents and you might want to change the cabin filter also.



I'm partial to the Chemical Guys line of cleaning products and their interior car scents. Some of them even act like Febreeze and help eliminate the offensive odors while leaving behind a pleasant scent.
This pic shows the rear seat back in my '93 that I cleaned using the Chemical Guys interior cleaner.
The right side is the cleaned side. The left is the uncleaned.

 

Sawmill

Old and tired
Right now she's just shopping. She's homeschooled our two all the way through; I'm getting her a mustang for HER graduation.
The inside of the car smells like an ashtray. She's on her way down 29 to see a light blue convertible next. I'm tactfully trying to keep things under 8000!
 

broncojunkie

Well-Known Member
Personally, I'd just walk away from one that smelled like an ashtray. Plenty of nice cars out there that have been taken better care of! But I agree with Redtwilight...it would need a deep cleaning. The smoke gets embedded in everything...including the headliner.
 

Sawmill

Old and tired
I believe she will pass on the cig mobile. Beautiful car though; very unusual olive metalic.
Drove mine to town to get a hydraulic hose made, and there goes another mouse running around the floor. Put two packets of Fresh Cab under the back seat. Hope that works.
I'm kinda used to mice in the old rattletrap farm trucks, long as it isn't attracting snakes, but I'm really getting tired of them in the car
 
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