How To Get the Cigarette Smell Out of Your Car

The smell of cigarettes sticks to everything. If someone’s smoked regularly in your vehicle in the past, chances are that you’ll smell the stink whenever you open the vehicle door. Whether you’re a regular smoker or the new owner of a smoker’s car, it’s probably in your best interest to give your vehicle’s interiors a good clean. Today we’re going over how you can get rid of the cigarette smell in your car.

How To Remove the Cigarette Smell from Your Car

Removing the cigarette smell from your vehicle likely means rigorous cleaning. If the smell isn’t too bad, you might get away with a general cleaning. However, if the smell is particularly strong, you’ll likely need to go do a full deep clean.

General Cleaning

While a general cleaning is quicker than a full deep clean, it’ll still require some time and effort. Follow these steps for a general cleaning:

Step One: Remove All The Cigarette Ash

First, remove all the cigarette ash you can by emptying the ashtray and bringing out your vehicle’s floor mats and seat covers. Depending on where the ash tray is in the vehicle and if you used it, you might also need to disassemble the center console to remove all the ash, or it will continue to smell. Use a multi-surface disinfectant on the ashtray to get rid of as much of the thirdhand smoke as you can. As for the floor mats and seat covers, after vacuuming them thoroughly, try washing them. If the smell still sticks afterwards, it’s likely best to replace them.

Step Two: Vacuum Thoroughly

Upholstery and other soft surfaces like your vehicle’s built-in carpet and ceiling are susceptible to absorbing smoke. Use a vacuum to suck up ash and smoke particles from these areas.

Be thorough. Get into the nooks and crannies where the cigarette particles tend to build up. Use a hand attachment for places that are harder to reach, like the area between the seats and the backrest. You are also going to need to shampoo the carpet. It may take several washes.

Step Three: Clean Even Hard Surfaces

Cigarette smoke can cling to hard surfaces like your windows and mirrors. Try spraying them down with a solution made from a fourth of a cup of vinegar with half a teaspoon of dish soap and two cups of water. Afterwards, wipe them down with a microfiber cloth. Use a plastic cleaner for the plastic interiors as well.

Step Four: Recirculate New Air

After you’re done cleaning, spray an odor eliminator into your vehicle’s cabin. Be sure to hit the areas you vacuumed, including the seats, ceiling, and the built-in carpet. Open your doors and turn your vents to the recirculate setting. Let the air recirculate through your vehicle’s system for an hour or more.

Another good idea is to get an a/c vent deodorizer to spray into the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) vent. This vent brings in the outside air to the inside. While the a/c is on full blast, spray the can in the vent as it brings new air into the vehicle. Use the whole can. This takes the spray through your HVAC system.

Another good idea to get the cigarette smell out of your car is to get an A/C vent deodorizer. While the A/C is on full blast, spray the whole can in the vent that brings fresh air into the cabin so it can take the deodorizer through the whole HVAC system.

–Anthony Harlin, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician

Finish by returning your vehicle’s ashtray, car mats, and seat covers. You can even add an air freshener once you’re sure the smoke smell is completely gone.

Deep Cleaning

When a general cleaning isn’t cutting it, it’s time to deep clean your vehicle to get rid of the cigarette smell for good.

Step One: Spread Baking Soda Around

Thanks to its odor-trapping qualities, baking powder is an excellent tool for getting rid of the smoky smell. Sprinkle it on your seats, built-in carpet, and ceiling. Let it sit for at least 36 hours before vacuuming it all up.

Step Two: Replace Your Air Filter

The cabin air filter can trap a lot of different smells, cigarette smoke included. The smells will be worse the longer it’s been since the last time the filter was replaced. Locate and replace the air filter according to your vehicle’s maintenance manual.

Step Three: Spray Deodorizer Into Your HVAC System

Your vehicle’s HVAC system circulates air throughout the system, meaning any smoke and cigarette particles trapped in there will naturally affect the rest of the air if it gets stuck in just the wrong place. Locate your vehicle’s HVAC intake by checking your vehicle’s repair manual, then turn your ignition on and set the system to recirculate the air. Set your fans to their maximum setting and lower the temperature as far as it’ll go.

Spray deodorizer into the HVAC intake and turn the ignition off. You can do this using an extension tube inserted into the vents. Lower your windows and let your vehicle sit until the deodorizer settles.

Other Methods for Removing Cigarette Smells

There are a few other ways you can try to remove the cigarette smells from your vehicle. These include the following:

• Allowing your vehicle to air out on a clear and breezy day
• Leaving some coffee grounds or citrus peels in the vehicle to deodorize the interior
• Wiping down your vehicle’s interior with dryer sheets
• Leaving boiled cinnamon sticks to cool in your vehicle’s cabin

How To Remove Smoke Smells From Leather and Trim

Removing the cigarette smoke smell from the leather parts of your vehicle’s interior can be particularly tricky. For this instance, try using a solution made of equal parts white vinegar and water on a cloth. Don’t saturate the leather with the mixture, but do rub it into the material. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, you can replace it in the formula with rubbing alcohol.

Alternatively, there are specially formulated leather cleaning solutions that you can use. Similarly, there are also cleaning solutions made for specific trims. Because smoke can seep deep into the different materials, it might take a few rounds of cleaning with these solutions for you to get rid of the cigarette smell in your car entirely.

How To Avoid Leaving Smells in Your Car if You Smoke

Unfortunately, if you smoke, there’s no way to completely avoid leaving a cigarette smell in your vehicle. Even if you smoke only outside the vehicle, thirdhand smoke can stick to your hands, skin, clothes, and hair and transfer to your vehicle when you sit down or touch the steering wheel. To minimize the cigarette smoke though, you can try setting your HVAC system to pull air from the outside instead of recirculating the smoky cabin air. 

You can also keep your windows open or cracked open while smoking, holding your cigarette near the window so the smoke flows out. However, this won’t eliminate the odor. Smoking in your vehicle will always lead to the cigarette smell building up over time.

In the end, getting the cigarette smoke smell out of your vehicle can be a pain, but it’s well worth it. Driving around in an odor-free car will be much more pleasant for you and your passengers.

Replace Your Cabin Air Filter to Remove the Cigarette Smell

An old and malfunctioning cabin air filter can cause cigarette smells to linger. This isn’t just annoying, but it can also cause health risks to you and your passengers. Replacing your cabin air filter is a way to prevent the risks associated with third-hand smoke. Need a new cabin air filter for your vehicle? CarParts.com has you covered.

CarParts,.com has a wide selection of cabin air filters to choose from. Just use our vehicle selector and search filters to find parts that fit your car, SUV, or truck. You can even choose to specify the brand, price, and specs you need. We source our replacement parts from the most trusted manufacturers in the industry, so they’re going to work as intended. On top of that, our warehouses are strategically located all over the US. This means you can receive your order within two business days.

Don’t hold off on replacing an old cabin air filter. Browse our catalog and order new parts now at CarParts.com.