Removing Cigarette Odor from Your Car

If your car is filled with the smell of tobacco, you're probably interested in finding an effective method of removing cigarette odor. Fortunately, ridding your car of this type of pungent odor is much easier than you may think. With the aid of a little baking soda and a vacuum cleaner, you can have your car smelling fresh and clean in no time.

Step 1 - Give Your Car a Good Airing-Out

The first step in removing cigarette odor from your vehicle is to air the car out. Therefore, before proceeding to the other steps, make sure to open the windows, doors and even the trunk. Additionally, you should take this opportunity to remove any floor mats or seat covers from the vehicle and place them somewhere where they can air out. If the cigarette odor in your vehicle isn't particularly persistent, this step alone can sometimes do a sufficient job of removing it.

Step 2 - Apply the Baking Soda

If airing out your vehicle failed to successfully remove the stench of cigarettes, you'll now need to incorporate the aid of baking soda. Begin this step by sprinkling baking soda over the car's seats and carpeting. When performing this step, make sure you avoid the radio, dashboard and other important instruments, as the baking soda can cause problems if it manages to find its way into those areas. Additionally, you'll need to apply some baking soda to any floor mats or seat covers you removed from the car while carrying out the first step. Once the baking soda has been applied, allow it to sit for 20 minutes to half an hour.

After the baking soda has been given ample time to sit, use a vacuum cleaner to remove it from your vehicle, as well as your floor mats or seat covers. Once the baking soda has been completely vacuumed up, you'll be ready to move on to the final step in removing cigarette odor from your car.

Step 3 - Apply the Vinegar

Having completed the preparatory steps, you're ready to finish removing cigarette odor from your car. You will now need to place a small bowl of vinegar on the floor of the vehicle or on top of one of the seats, after which the bowl must be allowed to sit overnight. Additionally, make a point of closing the vehicle's doors and windows. If you let the the bowl sit long enough, the pungent aroma left by cigarettes should be absorbed by the vinegar.

If the odor removal process proves successful, you'll need to once again open all of your vehicle's doors and windows and give any lingering vinegar smells sufficient time to air out. The next time you need to remove cigarette odor from your car, just remember these three easy-to-follow steps, and you can make your car smell great in a simple and timely fashion.