Any tricks to get the smoke smell out of A/C in car?

[Zenfrogs]

I never smoked a lot in my car but would cheat on long trips and such... anyway, I turned on the A/C for the first time and it smelled AWFUL! Stale smoke, ugh... anyone know if there is a way to fix that?

I didn't know if this was the right place to post this...sorry if it isn't..

 

[darkseerx]

Change its air filter, especially if you haven't in a while.

 

[firedup]

I went to the auto store and bought this stuff called Ozium (sp), its potent stuff! I sprayed it in my vents and cranked the air to high and it worked pretty well. If your car has an air recirculation setting so much the better.

Good luck

 

[alter.ego]

and while your in there, pop in a dryer sheet or 2...
and just to clarify, your car's manual shoud have it labeled as the cabin aiir filter. NOT the engine air filter.

 

[Zenfrogs]

I went to the auto store and bought this stuff called Ozium (sp), its potent stuff! I sprayed it in my vents and cranked the air to high and it worked pretty well. If your car has an air recirculation setting so much the better.


a quick and easy until I can get the filter changed!

Good luck

and while your in there, pop in a dryer sheet or 2...
and just to clarify, your car's manual shoud have it labeled as the cabin aiir filter. NOT the engine air filter.

nice.. I wouldn't have thought of the that! thanks!

 

[Lightgeoduck]

after/before changing the filter... open a box of baking soda and set it on the floor of your car (make sure it is stable or secure) ..its a slow process but BSoda absorbs odors ... you might
have to change the box in a couple of weeks

Edit: dryer sheet idea is great as well I do that in the house too

 

[Kuya Dave]

after/before changing the filter..

Shouldn't That Before & After? LOL
OOpsie that was lightgeoduck.
Why did it come up brattoduck?

Also Check All ducts & Where the filters are you may have build up of nicotine.
Annoying smell is vinegar to do some cleaning... & It can help out a bit for scrubbing.

PS Every car does not have Recycling air.. But it does linger in the system.

 

[antisocialbutterfly]

Definitely change the filters and try baking soda- that should make a world of difference! Ozium should help, but leaves a lingering... lemony type scent. Better than smoke, though!

If all else fails, professional auto detailers can utilize an ozone generator; IIRC, there is a retail product that mimics this process. Do a web search for 'auto detail ozone' or the ilk.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

[mode72]

I used a deodorizer called atmosklear, and it worked great.

 

[Laz777]

Believe it or not Fabreeze works well. Same goes for baking soda or vinegar. You can pick up a sack of odor-absorbent volcanic-like rocks at home depot for a couple of bucks. It's supposed to work along the same lines as activated carbon (charcoal). Other then that I would keep your windows rolled down when you aren't driving. There's nothing like fresh spring air to clear away bad smells.

 

[Col. Gaunt]

I agree, before you spend the cash on a new filter try fabreeze or a strong deodorizing spray in each of your vents several times, then turn on the heat for a while.

I hope that this helps you.

 

[alter.ego]

well, after deoderizing the caar, the cabin air filter will also need a change, should be done every 30k miles anyway iirc. but if it was a smoking car, it will most likely be saturated with smoke particles that will make the air system smell untill it is changed.

 

[doots]

car dealers use ozone.
and time.
leave windows down..

 

[smokie]

I never smoked a lot in my car but would cheat on long trips and such... anyway, I turned on the A/C for the first time and it smelled AWFUL! Stale smoke, ugh... anyone know if there is a way to fix that?

I didn't know if this was the right place to post this...sorry if it isn't..

USE white vinegar, used it in my clothes washer to get rid of the smell, works great. Shampoo your cars carpet with added vinegar.

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Electronic Cigarettes and eliquid / Totally Wicked eliquid / electronic cigarette eliquid nicotine fluid products

 

[El Dee]

You gotta change the cabin air filter to rid yourself of the smell. Other tricks and products mentioned will help but a filter change is required..

 

[Ciara]

I'm also dreading turning on the AC in my car and know it's gonna stink 8-o I went online to find out how to change the cabin filter and apparently there is no cabin filter on a '96 Toyota. Should I just saturate everything with vinegar and Febreze, even into the vents? I sure do want to get rid of that stink.

 

[Laz777]

I'd go with baking soda or some other odor absorbing product along with the Fabreeze. While staying at an expensive hotel Fabreeze was a lifesaver. Without it I would have been charged $250.00 for smoking in my suite. Luckily it masked the smell nicely and no one was the wiser.

 

[KellyB]

I have the same problem, and unfortunately I live with it. I'm the one who made the car smelly in the first place. Be that as it may, if it bothered me as much as it obviously is bothering you, I would suggest using every cure the others have offered simultaneously plus one more. Get a bag of charcoal briquettes. Open the bag and keep it in the back seat. You will be amazed at what odors charcoal will absorb.

 

[Kuya Dave]

No Definately not.
Do not saturate anything with vinigar...
Its a horrible smell.
I use it to cut the gunk off the windows dash vinyl plastic etc.
Maybe even shampoo it.
If your AC or vent system is blowing nasty smoke odor. might try & let it run & cycle

 

[nicotime]

The only way you will truly (but costly) rid the smell in the a/c heat system is have the evaporator coil and housing cleaned. The smoke and tar sticks to it just like your windows gumming it up and along with dust can start to mold and mildew. For people that still smoke crack a window open when smoking and dont set the controls to recycle cabin air.

What I did once with the interior is clean every thing you can with Lysol, then on a hot day I closed the car up tight and fogged it with a can of Ozium and shut the door. Do it when you dont have to go anywhere that day and let it sit overnight.

Febreeze....maybe....but I cant stand the smell of that either. Look at the bright side...at least your lungs wont need deodorized anymore if your vapin'.