thjakits

Hi all,

for the non-smokers amongst you:

How do you or did you clean up a "smoker" car?

Even if the PO did not smoke much in the car, for a non-smoker the smell is there the same.

Any ideas, suggestions, experience how to clean up a SMOKER?


Thanx,

thjakits

ps: I also posted this on LS400, but I hope to catch the experience of all Lexus owners here .....

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

I had a smoker's car for a detail a while back. Black stains on the tan headliner near the back of the front window where the smoke would get pulled out the window via driving down the road..... I can post pics later if you want to see.

I let the car air out over night. I used P21s diluted 50/50 to lightly spritz the headliner and carpet. The pulled the rear seat out, shampooed the carpets and floor mats, the seats were leather so I cleaned them with the Leatherique Duo, and when the owner got the car back he was blown away. Once I showed him the pics of the difference with the headliner, he swore he was going to quit smoking... and he actually did eventually.

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

^^Nice one Chris!

rocsrx350

to rid the smell, I'm telling you nothing is better than yankee candle leather air freshener

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

If you're trying to cover it up, that might work. To actually rid the car of the smell, you must remove the contaminants from it or it will eventually return. Chris gave some good tips.

You can also use Acrysol (or 3M PrepSol) to clean the headliner and carpet. Use these sparingly, and very carefully, as they have a high xylene content. In other words, they must be used outside, windows open, but I have found that they make very quick work of smells like smoke (from cigarettes, and ahem, other stuff that people have done in their cars).

Headliners and carpet tend to "trap" more smells than leather, but cleaning the seats is definitely a good idea. No argument on the Leatherique idea, unless you wanted to step up to Hide Food.

Big Mack

Greg@DI

Smoke clings to virtually everything so a thorough cleaning will be needed. No air freshener is going to solve the probably they just mask it. I would use the 303 Cleaner & Spot Remover to clean the console, dashboard, trim, vents, trim, etc. For the seats the Leatherique Prestine Clean and Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil are excellent for natural and synthetic leathers. The deep cleaning formula will help release deeply embedded contaminants and odors. Don't forget about the glass, use a quality glass care product (Chemical Guys Window Clean) and clean microfiber towels to remove any build ups. The worst source of the order is probably going to be fabrics (carpets, mats, headliners, etc.) I would recommend the Chemical Guys Extreme Offensive Odor Eliminator - Concentrated. Just mist it on the carpets and brush or wipe it in as need be. It kills bacteria and anything causing a foul order. It also comes with a pleasant aroma to help the car smell better which fades in a couple of days.

Let me know if you have any questions or if you need additional recommendations.

Greg @ DI