How to Get Rid of Cigarette Odors in Your Car

Here's a good trivia for you: cigarette actually contains three highly poisonous chemicals (arsenic, lead, and hydrogen cyanide), two major air pollutants (nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide), an embalming agent (formaldehyde), and a main explosives and industrial cleanser ingredient (ammonia).

Cigarettes also contain 43 known carcinogens, with urea--a major ingredient in urine--used as a flavoring agent (to mask its danger, perhaps?).

And this doesn't end with humans; it also extends to vehicles. If you smoke and drive, then your car's odor may smell like one, as well. Here are some things you need to know:

Cigarette Odors

One of the hardest odors to get rid of is cigarette smoke. And there are two reasons for this. First, it has very small particles that can easily get inside the nooks and corners of your car. Second, it's harder to clean your car. For instance, when your furniture, curtain, or appliance at home smells bad, then it's easy to just air them out and clean them.

But your car isn't like this. Many of a car's seats are fixed or hard to remove--and so do most of its parts. You can't just easily take out the fabric used to cover the interiors, or the foam inside the car seats. So the odor remains within some areas, making it difficult to clean thoroughly.

Still, there are ways to lessen the smell naturally. You don’t need expensive products here--just cheap, simple items you can buy at a grocery store for P25 to P250.

Vinegar

Vinegar is one of the most useful condiments in the kitchen table. Aside from making a mean vinaigrette to complement your salad, it can also kill germs, kill weeds, get rid of stains, tone your skin, act as a dishwasher detergent, and many others. It's also an effective laundry cleaner and -- surprise, surprise! -- an odor eliminator.

Cigarette smoke (oil)

Sometimes, there are residue oils that can transfer from your cigarette to your leather upholstery. These residues are products of "Third Hand Smoke," where residue from "second-hand smoking" leaves traces on surfaces, like the dashboard, mat, and steering wheel.

You can get rid of it by mixing one part vinegar and two parts baby oil in a spray bottle. Just mix them together and spray them on a damp cloth. Wipe down the leather seats and finishes, and get another damp cloth to wipe the solution on the leather. This will get rid of the oil stains and odor in no time.

Odor in the entire car

It's easy to get rid of odors in your car. Just get a cup and place it in your cup holder. Pour 1/2 a cup of white vinegar in it and leave overnight.

Charcoal

Your charcoal is quite versatile--much more versatile than just a means to cook that perfectly-seared steak. In fact, it can prevent mold, dehumidify your closet, keep metals from your toolbox from oxidizing, and prevent weeds from growing inside your garden.

Another plus: it can remove  odors quite effectively.

Odor in the entire car

Get a bag of charcoal and leave it overnight (or a couple of days if it's really stinky) inside the car. You can also mix it with 1/2 a cup of  baking soda to make it more effective.

Baking Soda

If there's one deserving contender that can give vinegar a run for its money, then that would probably be baking soda. Really. You can use it to bake a cake, whiten your teeth, clean your vegetables, deodorize refrigerators, bring back silver's luster, neutralize an acidic stomach, and of course--get rid of cigarette odors in your car.

If you really can't pinpoint where the odor is really coming from, you can just sprinkle baking soda everywhere--from your mats, to your car seats, dashboard, and even your steering wheel (if it's possible). Leave for a couple of hours and then vacuum your interiors thoroughly.

Are there still lingering odors left? Then try to get a box of baking soda and you're good to go. Open the box, and let it sit inside the car overnight (or even a couple of days). Or you can let it sit there and replace it after a month.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is commonly used as a bleaching agent, antiseptic, and oxidizer. It's also used as a healing agent for diseases like influenza, emphysema, AIDS, and cancer.

Of course, it's also a good car odor buster. Just mix together 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide with 1 part white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle. Spritz it all over the furniture fabric, and and let it dry. This can neutralize light to average cigarette smells.

However, if your car has strong, lingering odors, then it would be better to shampoo the upholstery first and allow it to dry naturally. Then, you can apply the peroxide and vinegar solution afterwards.

Your car's interior lights are a magnet for car smoke--especially cigarette smoke. This is where your Hydrogen Peroxide mix here comes in very handy, since it can dissolve oily grime quite effectively.

Coffee Grounds

We all know what coffee does to us.  And they may not be as effective when it comes to neutralizing car odors, but they do a good job at "masking" car odors.

Coffee grounds are often used by truck drivers to get rid of smells in their trailers, but it's actually more effective as an odor neutralizer--particularly coffee grounds. What you do is leave two open bowls of ground coffee at the back and front areas inside your car. Or another option you can take is to get a pair of socks or old stockings, and place some coffee grounds inside. Leave them for one to two days, and replace when needed.