Ready to get rid of smoke smell in your car for good? In this article, we’ll cover how to get smoke smell out of your car, including how to remove cigarette smell from cars.  

Cigarette smoke and cigar smoke can stick to interior car surfaces, leaving an unpleasant, strong smell. So what’s the best method to get smoke smell out of a car? OdoBan eliminates odors at the source, and can help you get rid of smoke smell once and for all! 

To get started, here’s what you’ll need:

• OdoBan Disinfectant and Odor Eliminator Multi-Purpose Concentrate 
• Measuring cup (not for food use) 
• Clean, plastic spray bottle (for spots and small areas) 
• Microfiber cloths 
• Paper towels 
• Handheld vacuum or shop vacuum 

After mixing OdoBan in a spray bottle, always label your OdoBan solution (for example, “car odor eliminator spray”). You can find free printable secondary labels on our website. 

A few quick safety reminders: 

• Never mix OdoBan with any cleaning products or chemicals. 
• Always use OdoBan as directed on the label. 
• Don’t measure OdoBan with measuring cups used for food and drink. 
• Allow treated surfaces to dry before using the car. 

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How to Get Cigarette Smell Out of Car Interiors

Though it can be challenging to get rid of smoke smell in cars, it can be done! Getting cigarette smell out of cars is a three-step process, including: 

1. Replace and treat cabin air filter 

2. Initial car interior cleaning 

3. Car deodorizing treatment 

Before getting started, you’ll first need to mix OdoBan concentrate to make an automotive smoke odor eliminating spray use-solution. Alternatively, you can use an OdoBan Ready-to-Use Spray. These sprays are already mixed and ready for use. 

To make an OdoBan car smoke smell remover spray use-solution, mix 22 ounces of OdoBan concentrate per gallon of water. 

For a standard 32-ounce spray bottle, mix 5 ½ ounces of OdoBan concentrate with water. 

How to Make a Car Smoke Smell Remover Spray Solution with OdoBan Concentrate

1. Measure 5.5 oz of OdoBan concentrate in a measuring cup, not used for food and drink. 

2. Carefully pour the measured OdoBan concentrate into a clean, plastic 32-ounce spray bottle. 

3. Fill the remainder of the spray bottle with plain tap water. 

4. Seal the spray bottle tightly. 

5. Label the spray bottle. 

Note: Before using OdoBan, or any cleaning product, on any upholstery, carpet, or fabric, always test a small, inconspicuous area for colorfastness. For leather seats, we recommend using a specialty product formulated for leather.  

Step 1: How to Replace and Treat Cabin Air Filter with OdoBan

A cabin air filter is used in most cars to constantly filter air in the car’s interior. For cars with smoke smell, these filters are likely saturated with smoke residue. These filters are typically accessible behind the glove box, but refer to your owner’s manual or vehicle repair guide for specifics on your car. 

Here’s how to replace and treat the cabin air filter:

1. Spray new cabin air filter liberally with OdoBan solution. Set aside to dry. 

2. Remove the old, smoke-filled air filter. 

3. After the filter has completely dried, install the new, treated cabin air filter. 

Step 2: How to Clean Car Interior to Remove Smoke Smell

With your new air filter installed, now is a great time to clean the inside of the car. This initial cleaning will help remove dirt and loosen odor-causing particles on car interior surfaces. During this step, we’ll also use OdoBan to clean car interior surfaces.

Here’s how to clean a car with smoke smell: 

1. Using OdoBan solution and a microfiber cloth, clean the hard surfaces in the car. These surfaces include the dash, arm rests, overhead light coverings, doors, and footwell panels. Take care to lift yellowed smoke stains, like on the steering wheel and door panels. 

2. Remove the car floor mats and trunk mats and set aside for cleaning. 

3. With the floor mats removed, thoroughly vacuum the interior surfaces and the floor mats. Be sure to remove any remaining cigarette ash under the seats or in the footwells. 

4. Optional: Carpet extraction treatment. For very dirty or smelly car carpet or car floor mats, you can even use a carpet cleaner or extraction cleaner with OdoBan. Be sure to dry thoroughly.  

5. When dry, place the cleaned car mats back in the vehicle. 

Step 3: How to Deodorize Car Interior to Remove Smoke Smell

After a surface cleaning, the final step for getting smoke smell out of the car is a deodorization treatment with the OdoBan car smoke smell remover spray solution.  

Here’s how to deodorize a car with smoke smell: 

1. Liberally spray cloth seats, headrests, headliner, floors, and other cloth surfaces with the OdoBan spray solution. 

2. Turn on the car and set the AC to recirculate.  

3. Liberally spray OdoBan near the car cabin air intake vents. Cabin air intake vents are typically located in the front footwells or at the base of the windshield.  

4. Exit the vehicle and close the car doors. Allow the AC system to run on recirculate for ten minutes. 

Note: Do not occupy the vehicle during recirculation. Do not breathe the wet mist.

To remove smoke smell from cars, it’s important that OdoBan can reach the source of any lingering smoke odors. Smoke particles firmly attach to soft surfaces, like cloth seats and headliners. Give these areas extra attention during the deodorization treatment, allowing the OdoBan smoke odor eliminator solution to reach the smoke particles and completely remove the odor. 

If trying to get rid of smoke smell in a car that has been smoked in for several years, it may take multiple cleaning and odor treatments before the smoke smell is completely gone.  

Up Next: Here’s how to use OdoBan to remove smoke smell from wood furniture. Learn how to remove smoke odors on wood with OdoBan. 

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