Help my "new" Seats out of a "smokers" Firebird STINK like cigarette smoke.

I would appreciate suggestion on how to get the stink out of the seats before I bolt them into the RS. Other can vacuuming them real good, I'm not sure how to clean them/get the smoke smell out of the cloth.

Thank you in advance.

 

I've heard that a product called Febreze is quite good. I have a friend who sells used cars, and he uses it regularly.

Auto: Specially designed for use on the fabric surfaces of your car interiors

JamesC

 

Find a carpet cleaner or fire restoration company that has an Ozone machine. Will eliminate smoke smell every time.

 

good luck, i bought a truck off a smoker and even after having it cleaned i sometimes still get strong wiffs of it from time to time......

 

i agree with the last post.... GOOD LUCK! i didn't end up getting used seats off ebay because there is just no way to tell for sure if they smoked or not....

about 10 years ago i inherited my father's 1992 lumina euro 3.4 because he fell and became disabled with emphzima due to his heavy smoking... the car became my winter rat and i spent one day a month (in good weather) for the next 5-6 years i had the car cleaning it and spraying EVERYTHING down with many products but the smell made it's way back every time. the only way to really get rid of the smell is to replace everything from the carpet to the headliner and inbetween (even the ac/heater ducting)

 

friend of mine (also owns a used car business)has an enzyme eater another version of the ozone machine. it works great everytime. that is the cause of the smell is th emicroscopic enzymes left behind this kills the enzymes instead of trying to cover it up. not cheap though.

 

exactly what was said above ^

You can spray all you want overtop of it...but there is still DIRT on the seats...years of smoke just has fallen into the cloth. I cleaned a grey carpeted center console from a camaro that had been smoked in its whole life and id scrub it and scrub it and you just watch the yellow dirt/mud color water come out...I was constantly spraying it with a hose...it was nasty.

I have a steam cleaner at my work and ive had great success with that and about 3 different cleaners i use with the hot water.

 

here is what I use when redoing apartments it kills smoke and pet smell, quite pricy, but it works.
here is the link
https://www.zeroodorstore.com/
I also believe in steem cleaning as that is what sems to work on the antique furanture that has 120 year old fabric on it

later and
GB

rick

 

hmm, good ideas here. I think if you can remove the seat covers (hog rings, good luck), and hose 'em off, throw 'em in the wash, etc, that might help.

I've never had a REALLY bad case, but the few smokers cars i've worked on, i've been able to get perfect with this:

-remove seats, put them out in the sun. (you're in carolina, you still get that now right?)
-spray all upholstery with febreze, I don't like the auto version, it's got the new car smell in it. I like the original, or unscented I think.
-mix some simple green with water, I think 10:1. Put it in a spray bottle, spray and scrub with a nylon bristle brush. Tire brushes work ok for this, if the bristles are stiff enough. Spray, scrub, vacuum with a wet shopvac. Repeat. Again and again and again. The simple green has a clean sort of "stink" to it.
-Then soak it with febreeze and let it sit in the outside air, catching fresh air, nice breeze that sorta thing. Go back and spray it with more febreeze (from every angle! underside too!)
Spend a day doing this, and leave 'em outside for another day or so, they should smell a little funny, but not like smoke. After a week of use they'll just smell normal.

 

I noticed yesterday afternoon that Motor Trend Magazine recommends Febreze--not that that in itself is the untimate recommendation.

JamesC

 

I appreciate the tips and suggestions. I'll start on this tonight and post up the results later. Thanks again.

 

Here's my suggestion. Take up smoking. Then you will have a more uniform smell in your car, not just the seats. You'll get used to it.

 

About 10 years ago I got a 1994 S10 from my brother who smoked. I ended up pulling the upholstery off the seats and actually washed them.

I also power washed the foam padding and let it dry completely.

I hung them on a clothesline and after they dried I reinstalled them to the seat with new hog rings.

They actually looked brand new when I was done with them and no cigarette smell.

May take a little extra effort to do this, but it will work

 

find a dealership near you that offers "mist" service, its an ozone fogger that kills interior odors, usually works on the first time, but sometimes requires two shots

 

Someone told me that oxidation from those ozone machines will yellow plastics and make them brittle.

 

this real the only way, leave your doors open and your seats and stuff outside for a couple of days.....spray everything




or use massive amoounts of pine air fresheners.....

nasty pine smell will make you forget the smokey smell

 

This might sound a little crazy, and I've never personally tried it but... I've heard that if you pour some white vinegar into a bowl and leave it near *whatever smells*, seats in this case... it will remove oders. I would say put the seats in a small room (bathroom maybe) and leave the bowl of open vinegar in there overnight.... see if it helps.

Again.. i haven't tried this myself, but I've heard it works...

 

am i the only one to see that this is an OLD post

 

I know Vinegar, and water is good for getting the 'tar' off of a windshield from a smoker... But when I had to clean my seats I brought it to my coin wash.. They have these awesome heated foam cleaning brushes for interiors.. Works great.