Hi,
I hope you find this an interesting question. I recently purchased a great used car (’11 Hyundai Genesis 4.6) however it was previously owned by a smoker. I’m an engineer and love to try to solve problems so I’ve been attempting to rid the car of the offensive cigarette smell. I fabricated some activated charcoal “sachets” and placed under the seats while also placing some of the charcoal between the ribs of a new cabin air filter. I also placed small bowls of fresh ground coffee under the seats but the smell doesn’t seem to be diminishing. From a chemical perspective do you think there is a sort of “mass balance” such that little by little the chemical ppm making the smell is reducing and at some point will no longer be detectable? When I leave the car I can smell it on my clothes and even hair so I’m taking some of it “with me”! This surely isn’t some infinite source of evil chemistry is it? Or worst case is the detectable smell ppm small enough in relation to the source’s total “mass” that I’m doomed to its evil clutches forever?

Thanks in advance,
Roger

Rent an ozone generator (they are very pricey items to buy outright), put it inside the car and close up all the windows... for at least a few hours... if it still smells after airing out after that.. repeat overnight. Anything else is wasting time.

The problem with cigarette smoke in a car is that the smoke will go to anything porous...think about this...the seats, the carpet, the floor mats, the headliner, the foam inside the seats....The only way to really remove it (and it's not likely that you will be able to get it all completely out) is to completely detail the interior. This will include deep cleaning the seats, headliner, floor mats, and carpeting with a steam cleaner with a chemical cleaning agent in it. All plastic and vinyl pieces will need to be wiped down. The cabin filter will need to be replaced.

I have heard of a cleaner that works sort of like a bug bomb. You open it up and leave it in the car for a day and it kind of fumigates the inside of the car. I have been told it is very strong and you may need to leave the windows open for a few days after using it. I have never tried it but I know of a detailer near me that uses this. It actually sounds like an odor masker rather than something that actually gets rid of the smell.