Car smell odour removal

[EviL_EniGmA]

Hey guys. Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere but I am having difficulty finding the answer.
I have recently purchased a 2010 ve Calais and am very happy for the most part. Car runs great and looks great. Fully optioned and has all the bells and whistles. Only one problem. The previous owner was a massive massive major smoker. I’m talking full car load all smoking. Almost as if the windows were up and they were doing compression sessions.
The car is immaculate in terms of being clean. The leather is in phenomenal condition and all the mats and carpet on the floor are near perfect with the exception of 2 burn holes on driver side under the seat.
No matter how much I vacuum or leave the windows open I just can’t get rid of the cigarette smell. When I while the interior glass panels or roof lining the whites always turn from white to a tarry brown colour. It’s disgusting. Apart from cleaning my interior windows regularly what else can I do? Do I need to get the roof lining steam cleaned? I’ve been told it can lead to mould during this time of year given that it needs ample time to dry in appropriate conditions.
Another option was something I’ve never heard of called an ozone emitter machine?

most automotive places suggested odour bombs but explain it will be a temporary fix as it just masks tute smell.
Any recommendations would help.
Thanks heaps guys.
kind regards.

 

[gossie]

It’s a dreadful smell.
A guy walked past me last week and he was absolutely rotten with the cigarettes smell.
Do they they smell.

I can only suggest warm water with a little soap and wipe it all over with a big sponge. Seats , the ceiling, windows.
Just keep doing it as it must eventually go.
Good luck.

 

[Dayvo]

I bought a Bissell spot cleaner from supercheap a couple of years ago . Its ideal for cleaning seats and carpets . Cost about $200, money well spent. Also good for the home too.

 

[Smitty]

clean the seats, headlining, seats ...?
it will still stink!

you need professional help to clean the aircon/HVAC system
otherwise despite what else you do, it will STINK!

All that tar and gum on the HVAC vents, fan and evap
needs professional help to get rid of.

 

[Banjo79]

Ozone machines as far as I'm aware, cause a molecular reaction and if left on long enough "should" eventually reach concentrations to neutralize odours and kill mould permanently and anything else living I'd imagine.
Many years ago, I worked near a huge rock in central Aus (spectacular btw) and walked in on a fast turning blue housekeeper, that was working in a room with one going.
Anyways, it's standard practise in hotels to use them and they work. To note, you need hours of airing, may need multiple applications and ultimately ozone (I think) attacks plastics, metals, lungs anything really. Obviously its a balancing act between how aggressive you'd need to be with one, against how bad the odour. Is there any other way to get into the airvents etc? The other balancing act is how much do pay detailers to nuke it vs buying a machine and doing it over and over until said funk is gone??? Goes without saying, do what either of the above posters said for stains. I'm going to brave my Bissel on the car sometime.

 

[EviL_EniGmA]

I’m going to have a look at this bissel thing you mentioned. As for the other posts I will continue to clean and white down interior windows seats and air vents as best I can. I don’t think it would have gotten into the ac that far would it? If so then I guess it just takes time.
In regards to professional cleaning va buying my own machine I do think it is probably worthy the investment as the cleaners may not be able to get rid of it and then I’m stuck with a bill I feel I shouldn’t pay. I mean they don’t need to detail or clean anything as it’s spotless. It’s just a smell. I don’t know ughhh I’ll just give it a shot over the next few weeks and park it in the garage with the windows down so it car air and dry properly.
Thanks everyone!

 

[J_D 2.0]

I bought a Bissell spot cleaner from supercheap a couple of years ago . Its ideal for cleaning seats and carpets . Cost about $200, money well spent. Also good for the home too.

This! I bought one of those as well and cleaned the carpets in my cars. Amazing the amount of crap that comes out of them. The water was black.

 

[lmoengnr]

As @Smitty stated, most of the stink will reside in the HVAC system.
Take it to a professional detailer, they can usually fix problems like this.

 

[bb_zetec]

I used a can of spray from Repco to help clean out the HVAC system...it was called Air con KLEEN. I sprayed it inside the intake in the engine bay after removing the air con filter.

Dont know how well it will help but its worth a try. Your HVAC filter is probably one huge cigarette by now too. Its inside the engine bay near the plenum chamber.

 

[Banjo79]

I see that Kennards (and probably others) hire ozone machines. That's what I'd be trying first before cleaning with anything wet (which may push odours further into fabric), or paying someone, unless of course detailers are doing something different to get into the unreachable places. From what I've read, the tubes in the machines need periodic replacent, so if hire shops can't tell you when they were last replaced, they probably haven't been and results may be sub standard. Hotels don't call in cleaners/detailers for smokey rooms , they just hit them with one or two applications of ozone and its back to fresh as a daisy. Anyways elbow grease and some toxic gas will most likely have your vehicle back to fresh.