OT: Getting smoke smell out of a car...

weblow

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2008
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Couple of options, one will work with 100% certainty.

1. Find somewhere to rent on Ozone Machine. These are machines used by hotels to get the smoke smell or any smell out of a room. Cleaners also use these machines to get the smoke smell out of clothes and curtains that have been in a house fire. CAUTION-you cannot be in an enclosed area where an Ozone Machine is running. Also, do not have anything wet or any moisture in the carpets or seats. An Ozone machine will turn a water molecule into hydrogen peroxide (bleach) and ruin your fabrics if they are wet. If you cannot rent one you may want to talk with a local hotel owner or dry cleaner and see if you can work out a deal. Run it for 24 to 48 hours and the smoke smell will be completely gone

2. Buy a big bag of real lump charcoal. Lay the bag flat in the back seat and filet the bag open. Don't let it spill but make sure the charcoal is exposed to the air in the car. Get a box fan and put it in the front seat. Don't point it toward the backseat because you don't want to shoot charcoal dust all over your car. Just make sure it is running and moving air around the car. Make sure all of the windows are rolled up and let the fan blow for a day or two. The charcoal will pull the smell out of the car. This trick is used by people that work on RV's to fix food that has rotted in the fridge. Many people will drop off RV's and forget that they have food in the fridge. It will sit out in the sun and smell worse than anything you can imagine. Maggots, bacteria growing. Even pulling the fridge out and bleaching it will not remove the smell. Stick a bag of charcoal in there and and run a fan and 24 hours later the fridge smell brand new.

That is all I got. Try the charcoal trick first but don't go buy those cheap *** brickets, get you a bag of lump charcoal. When you are done with the charcoal and the car is smoke free, crack a beer and grill you a steak with it.
 

NorCalDawg

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Oct 8, 2010
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I've heard you can do the same thing with coffee grinds that you described with the charcoal. I've never tried it, but old timers swear by it.
 

xxxWalkTheDawg

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Oct 21, 2005
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On top of the charcoal trick, look online to find activated carbon. Activated carbon will take the stank out of a decaying elephant if you use enough if it.
 

prairiedawg

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Aug 1, 2012
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The ozone treatment works. I have an air cleaner I bought from Sharper Image that emits ozone and I have used it to remove smoke smell. Was surprised because I thought it was gimmacky but it worked.
 

drail14me

Redshirt
Jul 20, 2008
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Think these tricks will work for the smell of rat urine?

Had a car stored in a barn for a while and the rats got it. I've pulled the interior and washed it inside and out. Smell is still there!
 

weblow

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Mar 3, 2008
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Think these tricks will work for the smell of rat urine?

Had a car stored in a barn for a while and the rats got it. I've pulled the interior and washed it inside and out. Smell is still there!
The Ozone machine will take any smell out as long as all of the urine is cleaned up. You cannot have urine still sitting there and it change the smell.

As for the guy that mentioned activate carbon, that is what charcoal is.
 

weblow

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2008
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Yes but basic charcoal isn't processed like activated carbon. lump charcoal doesn't have near the surface area as activated carbon (activated charcoal)

Yes but the point is that one large bag of charcoal is overkill for what is needed in a car or SUV. Plus you can cook a steak with it when you are done.
 

Faustdog

All-Conference
Jun 4, 2007
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Thanks for all of the tips. I'm going to try to find an ozone generator to rent. Also going to change that cabin air filter. If I can't find the ozone generator for a decent price I'm going the charcoal route.