TopShine Mobile Detailing can help you eliminate or reduce the smoke odor in your vehicle. For more information, visit our smoke odor removal page or contact us at 210-500-1762 by call or text.
Can you completely remove smoke odor from a vehicle?
When dealing with smoke odor in a car, I consider the following: How long was it smoked in? How much was it smoked in? How severe is the smoke odor?
The extent to which we can remove the odor depends on the severity of the condition. In heavily smoked-in cars, 100% removal may not be achievable because nicotine and tobacco can deeply penetrate materials like the headliner, seats, floor mats, and carpeting.
Replacing materials like the headliner may be necessary if you aim for 100% smoke odor removal. However, we have successfully reduced the odor in heavily smoked-in vehicles to a much more manageable level.
How do you eliminate smoke odor from the interior?
We start by thoroughly cleaning the interior, similar to our Full Interior Cleaning process but more focused on smoke. Even if the interior looks clean, we vacuum the entire interior and all fabric surfaces, including the headliner.
We then pre-spray the fabric materials with a robust and safe carpet cleaner, agitate the surfaces, and shampoo them using our hot water extractor. This process alone can take about 4 hours as we ensure every inch is cleaned.
After the fabric is treated, we move on to the leather, plastic, and rubber surfaces, using a tobacco-specific cleaner on every surface. Lastly, depending on the condition, we’ll use a thermal fogger and/or Ozone machine treatment to eliminate or reduce the odor. This step may be performed multiple times.
Is an Ozone machine part of your odor removal process?
Yes! Based on the situation, we may use a thermal fogger, an Ozone machine, or a combination of both to reduce odors. Our powerful Ozone machine neutralizes severe odors at the source much more effectively than the $14 odor bombs from auto parts stores.
My car was detailed recently, but the smoke odor is still there. Can you assist?
If the smoke smell lingers after cleaning, it indicates that tobacco and nicotine residue remains in the interior. We’ll need to begin our deep interior cleaning process to address it.
Should I replace my cabin air filter?
Yes, changing your cabin air filter is strongly recommended because it may contain smoke odor. Even with an odor-free interior, turning on the AC with a dirty cabin air filter will push that smoke smell right back into your car.
How long will the process take?
The entire process can take up to 2 days, depending on the condition and severity of the smoke odor. We follow a thorough process to ensure the best results. The Ozone machine treatment alone can take up to 3-5 hours. If you choose to have exterior work done, like a wash and wax, it can extend the total time to 3 days.
Do you come to me?
While we do provide mobile services to cities like, San Antonio, Schertz, Cibolo, Alamo Heights, New braunfels, Stone Oak and more, this service requires that you drop off the vehicle with us.
Can I eliminate odors with just an odor bomb and airing out?
You must remove or eliminate the source to eliminate interior odors, including smoke. If nicotine and tobacco remain in the interior, an odor bomb and airing out won’t completely resolve the issue. For very minor cases, it might be sufficient.