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old cigarette smell.


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Sprinkle baking soda on your floor (assuming you have carpet) and your seats (assuming they are cloth), let them sit for a day or more if you can. Vacuum off. Might take two or three times but once the baking soda works its way in to the fibers it will get better. 

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I would pull the seats out and go to town with carpet cleaner (chances are that it's in need of a good cleaning anyway, right?).  then hose everything down with fabreeze and let dry.  While you're there, check under your carpet for moisture. :L: 

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The headliner can hold the smell also.  For that I would go with the Fabreze spray.  Just get the surface damp, let it dry, the do again.

Don’t soak the fabric as it could break down the 30 year glue bond cause the headliner to sag.  I would not brush the headliner as that could also break down the old glue bond.

Also, wipe down all the hard parts in the cab with a cleaning solution.  You’ll be surprised how much yellow/brown nicotine will come off.

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I tried a product called Ozium or such.  It was in a 98 Dodge Neon. I was finding little cigarette in back of the dash. Sort of like a bug bomb. Spray it in. Close the doors and go away for at least 15 minutes. You might try it a few times. I think I bought mine at a True Value. The other posts on cleaning will help too.

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My heavy smoking grandfather used to pay me to detail his Blazer. The amount of residue that came off those windows and everything else was ridiculous. As was said, work ALL surfaces with cleaner appropriate to that surface. You might even put the AC heat on recirculate on high and spray stuff through the HVAC ducting as well from under the passenger side dash. I had a customer once complaining of a smell in their AC vents. I pulled the blower motor and found that a huge Locust or giant grasshopper had somehow made it into the blower and was thus ground to a pulp when it got turned on. The whole interior smelled of dead bug smell like you get on the front of a car after its smeared a hundred of them on a summer night. I cleaned out as much as I could and then put it on recirc and sprayed a whole can of Lysol through the system. It helped out a lot, but the smell was still there. I'm sure it got better later after everything dried out good, but still. Just cover all your bases and you will eventually get improvement.

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Fabreze works good,but Ozium works better.You can get it at any auto parts store.I also found out that the tough stuff works great on cloth seats.To clean them,and loose the smell of just about anything.I also have to agree with Keyav8r your headliner,and the carpet will hold the smell.I found that if I use the tough stuff on the carpets,and seats,(don't forget),door panel's have carpet.Then spray seats,headliner even the visor's with the Ozium works the best.I also always use the sented Armorall,(new car,or fresh sent)wipes on the dash,door panels,and seat's everywere that's not cloth.Those two seem  to work the best with the Ozium to me.I noticed that the Ozium also comes in a new car sent now,but always used the original.I have also heard of people using the new Bombs they have out,they look like a smaller version of a bug bomb,( Turtle wax,and Ozium ) both make them.I have heard that others do make them,but never seen them.People swear by these things,but I'm not to sure.I always thought that the 15 or 20 minutes I spent cleaning things before I sprayed it worked better. My friend's and I did way to much parting when we got out of high school.Friday nights,and our cars were the most important things in life back then.I can say first hand Ozium works been using it since 1978.To this day every car I sell gets a good clean,and a spray to get out any bad smell's.

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If any of the above doesn't work I would (and did) pull the seat covers off and run them through the washing machine.  If they are cloth they are probably pretty dirty anyway.  You can then go to Pet Smart or such and buy Nature's Miracle.  It kills bacteria and viruses as well as odors.  I even sprayed in on the foam cushions after removing the covers.  It doesn't leave any imbedded perfume odors like a lot of other cleaners do and works very well.  If the headliner remains problematic you can always replace it.  Mine didn't have one so I had no choice.  Good luck. 

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I agree with Robin on washing your seat covers.  Pre-clean any heavily soiled areas before you wash them for best results.  Did that on the ‘88 and they really looked much better overall and less spotty.  You’ll need hog nose rings and pliers, but you can get those cheap at Harbor Freight or Northern Tool or Amazon.

 

Jeep_cannible - thanks for the info on Ozium.  I need to give that a try.

 

 

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the best way to get rid of cigarette smell out of the jeep will be a bit tedious, but VERY effective.

it involves, removing the entire interior. dash, air distrobution box plastics ect.

cigarettes leave a tar like residue once the smoke disipates. so when still in smoke form, its easier to get behind interior plastics. where the lingering smell usually resides.

mix some tsp or what ever detergent your going to  use, hand wash and dry all the metal to the pillars, fire wall, ect

hand wash the plastics inside and out

same with the dash

STEAM CLEAN the seats and, if you have a fabric carpet do the same to that


the biggest is the air distrbution box.
it is disgusting in there usually. it NEEDS to be disassembled, thoroughly cleaned of dirt and washed/ hand dried to ensure all the junk is out.

reassemble and your jeep will smell AMAZING

 

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Looks like you’ve got plenty of good suggestions. I can tell you that I once bought a 90s Ford Ranger that belonged to a heavy smoker. 

 

Using a rug doctor carpet cleaner works wonders.  

 

You can can use it on everything, but I would suggest replacing the carpet if it is old and worn out. 

 

Then use Ozium (I like the new car smell scent). 

 

Another tip, the BEST car air fresheners are from bath and body works.  You have to try them out.

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