How To Remove Cigarette Odours When Selling Your Vehicle

CONTENTS

• Is smoking in cars illegal?
• Before you start
  • Give it a thorough vacuum
  • Don't forget about the hard surfaces
  • Clean the windows
  • How to deal with leather
• Our odour removal services
  • How to prevent odours in the future
• Get in touch with us today

It is thought that across the UK 6.9 million people smoke cigarettes, according to Ash. Some of whom may smoke in the car during their travels, which can leave behind unpleasant odours.

Cigarette smells that have settled into your car can make it more difficult to sell your vehicle when the time comes. Non-smokers in particular are not likely to be impressed if bad smells remain.

Here at ICE Cleaning, we offer vehicle odour neutralisation services to remove the stress of odour removal and will work hard to establish a clean environment in your car. If you are interested in this service, you can find more information here.

Read on to learn some of the ways you can remove cigarette smells from your vehicle before you sell it.

Is smoking in cars illegal?

In some circumstances, smoking is illegal in cars. For instance, you must not smoke in your vehicle if you are carrying passengers under the age of 18. If you get caught, you could face a fine of £50.

It is also classed as a distraction from driving. For instance, if you are smoking a cigarette during an accident that was your fault, this will be classed as dangerous driving. This could lead to imprisonment.

It is very important to follow all laws pertaining to smoking in cars in order to protect the safety of your passengers.  They are aimed at trying to limit the contact young people have to second-hand smoke because of the harm it can cause. 

More information on the dangers of passive smoking can be found on this fact sheet produced by the National Cancer Institute.

Before you start

Prior to cleaning, it is a good idea to remove everything from within the car. This includes floor mats, remaining cups and anything stored within compartments.

This will you a good starting point for the odour removal, and prevents belongings coated in smells from disrupting the cleaning process. However, be sure to thoroughly clean anything taken out of the vehicle before you restore it to its original place.

Give it a thorough vacuum

Upholstery in your vehicle can absorb cigarette odours, so cleaning them regularly is needed.  Wield the correct nodule of your vacuum when undertaking this to get as much of the odour out of the material as possible.

Having a thorough vacuum will remove remaining detritus and ash. Ensure you clean under car seats and in less conspicuous areas of the car, even if it does not feel necessary. Additionally, open the windows during the clean to allow fresh air to circulate.

Going forward, giving your car a deep vacuum every week prior to selling will help stop unpleasant odours from building up on surfaces and make it easier when it comes to selling your car.

Don’t forget about the hard surfaces

Smoke particles can settle on hard surfaces and be the source of lingering cigarette odours you want to be rid of. Do not be fooled into thinking that odours cannot seep into these materials.

You must make sure that you are using the correct solution when scrubbing harder exteriors. For example, if your gear stick is made of leather, you should use a specialist leather cleaner to polish the surface.

For effective solutions, also consider hiring a professional cleaning company. They will be equipped with specialist knowledge on how to reach hard areas and can complete the odour removal to a high standard.

Clean the windows

As important as it is to clean the interior of your vehicle, you shouldn't forget to wipe down windows. You can identify lingering smoke odours on windows by looking out for a brown layer coating the surface.

Using a microfibre brush to clean the glass is an option, but it may require several attempts and a bit of elbow grease to ensure the film and odour have both been removed.

In the lead up to selling the vehicle, it is a good idea to get into a routine of cleaning windows on a regular basis. This will help prevent the build up of film and gives cigarette odours less chance to settle.

How to deal with leather

You may have to scrub at leather several times before the odours begin to lift. It might seem like a big task to undertake, but it is important to clean all surfaces in the car before you go on to sell it.

Apply a safe and specialist leather solution when you clean this material to protect the car. Here at ICE Cleaning, our technicians use only non-harmful and non-abrasive products during the clean.

Our odour removal services

We offer excellent vehicle odour neutralisation that will help make your car smell fresh and clean. Our technicians use state-of-the-art technology to conduct the service, which includes the use of a HEPA air scrubber.

This utilises electrostatic technology, and works by releasing positively-charged atoms into the atmosphere to attach to negatively-charged atoms. The tool allows the team to reach all crevices and spaces within the vehicle.

Rest assured that all of our products are safe, and we follow stringent health and safety guidelines throughout the odour removal. Our technicians will also wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) wherever necessary.

How to prevent odours in the future

When you smoke in your car, be sure to keep the window open to aim the cigarette odours outside the vehicle.

It has also been suggested that you should adjust your heating so that it inhales air from outside the car, as this will be circulated in the car rather than the unpleasant smells emanating from the cigarette.

However, as you wish to sell your car in a clean state, it may be best to avoid smoking in the vehicle completely.

Get in touch with us today

Our vehicle odour services can be booked on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk. A member of our dedicated customer service team are available 24/7, 365 days a year to assist you with whatever you need.