“I just bought a vehicle that had been smoked in. I took out the entire interior and scrubbed it with soap and water, odor remover, and 303. I think most of the smell is coming from the leather seats. How can I get the smell out of the leather?
Thanks!”
Thanks for the question Zack D!
Smoke is the detailers nightmare! The particles are so dang small they get everywhere, so you must clean everywhere. You can mask the smell with other pleasant smells, but that is temporary. I have not found a surefire method, so I try different ones. I share…….
If you have a cabin filter, replace it.
If the smell is coming from the seats, it’s likely in the cushions, not the leather, which is nearly impossible to clean.
Extract the carpets and seats with a strong alkaline cleaner, extract again with a acid base to help neutralize the alkaline. Your professional carpet cleaning supply store can help you.
Your headliner will hold tons of the smell, so you need to wipe down (several times) with a damp rag (changing sides often) using the same stuff you used on the carpets.
All hard surfaces need to be decontaminated with a good APC.
You might need to remove the seats and clean them very well, and allow them to dry.
A product called Odoban can help, you can find it at Sams Club or Costco.
You will likely never totally remove the smell, or it will take several cleanings to minimize.
I wish I could have giving you a perfect answer that would work the first time.
Cheers,
GREG