How to Get Rid of Cigarette Smells in Your Car: Effective Methods That Work

Smoke that coats a surface and leaves a trace (usually in the form of discolouration and odour) is known as third-hand smoke, and it's a notoriously lingering smell that can seem almost impossible to get rid of.

If someone's had lit cigarettes, cigars, or tobacco-based vape devices in your vehicle, then you may be left with a stale, unpleasant smell that makes travelling uncomfortable and potentially devalues your own car.

Luckily, it’s not impossible to remove the smell of smoke from your car! In fact, it can be a relatively straightforward process that you can do yourself. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to get rid of smoke smells in cars below.

Is it possible to remove the smoke smell in my car?

Is your entire car filled with an ever-lingering smoke smell?

The good news is that you can remove the cigarette smell from car interiors.

Tobacco smoke is comprised of thousands of different chemicals, including tar and nicotine, which take the form of waxy, oily droplets that cling to surfaces, particularly fibrous materials such as seat fabric, upholstery and floor mats. Over time, this chemical residue builds up and leaves a deep-set odour.

Some evidence suggests that this third-hand smoke that settles into car upholstery and interior surfaces can even create some health issues with long-term exposure. That's why it's so important to ensure your passengers have minimal contact with these long-lasting toxins by giving your car a thorough clean.

How to get smoke smell out of your car: step-by-step guide

As smoke can penetrate your entire vehicle, you will have to clean or wash the carpets, upholstery, and hard surfaces thoroughly. Here's how to remove cigarette smell from cars effectively.

1. How to Clean the Car Upholstery and Carpets

Cigarette smoke clings to car upholstery, carpet, and mats. Smoke can also cause discolouration, so you'll need to ensure you’re getting right to the cause of the smell, rather than just disguising it.

Wash any removable seat covers and air dry in the sun. Prepare for a thorough clean by vacuuming your car interior, and make sure to get into the gaps between the seats and don’t forget the back of the seats. Slide your seats back/forward so you can get into those hard-to-reach places under and around the area.

Then, finish the job with a Rug Doctor Machine and Hand Tool attachment. Just add the Rug Doctor Upholstery Cleaner and Odour Remover into the red tank of the machine and run the Hand Tool along the carpet and upholstery in your car. Don't forget to clean the fabric on the ceiling of your vehicle, and the carpet in your boot!

Hot Tip: Using Rug Doctor Odour Remover can lift the deep-rooted unpleasant smells and leave your car smelling fresh.

2. How to Clean Hard Surfaces

As smoke can cling to all surfaces, even hard materials will need a wipe with a soft cloth to remove the film.

Ashtrays

If your car has an ashtray and it has been used before, this could be a direct source of cigarette odours. Remove the ashtray and dispose of the ash. Give the ashtray a good wash with dish soap or a cleaning spray, and once thoroughly dry, use Odour Remover to eliminate remaining smells. Do not reinsert your ashtray until the smell has completely been removed.

Air Filter

Your car's air filter can trap significant amounts of cigarette smoke particles. Consider having it checked and possibly replaced to help get rid of the cigarette smell.

Glass

Cigarette smoke creates a thin film on glass surfaces that contributes significantly to the lingering smell. Wipe the inside of your car windows, rear view mirror and the glass covering your speedometer with a window cleaner and microfibre cloth.

Other Interior Surfaces

Mix a mild dish soap and warm water, use a microfibre cloth and a soft-bristled brush (a toothbrush will work for hard-to-reach places) to work the suds into the dashboard and door panels to loosen any particles that are lodged in the porous surfaces. Use a cleaning spray suitable for car interiors to get into the creases around the gear shift, pedals, door handles, steering wheel and sun visors.

Note: For leather surfaces, use leather wipes to clean.

3. How to deodorise the car

Dryer sheets

Dryer sheets can help absorb cigarette smells. Place several fresh sheets under the seats, in compartments, and on the dashboard overnight. They'll help leave your car smelling fresh.

Air fresheners

An aerosol or hanging air freshener can be a short-term fix for disguising cigarette smells. Hanging air fresheners can often blend in with a strong smoky smell, creating a sickly scent. Try to use an air freshener at the end of your deep clean, rather than as a cure to mask the cigarette smoke smell in your car.

Specialised odour removers

The Rug Doctor Odour Remover is an excellent deodoriser that helps neutralise odour-causing compounds. It can be used in the Rug Doctor machine or by itself.

When using the Rug Doctor Odour Remover by itself, simply spray lightly onto your car’s upholstery and fabric to absorb the odour-causing particles. It will deodorise by neutralising the cigarette smells, plus leave your car with a fresh, pleasant scent.

Using the handy spray bottle, spray it into any areas you can’t quite reach by hand. It will not just mask the smell but will also deodorise and eliminate the smoke. Don’t forget to spray any fabric-covered panels on your doors or the ceiling of your car!

Hot Tip: The Rug Doctor Odour Remover can be mixed into the Rug Doctor Machine, allowing you to cover larger surfaces in a shorter amount of time, with more powerful, specifically designed formulas to attack and get rid of the smoke smell from your car.

4. Maintenance tips and prevention

Air out your vehicle

A lack of ventilation combined with warm air can cause smoke odours to amplify by warming the smoke particles. Open your car windows, doors, and boot to let some cool air in, which will allow the inside of your car to breathe and release some of the charged smoke particles out of the confines of your vehicle.

Eliminate the cause

Make your car a smoke-free zone. Don't allow cigarettes or cigars to be lit in your car, as not only is it unsafe, but it can also discolour your interior and will continue to contribute to the smell of smoke in your car.

For specialised advice on cleaning and removing odours and stains, see our Stain Removal guide.

Refresh your vehicle with Rug Doctor

Don't let cigarette smoke odors ruin your driving experience or devalue your vehicle. With Rug Doctor's powerful cleaning solutions and machines, you can transform your car from smelly to fresh in no time.

Our specially formulated Odour Remover and Upholstery Cleaner work together to eliminate the source of unpleasant smells, while our powerful extraction system removes deeply embedded tar, ash and nicotine residue. Hire a Rug Doctor machine today and experience the difference a professional-grade clean can make. Simply click here to find your nearest Rug Doctor location.

Updated July 15, 2025

Author: Gina Gibbs

Gina is the Business Manager at Rug Doctor NZ. With over 20 years at Rug Doctor, she's dedicated to helping New Zealanders keep their homes clean and healthy. Outside of work, Gina enjoys hiking, reading, and enjoying Vietnamese and Asian fusion cuisine. Oh, and let's not forget her expertise in cleaning up after everyone, especially her two kids!