How to Get Smoke Smell Out of Car Seats, Mats and Carpet

Quick answer: To get smoke smell out of a car, clean the fabric surfaces where the odor lives. Deep clean the floor mats, vehicle carpet and cloth seats using your regular carpet soap plus one cup of The Stink Solution Carpet Odor Remover for Smoke, then heavily saturate seat belts and other fabric with a Stink Solution spray. It works instantly on contact.

A car is a small, closed space full of fabric. When someone smokes in it, that smoke has nowhere to go but into the seats, the carpet and the floor mats. It's why a used car can look spotless and still smell like an ashtray the second you close the door.

Whether you just bought a used car, you drive for a rideshare service, or you're getting your own car ready to sell, here's how to get the smoke smell out for good.

Where does smoke smell hide in a car?

The odor lives on surfaces, not in the air. Focus on these spots:

• Floor mats: the most exposed surface in the car, and the easiest to remove and treat.
• Vehicle carpet: especially under the seats and in the footwells, where ash lands.
• Cloth seats: the cushions and seat backs hold smoke residue deep in the foam.
• Seat belts: often overlooked, and they sit right in front of the smoker.
• Trunk carpet: smoke travels through the cabin, and the trunk is often forgotten.
• Ashtrays and cup holders: empty and wipe them out first so you're not reintroducing odor.

Why scented products don't fix a smoky car

Clip-ons, sprays and cans that add fragrance only cover the smell. In a hot car, that fragrance burns off fast and the smoke odor is right back. To fix a smoky car, you have to eliminate the odor in the fabric itself.

How to get smoke smell out of car floor mats and carpet

What you'll need: a vacuum (a shop vac works well), a portable carpet and upholstery cleaner or a bucket and stiff brush, your regular carpet-cleaning soap, and The Stink Solution Carpet Odor Remover for Smoke.

1. Clear everything out. Remove trash, empty the ashtray and pull out the floor mats.
2. Vacuum thoroughly. Get under the seats, between the seats and the center console, and along the seat tracks where ash collects.
3. Prepare your solution. Shake the bottle well. Add your regular carpet soap to your cleaner's solution tank as directed, plus one cup of Carpet Odor Remover for Smoke. Cleaning by hand? Mix one cup into your cleaning solution with your regular carpet soap.
4. Clean the floor mats outside the car. Lay them flat on a driveway and give them several slow passes, front and back.
5. Clean the vehicle carpet. Work from front to back, including the footwells and trunk carpet.
6. Return the mats once they're fully dry.

How to get smoke smell out of cloth car seats

Cloth seats are upholstery, and the Carpet Odor Remover is made for upholstery. Use the same solution in a portable upholstery cleaner and work each seat in sections: cushion, seat back, headrest, then the sides. Give extra passes to the driver's seat and wherever the smoker sat.

For quick touch-ups between deep cleans, heavily saturate the seats with a Stink Solution spray. It eliminates odor instantly on contact.

Don't skip the seat belts

Pull each seat belt all the way out and hold it with a clip. Heavily saturate the full length of the belt with a Stink Solution spray, front and back. Seat belts are a common reason a "cleaned" car still smells.

The all-in-one fix: the bundle

The Carpet Odor Remover for Smoke + 16oz & 4oz Sprays bundle was built for exactly this job:

• Carpet Odor Remover for Smoke (64 fl oz): for floor mats, vehicle carpet and cloth seats
• 16oz spray: for seat belts, seats and anything you can't run a cleaner over
• 4oz spray: sized to keep in the glove box for touch-ups

Choose your spray scent, including Auto Midnight, Auto Coconut Mango, Smoker Bamboo Teak or Smoker Sky Blue. The bundle is $54.95, compared to $63.44 bought separately. 

Smoke in the house too? Start with How to Get Smoke Smell Out of Carpet for Good.

FAQ: Smoke smell in cars

How do you get cigarette smell out of a used car? Vacuum, then deep clean the floor mats, carpet and cloth seats with your regular carpet soap plus a smoke odor eliminating additive. Heavily saturate seat belts and other fabric with an odor eliminating spray.

Can I use the Carpet Odor Remover on car floor mats? Yes. It's made for carpets, rugs, upholstery, carpeted flooring and vehicle mats.

Can I spray it into the air to fix the smell? No. Stink Solution products work on surfaces, not in the air. Heavily saturate the surfaces where smoke odor has settled.

Does it work on leather seats? The Carpet Odor Remover is made for carpet and fabric surfaces, including cloth upholstery.

Is it good for rideshare drivers? Yes. Keep the 4oz spray in the car for quick treatment of seats and mats between passengers.

Get the smoke out of your car

You shouldn't have to hold your breath every time you get in. Shop the Carpet Odor Remover bundle and eliminate smoke odor at the source.