Traded in my smoke free car for a NZ new MX5. It was heavily nicotined, but bits of it got a clean (carpets, upholstery) before being sold, but its the other bits I've had to clean up with strong, hot, sugar soap solution - seatbelts and ashtray lid were the worst, plus everywhere else I could reach. The canopy is pretty coated inside but have been working on that and have made some progress. I used the Rug doctor odour remover spray and wiped it over the clean surfaces but its smell is annoying (though not as bad as the nicotine) and after a minute I can't smell it anymore.
I've done some homework about ozone treatment and am wondering if anyone has had it done to a car and has the treatment had long term success?
curlcrown,
Feb 10, 3:03am
Yes it does work. Also throw away the cabin filter, replace it with a new one if you wish but you don't really need one. Ideally the AC sould be on resurculate for an hour or two while the ozone machine is on. After that air it out for a few hours. Then there is a smoke bomb spray you can use which I can't recall the name of but someone else will know it. You leave it in the car with the windows up and AC on recerculate.
hazelnut2,
Feb 10, 3:12am
Cool, thanks for the reply. Car booked in for treatment tomorrow at a garage offering the service and have ordered a new cabin filter too.
john7891,
Feb 10, 5:01am
Would be interested in how this works out for you?
hazelnut2,
Feb 10, 6:05am
OK, i'll post the results in here.
kazbanz,
Feb 10, 7:32am
Sorry Hazelnut but its a waste of your money. --Ie Ozone treatment. I have an Ozone machine here and don't use it. The way to get the smell gone or at least hugely reduced is good old fashioned elbow grease.-There are NO shortcuts. I literally take the cabin area apart and wash every possible surface. -Seats out,door cards out, as much trim removed as possible. All of it scrubbed with fre4quently changed hot soapy water Washing down the "tubes" for the AC and the AC housing. Definitely changing the cabin filter. But fit the new one after washing everything out.
hazelnut2,
Feb 10, 8:18am
I understand a thorough clean is required before the ozone treatment. Have been using 'good old fashioned' elbow grease aided by frequently changed hot sugar soap solution, a rinse with plain water and dry off with a towel, using a clean dry part each wipe. It has helped tremendously. I'm not capable of getting my seats out though. :( Too blardy old!
kazbanz,
Feb 10, 8:36am
i'll be honest I would not have accepted the car until the smoke smell was removed. We have specialist car grooming products but for this specific issue HOT soapy water would do the same job. We also change the water frequently so we aren't just putting the nicotine back in place. The seats coming out along with the centre console and door cards etc is important so all ash/nicotine is removed from the carpet and metalwork Unfortunately your "hood lining" is your roof because normally that comes out too.
toyboy3,
Feb 10, 8:38am
The one thing that I found after the clean was to remove the 3 bolts that hold the heater fan unit to clean the fan and inside the housing
hazelnut2,
Feb 10, 11:06am
Have just come in from more scrubbing and the smell has vastly disappeared. Thanks for the fan tip toyboy3. Might forgo the ozone treatment and ask the mechanics instead to remove the heater fan unit for me and clean it myself whilst I'm waiting for the service. Can always decided to do it later.
I accepted this smoky car because I was desperate for an automatic as my left shoulder will be giving me grief for a long time yet and the less stress on it the better. so was in a bit of a hurry and I actually did wonder why this car hadn't sold and had the price reduced. Ha!. I found out! lol However, once it's clean inside, it's a better car than the one I traded in. Used WD40 on lots of the hinges and Voila! Many things are working soooo much better now.
tweake,
Feb 10, 11:53am
i would not use ozone in a car or even a house. it reacts with everything. all the plastics, the wiring, metals etc. its an oxidizer, ie makes rust. 2ndly the stuff it makes from reacting can be extremely toxic. formaldehyde is a common thing made from ozone reactions.
marte,
Feb 10, 1:34pm
#11. I'm always interested in this sort of stuff, so it got googled & quote {Ozone can oxidize formaldehyde under anhydrous and water conditions. Ozone dehydrogenates with formaldehyde, and the chemical bond undergoes long-term transverse change and fracture (mainly CH fracture and OH bond formation) to form complex and HOOO. Complete the oxidation and decomposition process of formaldehyde.} end quote https://aquapureozone.com/2018/08/24/can-ozone-remove-formaldehyde/ However in this paper they point out that Ozone reacts with limonene, geraniol etc in common air fresheners to make formaldehyde & such. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412014001093
So it would be best to do a full clean, and I expect the ducting & fan to hold most of the smell. Then do a full rinse to remove cleaning products, before Ozone treatment,.
tweake,
Feb 10, 1:44pm
you might be interested in HOMECHEM which is an experiment to see what reactions go on inside homes.
marte,
Feb 10, 11:08pm
Magic ! Thank you for this ! This is exactly the sort of experiments & such that I really get into. I will be putting quality time into this. Thanks again / m
kazbanz,
Feb 11, 2:58am
My view is that youll find your hood lining specifically in a MX5 will be the worst trap for the smoke. If it is a removable lid (hard top then taking it off flipping it upside down and giving it a good scrub will really help (on a carpet or similar of course.
stevo2,
Feb 11, 3:28am
My first MX5 had a smoke smell when I bought it. I wet vac'd the seats and carpets, sponged the inside of the hood and just used car deodorisers on it and left the hood down all of the time, Smell disappeared fairly quickly. Im on my second one now. The MX5s are the most fun cars I've ever owned.
hazelnut2,
Feb 11, 8:05am
Yup, The hood lining is the worst trap, but it's a soft top, which is basically removable but it'd probably be a real mission. Have been scrubbing the inside a lot.
hazelnut2,
Feb 11, 8:18am
They are indeed!. Gotta remember the sunscreen and hats when the top's down though.
Not going to do the ozone treatment today. Talked to the mechanic and he will remove the glove box so I can kinda get at the back of it and the firewall behind, and also the air intake under the hood will be removed to see what I can clean under there,. Just googled a miata page and there're instructions about how to clean the fan. might talk to the mechanic again.
kazbanz,
Feb 11, 9:12am
Sharp knife-insurance claim--jes sayin.
curlcrown,
Feb 11, 10:04am
Really? I personally have had success with the ozone machine with smoke smell and also dog smell but I do leave it on for at least 8 hours and some of the time with the Ac recycling around the car.
hazelnut2,
Feb 11, 11:23am
My reservation about the ozone machine is that the car is already 23 years old, so the seals, wires etc are too. Ozone can damage sensitive bits and I'd like my last car to last at least as long as I can drive.
stevo2,
Feb 11, 12:02pm
Last of the NA pop up headlight model (increasing in value rather quickly) or first of the NB fixed headlight model increasing slowly?
hazelnut2,
Feb 11, 12:38pm
First? NB6C.
I wouldn't have traded in my 1990 NA, 106K kms if my left shoulder was OK. Am desperate to give my shoulder no more grief than necessary. (bursitis with a small tear causing impingement), but did jab it hard yesterday when I unthinkingly reached up to open the soft top which had me writhing (and swearing) around for a few minutes. :(
nesta129,
Feb 11, 2:37pm
we have had success with ozone treatment in most cars.However the deep clean before is the most important part. dont forget the steering wheel (especially behind it) and the indicator and the other stalk.Whatever button or pieces of plastic and plastic panels,you can remove,leave them to soak in warm soapy or sugar soap and water for a bit for the tar to come off.The water will turn milky blue if its really bad haha.The hood liner,especially above the driver's side (if he was the smoker) will be the worst. Do it right because with a half arsed job,in the heat of the summer,when the inside of the car gets baked hot,the smell returns.
hazelnut2,
Feb 11, 2:53pm
Haha, you didn't mention seatbelts! Mine turned the water from bright sugar-soap blue, to green, then to black!
So you're saying the ozone don't work if the car ain't cleaned properly? Why bother with the ozone treatment then. a thorough clean will remove the nicotine.
Anyone had their car treated with hydroxyl?
Was talking to a professional cleaner this morning and it seems my cleaning efforts of the driver's side of the inner soft top passed his 'sniff' test! He mentioned using hydroxyl instead of ozone.
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