Tech Questions/Advice
32221 Removing smoke smell from car? [Kevin.harper] (Wed Feb  9 18:14:59 2000)
   32225 Maybe a wives tale but.... [MattL] (Wed Feb  9 18:57:13 2000)
      32251 Re: Maybe a wives tale but.... [Barry] (Thu Feb 10  8:42:26 2000)
   32229 more old wives tales.... [JThw8] (Wed Feb  9 19:51:25 2000)
   32232 Re: Removing smoke smell from car? [MRGreer] (Wed Feb  9 20:53:46 2000)
   32240 Re: Removing smoke smell from car? [pgarside] (Thu Feb 10  1:15:43 2000)
   32244 Activated Charcoal? [Conedodger] (Thu Feb 10  4:58:40 2000)
   32246 Re: Removing smoke smell from car? [Zagato] (Thu Feb 10  5:15:42 2000)
   32247 Be careful cleaning the headliner [erwin] (Thu Feb 10  7:09:54 2000)
      32281 Re: Geez!, I'm sorry! [Zagato] (Thu Feb 10 19:13:46 2000)
   32249 Re:Greg's trick for removing smoke smell [Greg] (Thu Feb 10  8:19:24 2000)
      32260 I vote for the (gold-can) Lysol, too!  [fiat850] (Thu Feb 10 11:36:20 2000)
      32274 Any Toxics in Lysol? [pmurko] (Thu Feb 10 18:27:37 2000)
         32292 Re: Any Toxics in Lysol? [fiat850] (Thu Feb 10 23:18:31 2000)
   32261 Re: Removing smoke smell from car? [lightking] (Thu Feb 10 11:52:08 2000)
      32710 Best thing I've found is.... [Hoser] (Thu Feb 17 16:59:23 2000)

The previous owner of the GTV-6 was a smoker, and I'm trying to 
get the sell and the stains out. I've frebreezed it and leave the 
windows down, any other suggestion. The other problem is the head 
liner is stained with the smoke. It is a cloth headliner that use 
to be an off white, any ideas on cleaning this.

KLH
Geez this is here I list the toys. OK lets see.
alfa 164,  2 GTV-6's to arrive shortly, Lancia beta coupe,
several X1/9's, 124 spider and coupe, 850 coupe, 
and a pair of old BMW's. No it is not too many cars

Kevin Harper wrote:
: The previous owner of the GTV-6 was a smoker, and I'm trying to 
: get the sell and the stains out. I've frebreezed it and leave 
the 
: windows down, any other suggestion. The other problem is the 
head 
: liner is stained with the smoke. It is a cloth headliner that 
use 
: to be an off white, any ideas on cleaning this.

I hear that if you shut the car up with baking soda in it, thsi 
will absorb much of the smell.  I've never had to try this. 
Although the Zagato had a slight skunky smell from when I think I 
ran over something on a foggy night towing Lola home, it just 
went away after I opened everything up a few times.

Matt Ludwig
1981 Lancia Beta Zagato
http://www.geocities.com/fiatmatt

Matt Ludwig wrote:

: Although the Zagato had a slight skunky smell from when I think 

That could be because you hit a skunk! EEww...hehehe

But, enzymes in the skunk's odor producing chemical break down 
biologically in a few days...naturally...So the smell will be 
gone all on its own. The hydrocarbons in cigarette smoke can take 
years to break down (some...hundreds of years), unfortunate for 
us used-car owners. There are some products that supposedly can 
get rid of it...I don't know if they just mask the smell or help 
to break it down faster, or what. I suppose if a cleaner could 
physically remove the smoke particles from the fabric, the smell 
would be reduced.

Barry
‘74 X/19
(smells like Armor-All!)

Similar topic came up with the new F*&D I bought...new car smell 
is cool...for bout 15 minutes then I get a migrane from it...was 
suggested through the Old Wives Network that placing some apple 
peels in the car for a few days will take care of any 
odors...worth a shot....as far a smoke stains on the 
headliner...not sure...Ive had good luck with 409 if it is a 
vinyl type liner...
Jim
82 Lancia Zagato
And a bunch of non-italian stuff......

Have you tried lighter fluid and a match? My Grandfather smoked 
and everything he owned smelled like or looked like smoke.  A 
good cleaning seemed to get the majority of it.  But there was 
always some trace of the smokey smell.

This is for all you smokers out there.  The house I owned in NY, 
was previously owned by a smoker.  We washed down the walls and 
painted everything, but when you took a hot shower, this brown 
stuff came through the paint and ran down the walls in the 
bathroom.  If you don't think your lungs are full of shit, think 
again.  Have a nice day, it may be your last.

Mike,
The origional:'73 spider for 26 years
The repalcement: '79 spider under restoration

Sadly, I've never found anything that will. Cleaning the carpet, 
headlining, dashboard and upholstery with carpet shampoo will 
help, but there'll always be a residue. We let out a house for 
one year to a smoker and had the same problem. The smell didn't 
go away until we fitted new carpets.

Paul
1985 spider
(gratefully not smoked in)

Kevin Harper wrote:
: The previous owner of the GTV-6 was a smoker, and I'm trying 
to 
: get the sell and the stains out. I've frebreezed it and leave 
the 
: windows down, any other suggestion. The other problem is the 
head 
: liner is stained with the smoke. It is a cloth headliner that 
use 
: to be an off white, any ideas on cleaning this.
: KLH
: Geez this is here I list the toys. OK lets see.
: alfa 164,  2 GTV-6's to arrive shortly, Lancia beta coupe,
: several X1/9's, 124 spider and coupe, 850 coupe, 
: and a pair of old BMW's. No it is not too many cars

This is used in aquarium filters.  Available at pet stores.  I've 
heard that you can put it in a margarine tub, dry, and punch a 
bunch of holes in the lid and it'll soak up odors.  Never tried 
it though.  I do this with baking soda every year when I store my 
car.  It seems to help, but my car doesn't stink that bad!

Mark Seelbinder
'87 Bertone X1/9, White
'87 Bertone X1/9, Red  (new DSP project)
#95 DSP Fingerlakes SCCA
Spencerport, New York,USA
http://www.flr-scca.com/gifs/solo/1998/page2.html

 Being a smoker and hating a car that reeks of smoke, I have 
found that the smoke gets into everything via the tars and stuff 
in the smoke, it is in the vents, under dash everywhere, the 
best way I have found to remove smells is to simply take it 
apart as far as I feel comfortable and wash out every crack and 
crevis, pull the vents and clean the ducts with dish soap and 
lots of water, same with all panels, including where you can't 
see, then to get the smell out of the interior fabric, the 
absolute best fabric cleaner I have ever found is "Tuff Stuff" 
in the can, not pump bottle, its a yellow can w/red lable, you 
can get it in any automotive department nation wide, it even 
removes black tar from light gray carpets, and it will remove 
most of the old smoke and mold smells and most stains too, even 
real bad stains you may think there is no hope for.  The pump 
bottle is ok, but I preferr the foaming can, it seems to work a 
little better even though its the same stuff
Don't let it dry on any vinyl, it will leave permenent spots if 
you do, spray it down with the stuff, let it sit a few min, 
then, scrub it with a wet but not dripping terry towel, then, 
blot it as dry as you can with a dry towel, rinsing the wet 
scrub towel in a bucket of cold water often, then, when its dry, 
vacuum the fabric and it will look as new as it ever will again


81 Zagato
82 Zagato
76 Scorpion
and some other stuff

Cloth headliners are often glued to foam which is glued to the 
backing.  If you scrub, you will damage the foam and leave 
indentations and marks, and eventually the headliner will sag.  
I've used "Dri-Clean" from Blue Coral (auto store) with limited 
success.  You just spray and vacuum when it's dry, no scrubbing 
involved, but I think it will be impossible to clean the 
headliner to a streak/stain free condition.  You're best bet is 
replacing it.

I agree with Jim that Tuff Stuff is great, but you have to 
scrub.  It removes stuff that no other cleaner can.  You should 
have seen my wife's white convertible top after 2 hours with 
Tuff Stuff.

Good luck  --  Erwin

'74 Fiat 124 Spider (yellow)
'72 Matra Bagheera  (yellow)
'89 Saab 9000 turbo (not yellow)
http://home.att.net/~e.timmers/

I forgot about the headliner, I was thinking carpet and seats, 
Like Erwin said, don't use Tuff Stuff on headliners, I destroyed 
a headliner in a 82 T-bird (GOD WHAT AN UGLY CAR THAT WAS!) 
using that stuff on it, after I was done, it started falling 
down, especially with the windows open at speeds........damn 
trunk rust holes and dried out foam anyway!, but, it was a free 
car that only cost $2.50 to fix with a rubber expandable freeze 
plug and I sold it for $800...he he he

81 Zagato
82 Zagato
76 Scorpion
and some other stuff

Kevin Harper wrote:
: The previous owner of the GTV-6 was a smoker, and I'm trying to 
: get the sell and the stains out. I've frebreezed it and leave 
the 
: windows down, any other suggestion. The other problem is the 
head 
: liner is stained with the smoke. It is a cloth headliner that 
use 
: to be an off white, any ideas on cleaning this.

I used to smoke myself, and I would get sick of the smell myself, 
especially now.  Here's what I did:

Buy a big-ass can of traditional gold-can Lysol.
Thoroughly vacuum carpets and cloth areas of seats.   
Spray everything that's porous, wipe everything that's not. 
Roll up windows.  Close doors and ventilation.
Leave overnight.
Air out car until you can stand the smell of Lysol, if any.  
It's important to use the old, gold can stuff because it's not 
"scented" and won't leave too much of it's own odor behind.

Refer back to the post that stated the smell wouldn't go away 
until they replaced the carpet, if need be.

Gregory Smith, Lime Green '72 Fiat 850 Sport Spider
Fiat Enthusiasts Northwest, Seattle, Washington

Jeff Stich
Yorba Linda, Ca.
http://home.earthlink.net/~fiat850/

1969 Fiat 850 Spider (daily driver/beater)
1969 Fiat 850 Coupe  (Euro. and RHD)
1969 Fiat 850 Sedan  (my very first car!)
1968 Fiat 850 Roadster (coming "home" soon!)
1967 Fiat 850 Roadster (Reconstructive Surgery candidate)
Rear Engine Fiat Club member

Gregory Smith, Seattle, wrote:
: Kevin Harper wrote:
: : The previous owner of the GTV-6 was a smoker, and I'm trying 
to 
: : get the sell and the stains out. I've frebreezed it and 
leave 
: the 
: : windows down, any other suggestion. The other problem is the 
: head 
: : liner is stained with the smoke. It is a cloth headliner 
that 
: use 
: : to be an off white, any ideas on cleaning this.
: I used to smoke myself, and I would get sick of the smell 
myself, 
: especially now.  Here's what I did:
: Buy a big-ass can of traditional gold-can Lysol.
: Thoroughly vacuum carpets and cloth areas of seats.   
: Spray everything that's porous, wipe everything that's not. 
: Roll up windows.  Close doors and ventilation.
: Leave overnight.
: Air out car until you can stand the smell of Lysol, if any.  
: It's important to use the old, gold can stuff because it's not 
: "scented" and won't leave too much of it's own odor behind.
: Refer back to the post that stated the smell wouldn't go away 
: until they replaced the carpet, if need be.
: Gregory Smith, Lime Green '72 Fiat 850 Sport Spider
: Fiat Enthusiasts Northwest, Seattle, Washington

Check the contents of a can of Lysol.  It must be all good stuff
to breathe.  Clean the interior real good with chemicals, air 
the car out, and get over it. Seriously some cars are pretty bad 
even for a smoker, but the sense of smell becomes desensitized 
more quickly than any other sense.  Buy a new car and breathe 
the chemicals that are coming out of all of the new plastic, and 
file a lawsuit!!  Please take this one to BS.  

Paul wrote:


: Check the contents of a can of Lysol. It must be all good 
: stuff to breathe.  

I didn't mean to say "use the Lysol & sit around breathing 
the fumes in an enclosed car". Use it like the instructions on 
the can say to, WITH PROPER VENTILATION.

: Clean the interior real good with chemicals, air the car out, 
: and get over it. 

Exactly! :o)

 
Jeff Stich
Yorba Linda, Ca.
http://home.earthlink.net/~fiat850/

1969 Fiat 850 Spider (daily driver/beater)
1969 Fiat 850 Coupe  (Euro. and RHD)
1969 Fiat 850 Sedan  (my very first car!)
1968 Fiat 850 Roadster (coming "home" soon!)
1967 Fiat 850 Roadster (Reconstructive Surgery candidate)
Rear Engine Fiat Club member

Kevin Harper wrote:
: The previous owner of the GTV-6 was a smoker, and I'm trying 
to 
: get the sell and the stains out. I've frebreezed it and leave 
the 
: windows down, any other suggestion. The other problem is the 
head 
: liner is stained with the smoke. It is a cloth headliner that 
use 
: to be an off white, any ideas on cleaning this.
: KLH

Cloth headliners suck...they're glued up to a back board 
type thing, and the slightest moisture dissolves the 
glue...

So..here's a possible solution
My mom gave me a brush to use on my dog that blows ions
through the bristles... The ions allegedly remove the smell
from the dog (YEAH, RIGHT!) Well, that thing WORKS!
My dog doesn't stink anymore...

So, I'm a thinking that if this brush will work on a DOG, 
it will remove odors from your headliner, too

She got it from the Sharper Image

Al
Houston, Tx
VP nickname= 124Al
Member of FLU
'78 Spider (Bella)
'75 Spider (was yellow)
'91 Dodge Dy-Nasty (wife's car)
http://www.geocities.com/broadway/3450

Just remember, if the world didn't suck, 
we'd all fall off.

bowl of vinegar.  Set a bowl of vinegar in the car overnight, 
change it out the next day, do this for a couple of days if its 
REALLY bad.  Setting bowls of vinegar around the house helps 
remove the smell of cigarette smoke after a party (it pays to 
read "Hints from Heloise").  This trick even removed the smell of 
spilt bleach from my father's truck.
David
87 X1/9
81 X1/9 DSP
82 X1/9 VS
Chatsworth, GA (pretty far from Canada, eh?)
http://www.alltel.net/~hoser/

dauber