Whether you own a car, lease a car, or rent a car, there are different factors to consider when it comes time to “turn in” the car. If you own your car, then one day you might want to sell it; if you lease a car, then when your contract is up you might want to exchange it; if you rent a car, you’ll have to return it to the company eventually. Each of these scenarios translates into a monetary value (i.e. how much you’ll sell the car for; how much you’ll owe on the lease; or how much the rental company will charge you). However, there is one factor that significantly impacts each of these scenarios: cigarette smell.
The smell of smoke in a car can be a huge depreciating factor when it comes time to sell it. You might also get charged on your lease or rental for having the smell of smoke permeate the interior of the car. In any case, it will affect your wallet, and it’s in your best interest to have the smell removed from the car before “turning it in.” The good news is there are things you can do to remove the smoke scent from your car. Here is some more information about how cigarette smoke affects car interiors and why seeking professional help to fix the issue is the best solution.
Why You May Want to Get the Smoke Smell Out of Your Car
As we said before, the value of your car is significantly affected by the state of the interior. To the smoker, cigarette smoke might not be as easy to detect; however, to the car salesman on the lot or the rental company, cigarette smoke is something they’re looking for. Of course it’s an unhealthy habit, but that’s beside the point—the scent of smoke won’t go away on its own, so in order to save money it’s important to remove the smell of smoke to protect your investment.
Why Does Smoke Smell Last So Long In Cars
Have you ever wondered why it’s so difficult to get the smell of cigarette smoke out of your car? Different surfaces absorb the smell of smoke and the chemicals in the cigarettes. The smoke seeps into every surface in your car—hard or soft—as well as your entire ventilation system, including air filters. There are various procedures one must go through in order to do a thorough job of removing the smell from each of the surfaces effectively.
The Benefits of Having Professional Help
If you’ve tried to remove cigarette smell from your car and have had no success, there are legitimate reasons for that. Seeking professional help can take the burden of pressure off of you, transferring the problem to someone who knows what they’re doing and has experience removing the smell of smoke from many cars.
Requires the Right Materials and Tools
Getting the smoke smell out of your car requires expertise, but it also requires access to the right tools and materials for the job. For instance, high-powered vacuums can remove dust and ash that has sunk deep into floor mats and crevices.
The Task Will Be Done Right the First Time
It’s likely that you’ve tried to remove the smoke scent from your car on countless occasions to no avail, and you’ve spent hours of your time an energy doing so. Natural home remedies don’t often do the job well enough depending on how severe the smell is, and professional car detailers are your best bet.
How We Can Help You
Here at Conejo Auto Detail and Tinting, we have a strict protocol when it comes to removing cigarette smell from a car. Drivers in the areas of Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Agoura Hills, Camarillo, Simi Valley, and Newbury Park, CA, often have a long way to drive each day, and cigarettes can ease the stress of traffic. However, cigarettes have a significant affect on the value of your car, and can wind up costing you a lot more than the pack itself. If you’d like to remove the smoke scent from your car but need help doing so, contact us to schedule an appointment, or to simply get more information about our process.
Living in California has its perks, namely the amazing roads and highways to test our car’s performance on, and there’s nothing like driving down the coast in a convertible with the windows down. Unfortunately, the California sun can be harsh on us, and our cars—especially on the interior materials. Excessive sunlight can cause the interior fabric or leather to become severely damaged over time. The sun’s harmful rays deplete the materials of their moisture and elasticity, causing them to become cracked and irreparably damaged. Fortunately, there are ways around this.
There are several different solutions one can implement in order to avoid a faded or cracked interior cabin, and they’re all relatively inexpensive options. No matter what type of car you have, protecting the interior is in your best interest. Of course it keeps the car looking nice, it makes it more comfortable to be in, and above all else, it retains the value of your car. Cars generally depreciate in value; however, if your interior is kept in excellent condition, you’ll likely be able to get the highest value upon its resale. In this article we’ll talk about a few ways to keep your interior in great condition and what you can do next.
Maintain and Polish the Interior
This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s always best to keep your interior clean and as dust-free as possible. This includes cloth or leather seating and all center console and dash materials. When dust collects inside your car, it begins to harden in the sun, adhering itself to surfaces and becoming extremely difficult to remove. Furthermore, fine dust and debris particles tend to accumulate and scratch smooth surfaces, damaging them irreparably. Cleaning your interior with the appropriate products and materials is an important step in maintaining it.
Tint Your Windows
This is possibly the most efficient solution to preventing interior damage to your car. Window tinting comes in a range of different levels of darkness, depending on what is appropriate for you and your car. Tinting windows does several things for your interior:
Reduces Direct UV Rays Significantly
Tinting all the windows in your car makes a huge difference in the amount of harmful UV rays let into your interior. The sun’s direct rays that beam down on your leather or cloth seating and lining aren’t just damaging to the interior components, but they’re harmful to our skin. Tinting your windows will make those stand-still moments on the freeway more bearable, and will make those drives along the coast much more enjoyable. Goodbye farmer’s tan!
Reduce the Interior Temperature
Besides the direct sunlight that tends to bleach the interior components, the real harmful component to the materials is the temperatures that your interior cabin experiences. High temperatures well into the triple digits strips the interior of any moisture keeping it intact and elastic. On those hot summer days there isn’t much we can do once the car is parked, besides keeping it inside a covered area or a garage. However, by tinting the windows your car can remain cooler, even on those hot summer days.
Don’t Forget the Windshield
Do you currently use a sun visor to keep out sun rays while your car is parked? While many people don’t consider windshield tinting, it’s an essential process to undergo if you’d like to achieve the most optimal results in protecting the interior. It also helps you avoid the other inconvenient solutions, like sun visors and window screens. You might even find yourself not needing your sunglasses anymore after a windshield tint.
How We Can Help You
Conejo Auto Detail Window Tinting has provided tinting services for drivers and homeowners since 1989 in the areas of Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Agoura Hills, Camarillo, Simi Valley, and Newbury Park, CA. We take pride in our work and view every project we encounter as an opportunity to show our commitment and attention to detail—after almost 30 years in business, we certainly have the process down. If you’re concerned about preserving the interior of your car, or would like to know more about the other tinting services we provide, please contact our shop directly.