Hi all, Me and my better half have recently bought a Swift Challenger Se500 2006 with fixed bed to sleep in while going through a house renovation and then for touring once we are finished. The problem we have is that we bought a very very cheap caravan. The inside is immaculate and there is no damp but the smell of cigarettes is hourendous (hence the price we paid)
We thought we could remove the smell using a carpet machine and upholstery cleaner but it hasnt worked. (It's very very bad, we think Dot Cotton has lived in it)
I have now taken the carpet, bed and seating area out and there is still a lingering smell but better.
We are going to change the matress and carpet/lino but what advice could anyone give please on getting rid of the smell from the sofas, curtains and even the plywood floor which smells also. Any tips anyone has on cleaning would be much appreciated. We have used an upholstery cleaner on most of the fabric but still no luck
Removing smoking smells is a tough one, it permeates the very fabric (and I don't just mean the cloth bits!) of any contaminated space! It can take a number of attempts, each reducing it slightly, before an acceptable level is reached!
Some of the good old 'Granny' methods can work better than modern 'solutions'. A Bicarb of Soda solution used on hard (waterproof) surfaces can be very effective, one application shifted the rancid smells of festering food that modern cleaners failed to do in the fridge of my s/h caravan! Bowls of dry Bicarb left in the space are also recommended, but I've never tried it.
As much as I avidly dislike 'artificial' scents, I have to say Febreze 'odour killing' air fresheners have worked well in permanently shifting the 'curry and beer' lingering odours in my caravan that no amount of 'airing' cleared, after a few mates set to for 'a session' one evening!
Have you tried carpet/upholstery cleaners for pet owners? They have odour removing properties as well as cleaning properties, not sure how effective on smoke odours, but probably worth a try. They certainly work with pet odours.
..... and of course, as much ventilation as you can manage!
a neutralising spray would do it without removing stuff .
i had it done when my daughter got another house , that had, had, animals inside left to themselves. tried all kinds of bleach and scrubbing etc.
ended up sending for a firm that sprayed the magic solution ,and the next day all smells were gone , the guy said the solution was £40 for 5 litres,dont know what it was ,but he did.
try looking in your local adds for de-odouriser, or people that do it
Freeze-dried coffee would help to absorb the smell - that's what is recommended for a fridge. However, one would need a lot of coffee for a van!
If you decide to try it, I would advise emptying the coffee onto plates to aid exposure of the surface areas of the granules.
DK
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I think you will have to wash the curtains. Depending on the fabric, this might completely ruin them but getting new ones made wouldn’t be hugely expensive. It’s worth trying to wash them first. Alternatively, you could get them dry cleaned.
I had a spilled sour milk episode in my car many years ago and it really stank. I shampooed the seat with carpet cleaner and used a wet and dry vacuum to rinse and suck the excess water out. This helped but didn’t take it away completely. I then used fabreeze fabric freshener which seemed to get rid of most of the bad smell.
The problem you might have with the sofa itself is that the foam base will probably be full of the smell too, so even if you get the covers removed and it professionally re-covered. The foam will still harbour the smell. There are companies who have the dimensions of touring caravans on file and make replacement foam sofa bases and back rests. I don’t know the names of any but if you have a search on this forum or just by using Google, you will hopefully find them. A number of years ago there was a faulty batch of foam which was not dense enough and flattened when people sat on it, so lots of people were getting replacement sofa cushions.
Bicarb is the best, dust it everywhere cover everything with it leave for 24/48 hours, go around after12 hours with a brush and brush it in then hoover it up
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Thanks for all your help. I found that after 24hrs of bi carb over everything and a few coats of white vinegar we have "nearly" removed the smell from upholstery.
The walls and ceiling we did with white vinegar and after a day of airing came up lovely.
Not quite the same but similar I was Facilities Manager in a large building that had a smoking room (when they were allowed). After this facility was withdrawn the room had to have new ceiling insulation, new ceiling tiles and insulation, repaint all wall and skirtings, repaint the door, a specialist window clean and a new carpet. Cant remember the exact cost but it was over 5K. The smell is difficult to remove. I'm sure the points already mentioned will work but it may take some time.
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Topic: Cleaning Advice
via mobile 25/3/2025 at 2:27pm
