Hello, I recently purchased a used LC500 about six months ago. The previous owner smoked cigars, but the dealer masked it with a nearly insufferable cologne smell. Albeit the smell has has gotten better, I haven’t been able to get rid of it. I’ve tried (in order):

  • steam cleaning/interior detail
  • two car bombs
  • wiping surfaces with white vinegar
  • dryer sheets
  • AC drain plug cleaning
  • AC intake cleaning (in interior vents and exterior intake vents)
  • spraying lysol thru AC intake
  • spraying ozium thru AC intake
  • Ozone treatment

Notably the interior is full of suede, specifically on the seats and headliner. The only thing(s) I haven’t tried yet are a bowl of charcoal or white vinegar. Is there anything else I should try?

  • cretek3OPBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago
    1. I bought the car in June, windows were down basically every day. Haven’t used a big fan but at this point probably not that effective
    2. Not familiar with activated carbon, recommendations?
    3. I had it professionally by a guy who only does ozone’s, highly recommended. To be fair I don’t know what equipment he used, but can only assume
    4. If you’re referring to the direct method of cleaning I did not. I only used the air intake and drain plug(s)
    5. Cabin air filter was one of the first things I did, but been thinking of replacing it with a nice one. Was thinking maybe the filter had captured some of the smell, but I removed it and there wasn’t a scent. Any manufacturer recommendations?
    6. Good to know
    7. On the to-do list now
    8. lol
    9. Detailed by a guy who did my last car (trusted), and I’ve gone through it a couple times myself. The only thing I haven’t touched is the suede since it’s delicate. Had my window re-tinted by a random shop after a recent break-in, and the guy left his bottle of soapy/water on the seat. Left a big water stain after it dried, so apprehensive there. Probably need to steam them again
    10. I’ll check them out

    I really appreciate the long list of information and resources, thank you