DetailingWiki Newsletter
    Get free and automatic updates on new articles
    We respect your privacy. No data is used for anything other than sending the newsletter!

    Advertisement

How to remove cigarette burns or stains

Written by:

Cigarette burns of stains can be notoriously difficult to remove. The longer the stain has been there, the more difficult it gets to remove it completely. In some cases the fabric has been damaged and removing the stain isn’t possible without repairing the fabric itself.

Contents

How cigerette burns of stains are made

When somebody smokes in the car, either the complete cigarette or parts of it can fall on the interior fabric/leather. The tabaco inside the cigarette will stain the fabric when getting wet, and the burning tip can scorch the fabric. The stains from tabaco are very difficult to remove as the coloration can enlarge when becoming wet again. Burning tips of a cigarette can burn the fabric of the interior, which requires a local repair or replacing the entire seat cover.

Removing cigarette stain

Stains can be difficult to remove, because the tabaco acts in a similar way as tea does when it gets wet. Just as tea colors hot water, the tabaco colors any liquid it comes into contact with. This coloration is then transferred onto the fabrics of the interior, creating a stain. Cleaning this requires a strong cleaning product such as an APC or degreaser. Certain organic products (such as an enzyme cleaner) have been reported to have a good effect on these as well. For old stains, several steps might be needed. The stains on leather can be impossible to fully remove as the staining acts like a die that soaks into the leather. The only option would be to remove the colored coating and recoat/repaint the leather in this area.

removing cigarette burn

A cigarette burn is damage to the surface itself. It is not a stain that can be removed, but a physical damage of the fabric itself. Cleaning can help to make the burn less visible, but if the damage isn’t repaired completely, the damage will still be present. Certain pecialists are capable of replacing small patches of fabric, but this will be much more difficult with leather or leatherette. In cases of larger burns, it is probably easier or cheaper to fully remove the seat cover and replace it with a new one.

Different related articles

  • How to cleaning chrome
    Correction
    Although polishing chrome is often considered to be the same as polishing metal, there is a slight difference. Because chrome has more of a mirror shine, imperfections are much easier to see with the naked eye. Making it more difficult to achieve a perfect result....
  • Finish Kare Products Inc
    Manufacturers
    Finish Kare is a detailing products manufacturer that started out creating mold release products. The step into car wax for protective purposes was a small change that was easy enough to make. The brand now offers a small range of cleaning, polishing, protecting and perfecting surfaces for both car and marine detailing....
  • What is road spray
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    Road spray is a dirty mist of contaminants in the air, thrown up by a vehicle driving over the road. Road spray is partly the cause for traffic film and can cause dirt and grime, even when the weather has been dry and there is no obvious origin for dirt on a vehicle....
  • The carwash
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    Although carwashes are very popular, they are not the place where detailers are found. There is a reason why detailers don't like a carwash. The art called detailing/valeting is very different to the service that is offered by a carwash....
  • The best polish
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best polish". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....
  • The best dressing
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best dressing". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....

Links to this article

There are no external links to this article. Yet.
Sidebar



Stay up to date with our free newsletter
Always be the first to know about new updates, articles and other informative content.
Don't miss out, opt in!
We respect your privacy. No data is used for anything other than sending the newsletter!