Air-conditioning critical to cleaning process

Brian Hollar, a diagnostician and auto technician at Auto Tech on Red Hills Road, St Andrew, explained the car-cleaning process to get rid of smoke to Automotives. "First thing you need to pay attention to is the air-conditioning, because the vapours get trapped on the evaporator core. There is a special chemical that you can use to bore holes in the evaporator core, because the core is right under the car dash, and spray it in there. It is a foam that will kill whatever bacteria that is lingering," he said.

"Then there is another chemical that you spray in all vents and outside, depending on what car it is. And what they would actually do is clean the seats with a seat cleaner or take it to a car wash. Let them shampoo the seats. Take out the seats and shampoo them and leave them out in the sun, but you have to do it early in the morning on a day when the sun is hot and give it a day or two for it to dry properly and reinstall it and then use like Febreeze and spray the seats," he said.

Hollar said the roof of the car would have to be wiped thoroughly as well. "The same Febreeze can be sprayed on top because on the roof of the car there is a lining. So you have to spray that and wipe it as well because that is fabric and you'll get rid of the smoke," Hollar said.

He added: "If the dealer is going to sell it back, the best thing for them is to vacuum and spray the interior with a disinfectant to kill the bacteria in the carpet and stuff."