cleaning out car from smoke smell/quitting update

[Zoe Girl]

Now that I can smell better I can smell the car that is infused with residual smoke smell. I did the basic wipe down with clothes, I have leather seats so was able to do that. Now I am taking glass cleaner to the inside and I read about using baking soda on the carpets and even the inside top. I need to vacuum however and the vacuums at the car washes are kinda sucky. I have an amazing vacuum but no place to plug it in. Not sure how to find an outside power plug living on the 3rd floor of an apartment building.

So I am thinking about managing today by lots of cleaning, and buying new bras. Yeah that is fun! But cleaning seems like a good idea to clear out old stuff, trip to goodwill with stuff and stuff in the car being cleaned out. I did some yoga today, focusing on breathing more, staying away from my own kids since they all smoke, and getting some great healthy food. I am irritable, too many cats in my house, too much kitchen mess, too much work to get ready for a conference that I really am excited about. I am taking some type of headache medicine every day (I like the fizzy kind), but the breathing is improving and the stomach problems. On the breathing I have been tracking my peak flow (for asthma) and I am down to 200 today, I want to keep at at least 300. So it is so frustrating to not be great at breathing while taking out the smoking. I may take my inhaler so I can take walks and the stairs at my apartment.

Thank you all for listening

[Chicken lady]

How hard that you have to avoid your kids.

it will take time for your lungs to recover - it is great that your sense of smell is coming back though!

Also so cool that you are getting inspired to clean up and clear out, it seems like the lift from positive changes in one area is carrying over to inspire more positive change! Nice!

[rosarugosa]

ZG: When we quit smoking, we had been smoking in our 1995 Saturn for 17 years. There was no getting the smell out of that car, but it did dissipate over time since we weren't adding to it. We kept the car for 2 more years before retiring it.

[mschrisgo2]

I helped a friend clean out an apartment where smokers had lived for 6 years. The recommended product was "Awesome!" We bought it at the Dollar Store, $1/quart in spray bottle. It actually dissolved the residue, then to be wiped away with paper towels. (paper towels, because using cloth and rinsing them out to keep going released such noxious substance into the air, Yuck!)

We used it on every hard surface, except the windows, where we also used a product called "Awesome for Glass" also from the dollar store. It was slow going, but highly effective.

BTW, we both wore masks, as we are both sensitive to cigarette smoke.

[Zoe Girl]

Rosa, I may not get 100% of it out but at least so it is not triggering me when I smell it. At first I could not smell it, but now when on a warm day it has a smell. I can't totally blame myself because my son smoked in it. Now he has his own car so I can actually reduce the lingering smoke smell

[flowerseverywhere]

You should revoke your cats. I know people will,disagree with me but since we have been animal free I have gotten to breathe so much better. I never smoked but have awful asthma. Simplify your life as much as possible.

[JaneV2.0]

I would revoke the kids' smoking privileges long before I'd throw away a companion animal. I have a (smoking) friend whose cat developed COPD from second-hand smoke.

[Zoe Girl]

My kids only smoke outside or in their own cars, so it is not too hard to avoid them. But when they all get together at my house they hang out outside and smoke. I never have allowed it inside even during the time I did. They have never broken that rule so the air is clean inside.

My old kitty is lovely, doing very well and healthy at 14 years. The other cats are well taken care of by my son and girlfriend. I don't have a cat allergy issue, I am exercise and virus induced with my asthma, I was diagnosed when I had bronchitis and then it flared with running. So I might as well keep my kitty.

[flowerseverywhere]

I would revoke the kids' smoking privileges long before I'd throw away a companion animal. I have a (smoking) friend whose cat developed COPD from second-hand smoke.
I meant re home. My asthma was induced by second hand smoke, but as I aged it has gotten worse and worse. Giving up our animals was very difficult but there are many recommendations allergy and asthma experts are getting rid of carpets, dust, dirt, furry animals, molds. The cleaner my environment the better I can breathe. It is not popular to get rid of animals but for some of us it is very helpful.

[Zoe Girl]

Yeah! My peak flow was at 300 this evening without medicine. Trying not to check all the time but it encourages me to see progress.

[Tammy]

I've had asthma since 1980s. Don't skimp on your rescue inhaler. I know the feeling well - "if I can just get by without it I must be getting better!" But I learned that if I was trying to not use it, that meant I needed it. Because I was thinking about whether I needed it, due to actually needing it. When days would go by without a thought of it, then I knew that I really was breathing well without it because it never entered my mind. Peak flows of course confirmed these ideas/thoughts/feelings with objective measures.

It's hard on one's heart and lungs to struggle. It's better to use the albuterol when you need it.

As an aside, after daily asthma meds for over 20 years (long acting inhalers with rescue as needed) I have been off all meds for over six months now. Allergy shots have gotten to the root cause for me. It took 3 years of allergy shots with gradual improvement over time - I never thought I'd be off all medication. I'm still amazed by this development. I feel great.

Good job on the quitting smoking, 👍🏻

[Zoe Girl]

Great Tammy, I have times I don't even think about it either. But if I start to get tickles in my throat I know to keep it on me. I have a very small purse at work that holds my 2 cells phones, the inhaler and some kleenex so I am prepared. I had an asthma test a few months ago and I was rated mild, of course I had not smoked in a month as well.

I love albuterol, and I haven't needed any additional medication for a long time. I would probably need more if I was actively trying to run but that medicine cost $150 a month to get under 10 minute miles. I can still walk and run, but it isn't always in my control how fast. I have not had any issues with albuterol being a lot except when I am really sick and taking it all the time, or when I used a nebulizer. I have a heart thing that is benign, just sometimes my heart rate shoots up to 150/160 bpm while not doing any activity. I think that overall too much caffeine can affect it and I have noticed a hormonal connection. I have read that as my brain weans off the nicotine I will feel the effects of caffeine more and so I can drink less. But I realize this is a long process with many causes, and so one step at a time really.

[Float On]

Hey Zoe, you might get some regular charcoal briquettes and place them on the floorboards of the car for awhile. They do a great job of pulling odors. It may be hard to get the baking soda on the cloth roof liner but maybe spraying some diluted vinegar would help. Congrats on taking such efforts to rid your life of cigarettes. Also, go ahead and replace the air filter in the car and there is an air intake under the hood that you could spray some diluted vinegar into while the car is running and AC or Heat is on, apparently cigarette smoke saturates the air vents. Do you have any friends with a garage or an outdoor plug where you could use your good vacuum? I agree that most at the car washes are not worth the 75cents it takes to turn them on.

[ToomuchStuff]

There is an area that once the smell gets into, you are pretty well stuck; the a/c heater system. If you have a vehicle that has a "cabin air filter" then you can get to that area, and I seem to remember they sold some higher end filters that might help. But there are still a lot of vehicles that don't have one of those. (those it would take physically removing the dash, completely)

[Zoe Girl]

Thank you, The charcoal sounds like a good idea and the air filter. I am trying not to have the pity party about honestly not having friends I could borrow an outlet from. When I drive up to see my sister I could use her outlets. Also taking a road trip to Iowa for 5 generation photo, and if we take my car that will work.

The 'friend issue' really made the weekend long and quitting challenging, and I came to school today and saw the teacher I have made strong efforts at meeting for coffee or something but it is time to let that drop. Geez, do people actually intend to get together when they say they will or are they are just being nice and then blowing you off? That is way off -topic. I have one person I have offered to meet for coffee, not go to his house, but he is a smoker so I am nervous. And I will just tell him that directly rather than stringing this out. This related to quitting because I don't feel like being nice today or in general.

[JaneV2.0]

Aren't there car washes nearby that have vacuums available?