How to Keep Your Car Smelling Fresh While Road Tripping

Old banana peels, apple cores, fast-food wrappers and stale cigarette butts are just a few of the items that can make you turn up your nose while driving. Keep your car's interior fresh and your trip will be much more enjoyable for you and your passengers.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fabric Protection Sprays
• Air Fresheners
• Carpet Shampoos
• Disinfectant Sprays
• Stain Removers
• Odor-neutralizer
• Trash Bags
• Trash Bags

1. Spray a stain repellent (such as Scotch Guard) on your carpet and upholstery before you go. This will make accidents easier to clean up along the way.

2. Keep a large trash bag in the car. Instruct everyone to put trash directly into the bag. Bring extras so when one gets filled you can dump it and start another.

3. Clean out the car at every stop. Get rid of trash, empty ashtrays and check under the seats for stray French fries or juice bottles - they'll start to smell if not picked up.

4. Make frequent stops. If a small child wets his or her pants in the back seat, you will have an upholstery odor problem that will be difficult to fix.

5. Keep smoking to a minimum. Nothing sours the air faster than cigarette smoke, and carpets and upholstery will absorb the smell.

6. Eat outside of the car whenever possible. Spills and odors are inevitable if everyone's eating lunch in the car; stopping at a picnic or rest area to eat will help eliminate accidents.

7. Consider using an air freshener. These come in spray bottles, or are designed to hang from your rearview mirror. Citrus smells are popular - and effective in eliminating minor odors - but these days you can get them in just about any fragrance.

8. Use aromatherapy to keep the car smelling fresh and to help you along the way. Diffusers (like DriveTime Aromatherapy Air Freshener, which you can find online) can be plugged into the car's cigarette lighter and filled with aromatherapy oils.

9. Have the car cleaned thoroughly when you return from your trip. This includes getting the carpet and upholstery vacuumed and shampooed, and treating any residual stains and odors.

Tips & Warnings

• Be especially watchful of children, who are more apt than adults to spill things in the car.
• Some people find that strong citrus fresheners irritate the nasal passages. Use something else if this is a problem.
• Carry an odor remover with you in the car. Spray it on fabrics or carpet to eliminate odors.
• Hanging air fresheners will not remove odors caused by smoking, mildew or vomiting in the car. You will need to use a powerful fabric stain and/or odor remover to get rid of these, and they should be applied as soon as an odor or stain is detected. Go to a professional auto detailer if you can't deal with the problem yourself.

on 3/8/2006 The best way that I have found to absolutely remove odors in a car is to close all windows and spray a small amount of Ozium near the center of the interior of the car. Wait at least five minutes, then open some windows to to let the Ozium out a few minutes before occupying the vehicle. Ozium is dangerous to breathe, so make sure the car is not occupied when spraying. I like to do it after I park the car overnight. Ozium is an eliminator, not a cover-up. It works well in the house, too. You can buy it at WalMart and auto supply stores.

on 11/22/2005 To keep your car smelling fresh, use a dryer sheet under the seats. Any scent you choose will do.

on 11/22/2005 Place a small amount of baking soda in your ashtrays - this will absorb the odors of cigarettes and other odors. Ashtrays must be left open a little for this to work.

on 11/22/2005 Fill your ashtrays with powdered carpet fresheners: They put a light scent in the air & they make putting out cigarettes faster & easier. Also, they keep your car from getting that "dirty ashtray" smell. Baking soda is an excellent unscented substitute.

on 11/22/2005 Put a little sand, then a layer of baking soda in your ash tray. Then put a few drops of your favorite after shave or perfume on the baking soda. Smells good & when you put out a cigarette it releases a pleasant smell also.