How to Get Rid of a Bad Odor in a Car
There's a smell in your car. You may not be sure exactly what it is. Perhaps you're unsure where it's coming from. You simply know that it's not good. While air fresheners are nice, they basically work as a cover-up. They simply hide the smell. You probably want it eliminated completely. That means you'll need to get rid of the aroma. Unfortunately, depending on the nature and the severity of the source, this may take a little bit of odor-removal experimentation.
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Instructions
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Clean up the source. Locate the source of the smell by sniffing around the car. As repulsive as this may sound, it's really the only way to determine where the smell is coming from. Once you've located the source, clean it up. If it's an item that has spilled or rotted under a seat, remove it from the car. If it's something that has soaked into the upholstery, give it a good scrubbing with car upholstery cleaner. In the case of tobacco odors, you may need to steam clean the car's interior to completely remove the smell.
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Allow the area to dry thoroughly. Open all the windows and doors. You'll need to leave it supervised in this manner for a while. The car needs to air out before you proceed. Don't close the car up until the area is dry. If you do, you'll still smell traces of the original odor, and your car will smell musty.
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3
Try sprinkling coffee grounds on the stain. As they dry, they will absorb the smell of the original source. Better still, your car will smell life coffee for a while.
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Get an open bag of charcoal. Leave it in the car for a day or two. It will absorb the odors.
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Spritz vinegar on the upholstery to remove really tough smells. Although it makes your car smell a bit like pickles, it will also neutralize the original unpleasant odor.
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Tips & Warnings
Sometimes you just have to cut your losses. If your car has an odor that is really bad, you may want to consider getting rid of it. Decide whether or not you can live with the smell.
Be cautious of using spray-on fabric fresheners. These mask odors, but they don't eliminate them.
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Comments
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Try baking soda. It works in refrigerators. Sprinkle some on the carpets and vacuum up after a week or so. Leave a couple boxes in different areas. Get Wurth A/C and heating cleaner to kill mold spores. Check and make sure you don't have any wet spots in the car. Dry them out if you do.
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KenG
Sep 05, 2008
Here's another idea that I discovered. Found a product called Innofresh AUTO ODOR ELIMINATOR. completely unscented and no chemicals which I like. After reading some warning statements on other air fresheners, I tried this product. It's a special carbon filter that really got rid of odor from dog and other stuff. This is all I use in my car now. I bought it at Checker Auto
