How to Remove Car Smells
January 20th, 2015 by Eli P
How to Remove Car Smells
Your car has seen a lot, been many places, and could probably tell some pretty good stories (if it could). From kids tossing food around to those car rides with the dog, those unnamable odors that just seem to appear with time—cars don’t often smell the best. Invariably, it’s a different odor each time, depending on who, or what, was in there last. If you’re in search of a breath of fresh air we’ve compiled a list of tips to get your car from “malodorous” to magnificent, in no time!
Check Your Cabin Filter
Getting rid of odor isn’t that daunting. The first place to start—and many drivers may not even realize they have one—is the cabin air filter. Located inside the vehicle, usually on the passenger side, the cabin air filter traps dust, mold, pollen and other contaminants and prevents them from entering the interior. Like any filter, it needs to be changed regularly, particularly if you’re noticing some funky smells. Check your owner’s manual to figure out where your particular model keeps its air filter.
Vacuum Your Car
While the air filter is out, vacuum the filter compartment—you might be surprised at what you find! Next, remove the floor mats and give the interior, including seats, compartments, cup holders and floor, a thorough vacuuming to remove the dirt, food, dog hair and whatever else it may have collected—you’d be surprised what you’ll find. It doesn’t take long for these foreign substances to join arms in the battle against your nose. Warm weather especially can change your “new-car smell” into “eww what smells?”
Wipe Down Your Dashboard
Next, give your interior surfaces a nice wipe down. Work from the top down, so that any dirt wiped off the headrests or sun visors will fall down onto a still-dirty surface that hasn’t been cleaned yet. Because every vehicle has hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, use an interior detail brush to pry out the remnants of last months’ bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit from the cup holder, seat creases and wherever else it might be lurking. Remember, the goal here is to be the smell eliminator, and by getting rid of this debris, you get rid of odor. Don’t mask the source of that smell. Get rid of it!
Get an Air Freshener
Finally, use an air freshening product to give the interior a fresh, clean smell. And because there are so many scent choices, this might actually prove to be the toughest step for you. First, you have to decide if you want an air freshener that you place in your vehicle’s vents, or one that a lot of drivers hang from a rear-view mirror, or even a little tub of freshener that emits scents based on how much you open the lid. New car, cherry, outdoor breeze, rain, jasmine or fresh linen? Your nose is the limit!
Other Options
If you have a persistent odor, it might be time to bring in the artillery. Get your car detailed by a professional. However, for a cheaper option, there are several ‘Odor Bombs’ that can give you an extra weapon in your fight against bad smells. Websites like Amazon offer a huge variety of options so have some fun and experiment—because let’s face it, when it comes to getting rid of odor, anything is better than a wet-dog, mildew, bottom-of-the-shoe, old Happy Meal smell greeting you every time you open the car door.
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