Yahoo Finance How Do You Get Rid Of A Bad Smell Inside Of A Car? Question Of The Day
Even the worst interiors can be overhauled and cleaned up to rid it of unsavory scents.
Photo by Taylor Alton / Flicker
Question: How can I get a bad smell out of my car?
Answer: Ah, the car smell. Most of the time we associate it with the spectacularly elusive “new car smell” we all crave. However, the majority of us are living with an entirely different scent and quite often, that can be really bad.
So it begs the question, how do you get rid of a vehicular stench? How can we get back to closed window nirvana without spending more than the car’s value to get there? What if it smells of something truly awful like an ashtray or, heaven forbid, vomit? According to the professionals, you start with elbow grease:
“We advise our customers to remove what they can by using warm water and several absorbent towels to prevent seepage,” says Ken Rosenfield, CEO of Detail USA. Seepage? The word alone is disturbing. None of us want seepage, so preventing that seems logical.
So let’s say we’ve done the best we can with the dreaded “seepage.” Then what?
According to Ray “The Car Guy” Shargel,who has helped Hollywood A-listers keep their cars stink-free for 20 years, the next step is a live enzyme.
“The most commonly known product is ‘Nature’s Miracle,’ found at most pet stores” he said. “After treating with the enzyme and letting sit for a few hours, you can shampoo.”
Yes, a few hours. Removing car stench is not for the faint of heart.
“It is an ozone generator and will work after the above (work) has been completed,” Shargel said. “The ozone generator is the best way to remove cigarette smells as well.”
These machines don’t come cheap, an ozone generator runs about $300 for a car-sized model. However, they are a well-documented way to remove vomit, pet scents and even the dreaded smoker’s mark on a vehicle.
According to blogger Fadra Nally, you may already have what it takes to tackle this like a pro.
”You know that hot water carpet cleaner you bought to clean up pet messes?” he asked. “Drag it outside and use the attachments on the mats, carpeting and even fabric seats. As for the smell, pretreating the area (something enzymatic or with an oxygen boost) will help.”
Photo by Quinn Dombrowski / Flickr
One more thing you shouldn’t ignore? Smells settle in the ceiling, according to Anna Anton, of Earth Car Wash.
“I’ve seen this 100 times where people call us after they detail their car elsewhere and ask us to do something about it,” she said. “And it’s always the ceiling.”
She recommends steam cleaning to avoid any lingering odors.
Hopefully that will be enough to make it through another winter without requiring cracked-open windows. And hopefully, by next year, all the evidence of that time little Jimmy got the stomach flu on the way home from Grandma’s house will be history.
We’re scouring the Internet to uncover interesting questions that people have posted looking for advice from the unwashed masses. We will contact experts to give you well-researched, professional advice. You can also submit questions to autos_qotd@yahoo.com.
