Remember the very first time you take a whiff of your car's interior for the very first time? Of course, it's the scent of success and, to a certain extent, freedom. But after years of driving, your vehicle may get to attract odors. These odors may be products of what you do inside your car, while some pop merely out of nowhere. Car odors can be a tough thing to get and, if you're not going to get rid of it, can deteriorate your car's value. This problem can be pernicious if you're planning to resell it. As mentioned, there are so many reasons why car cabins smell, so we're playing your sidekick here and help you eliminate the most common car odor causes.
You may not be able to bring back that "scent of success" 100%, but at least the odors are gone, keeping your car's health on point for a more enjoyable, odor-free ride each time.
When you can smell something but you're not sure where it's coming from, it can get very annoying. When this happens, you don't have much choice but to play detective. You have to investigate and check on every corner to find where the smell is coming from. Prime locations to check are under the seats, floor mats, pockets, and even in the glove compartment. At times, your passengers may hide some perishables inside those places and forget about it. Once you find the culprit, immediately take that object away and let the doors open to dissipate the bad odor.
When you've looked on those areas and still can find anything, the smell may come from the engine. If it smells like someone's about to fry something, it may be due to an overheating engine, or the oil is already dirty. Check your engine for problems or have an oil change if it's necessary.
An image of a person smoking while driving may seem "rebellious cool" to some. But it doesn't smell as good as it looks. Cigarette smoke is not just an awful smell, it's an awful smell that lingers for a long while. One way to get rid of this is to quit. Cigarette smoking is not just bad for your health, but it's also bad for your car (click on the link to know why). If that bit is a hard thing to do, you can start by cleaning the interior to get rid of the butts and ashes. After that, clean the surfaces with a warm and wet towel, but you may need a steam cleaner if the odor is off the roof. To lessen the odor, if not eliminate, you can also use chemical spray cleaners. However, use these chemical sprays with caution as it can discolor fabric seats and other surfaces.
Check with your owner's manual for special care instructions. Your cleaning may do more harm than good, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
Just when you thought you're going to have a fresh cool air coming out of your car's AC, you're greeted with that thick, musty, off-putting odor instead. There are certain occasions and reasons as to why car AC smells the way it does. But the number one culprit would be the bacteria and mold breeding in the AC system due to the moisture it provides. To get rid of that smell that weirdly reminds you of a dirty gym locker room, you can use some car vent odor eliminator available in most auto shops.
But when the odor is still there after countless attempts to spray it away, you might want to have it checked by your trusty mechanic or a qualified service center. The bacteria and mold might have made an empire out of your car vents, so you may need experts to handle the problem.
When the smell of your cabin reminds you of that grilled chicken and beef curry you ate about two weeks ago, you have a problem. Food odors vary; some stay for just a quick time you won't even notice while some linger forever you'd consider it a family. And because of this, there are many methods to eliminate food odors in vehicles.
The easiest one to eliminate is the food odor coming from containers. Again, wear your detective hat and find where the source of the odor is coming from. Get rid of it right away once found. The second one is the spilled food odor, and this one is the harder one to remove. Food spills such as sauces and oils can seep through leather and fabric, which will then stays longer than it should. When this happens, clean the area where the spill happened. You can use warm water and cloth with a few drops of bleach or chemical sprays (again, use with caution). If the damage is too big, you have to take it to a car service center and let the expert mechanics handle the gunky situation.
If you own a "good boi", you're probably in this situation most of the time. Not only does it stink sometimes, but dogs can sometimes leave a ball full of hairs, its body scent, and some other inexplicable stuff. The only good thing about this is that at least you have an excuse if someone asks you why your car stinks. But who has the time to explain? As a philosopher once said, "Ain't nobody got time for that!" The solution? Most car owners swear by white vinegar mixed with equal parts of water. Combine the two and spray it in the car. The dog smell should be gone once it dries up. White vinegar and water mixture also works with meat and fish odors.
If you don't like the sour smell vinegar gives off, you can opt for chemical cleaners, or you can bring your car to a service center for a well-deserved car pampering and freshening up. But if you don't mind the smell (the water neutralizes the acidic scent anyway), opt with using the vinegar. I mean, it's sitting in your kitchen.
Now that you know how to get rid of car odors, prevention is still much better than cure. And with that, here are some of the many ways you can prevent car odors from roaming around your car's interior circulation.
Clean Your Car Regularly. Cleaning your car's interior is pivotal to your car's health. But it's an activity that many drivers forget or tend to forget. Do this at least once a week or, if you don't have much time, once every other week. Make sure to clean the surface, pockets, leathers, and mats. Use a soft cloth with come cleaning solution. Make sure to get rid of tough stains. That way, you're not just making your car look spanking new, it also smells like you had just bought it yesterday.
Keep It Fresh-ener. If you want your vehicle to smell like a bucket of red, shiny, apples, a pine forest during springtime, or "black ice", you can use an air freshener. Air fresheners have been around for a very long while now, used by drivers the world over. Air fresheners come in different shapes and forms; you can use either a canister, a diffuser, or a hang-on. Some other fresheners also can eliminate odors though these varieties can come costly. The only thing to make sure is to use the one that doesn't have an overwhelming scent and a scent that you like.
Open Up Your Windows. Driving with your AC on is comfortable. But when it's not needed, you can turn the windows down instead. First, it saves you money through fuel economy while giving your cooling system a bit of a rest. Second, it gets rid of the trapped moisture inside your car, getting rid of the must smell in return. Third, you can have some moment to enjoy the fresh air and breeze flowing through - that is, if you're driving in the countryside.
Baking Soda Does Wonders. Have you ever wondered why moms keep a box of baking soda in their cupboard even though they don't bake regularly? That's because baking soda is an excellent cleaning, deodorizing, and antibacterial agent. That said, you can also use it for your car. To use baking soda, sprinkle the powder all over the cabin, brush it around to spread, leave it there for a while (we're talking about 30 minutes to an hour), and use a vacuum to clean it up. Now you have a germ-free, deodorized car.
And that's how you can get rid of car odors. Whether it's your favorite pet's scent or your favorite pizza you bought two weeks ago, there's something that can be done to eliminate the odors and make your car smell much better. If you want more car info, news, and tips, check our blog page by clicking here.
