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New Car SmellHelp! Help! I miss that new car smell! The inside of my ride smells like armpit or worse yet ashtray! How do I get back that new car smell or at least get rid of that gross smell that lives in my car? Here's some ideas to help.
* This is one of the most common smells that people find offensive. Does your car smell OK until you turn on the AC? Do you smell mold, mildew or a rotting smell as the AC starts to cool your vehicle? If you answered "YES" to these questions then you've probably got mold, mildew or some kind of smelly stuff(like cigarette smoke residue), growing in your air conditioner drain or air ducts that you need to clean out. Don't suffer from these smells anymore and don't use Lysol or Oust or other room air fresheners. Check out
Clean Air Duct Treatment
for cars. It will get rid of the smells and I think it kills the bacterias, moldies and mildewies! And while you're at it make sure your A/C drain tubes are clean or you'll end up with water in your front floor pans. (1) Soak a paper towel with white vinegar, place in an open plastic baggie and leave in your smelly car overnight. Repeat if necessary. (2) Put some fresh coffee grounds, baking soda or orange/lemon peel in an old sock(or cheesecloth or coffee filter), tie the sock shut and leave in your car overnight. Leave in as long as neccessary but remember the coffee and citrus will eventually mold and should be replaced frequently. (3) Kitty litter, 20 Mule Team Borax or baking soda can be spread on your car mats and left overnight or preferably for a couple of days. Just make sure to sweep the stuff up before you next use your vehicle. (4) Cut a fresh loaf of French bread in half and leave in your car or truck overnight. If it doesn't work and the bread still smells OK you can make French Toast for breakfast. (5) Leave a couple of eucalyptus leaves laying around in your car. Change them every one to three weeks to maximize their deodorizing effects. (6) Chemical air fresheners or air cleaners like Febreeze, Lysol and Oust may work to remove your car or truck smells but are objectionable to many people with allergies, asthma or similar medical conditions. (7)
Perky Pucks
made by NonScents Ltd. absorb nasty smells and organics from the air and are used in cars, refrigerators, at home and even in food preparation areas. They may take awhile to remove odors but they get good reviews from their users.
Uh, oh !!! Didn't get that new car smell back? The Quick Fix didn't work! Here are some better ideas for getting rid of that smell in your car or truck. In other words let's do a diy car detailing! First Step : For heavens sake, your car isn't a junkyard or garbage pile. Remove all trash, leftover food and non-essential items from your car or truck. No wonder the new car smell is gone! Carefully vacuum your floors, carpeting, seats and upholstery, trim and the rest of your vehicle interior. Use Windex or other window cleaner and make sure the glass inside your vehicle is spotless. Second Step : Clean your car mats and carpeting as described on the Clean Car Mats and Clean Car Carpeting pages. Third Step : Clean your seats, upholstery, trim and vehicle interior with Murphy's oil soap, ArmorAll Multi Purpose Car Cleaner or other commercial product designed to clean vehicle interiors. Alternately you can use a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide to clean a lot of vehicle interior surfaces. Fourth Step : Change your vehicles cabin air filter, if it has one. All kinds of dead leaves, engine dirt, mold and nasty smells end up in my cabin air filter. I change it two times a year, once on the vernal equinox and once on the autumnal equinox. Finally use a new car smell scented product to restore your ride to virgin condition. Last Step : Allow your vehicles interior to completely dry and air out. If low levels of nasty smells persist try one or more of the Quick Fixes above. If nothing else works then .... THE LAST RESORT : Many truck and car detailing shops use Steam Cleaning Machines that can get in all the cracks and crevices you can't and steam out gunk, tar and smells you never knew existed. They also use car and truck detailing products and supplies that are commercial strength. Some detailing shops also use ozone generation machines which are particularly effective in killing bad smells and getting that new car smell back for you. Truck and car detailing prices usually fall between $150 and $300 depending on the size of your vehicle and the machines and products used.
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