When you first purchased your beloved car, you probably couldn't get enough of that fresh, clean new car smell. After months or years of everyday use, however, your car's interior may have taken on other, less welcome odors, spoiling your driving enjoyment and causing embarrassment when transporting passengers.
You can do an efficient job of eliminating or reducing unpleasant car cabin odors once you understand why they occur, what structures may trap or exude certain kinds of smells, and what some smart strategies are for dealing with different odor-causing issues. Take a look at four common problems and their solutions.
1. Dog Odors
If your dog travels with you in your car, they may leave the cabin with the characteristic, sometimes overpowering smell associated with these companion pets. A mix of natural skin oils and dander (dead skin cells) produces this smell. Dogs can also have toilet accidents in the car, leaving the rank odor of urine in upholstery or carpeting.
The most important step in getting those dog odors out of your car involves cleaning cabin surfaces thoroughly to remove oils, dander, and urine. Try shampooing fabrics with a shampoo specially designed to remove pet odor. Professionals may need to employ steam cleaning or wet-vac methods for best results.
If you don't have to deal with urine or other dog leavings, you may find that you can control dog odors by placing natural odor-absorbing substances inside the cabin. Examples include charcoal, baking soda, and bread crumbs. You can remove odors from vinyl surfaces by spraying them with diluted vodka or white vinegar.
2. Food and Drink
No matter how carefully you eat or drink in your car, you can easily spill condiments, handheld snacks such as chips or candy, and drinks such as coffee or soda. Smoked meats, spicy dishes, and fast food selections such as burgers and fries can prove especially obnoxious as they lie on cabin surfaces or get trapped beneath seats.
Even if you've tried the odor-absorbing materials above, you may find that you still have a lingering food odor issue. Remove the floor mats and search the carpets for any bits of food hiding underneath them. Check under the seats and between seat cushions for any food products that require removal.
3. Mold and Mildew
When mold or mildew thrives inside your car, the cabin can take on an overpowering musty odor. In some cases, this problem may stem from damp carpeting or fabric seats, since mold grows readily in warm, moist environments. Moldy odors can also emanate from the dashboard's air conditioning vents.
Professional steam cleaning with carpet cleaner can get rid of mold and mildew on your cabin fabrics. However, you must then allow the interior to dry thoroughly. Lower the windows to let air circulate, with or without the aid of fans. Consider swapping out fabric floor mats with mold-resistant rubber alternatives.
If your mold smell comes from the air conditioning vents, you may need to treat the dashboard with a professional-grade antifungal spray. If window or trunk leaks permit water to enter your car, get a body shop technician to find and fix those leaks to stop the problem from recurring.
4. Tobacco Smoke
Whether you smoke tobacco products or you give rides to someone who does, you likely know how easily smoke odors can permeate a car cabin. Even when uninhabited for long stretches of time, a smoker's car may still retain that characteristic smell until you or your detailing experts take action to clear it out.
Smoke odor removal requires the most thorough cleaning and vacuuming job possible, since even a trace of ash left behind can keep smelling up the car. Once you've eliminated every bit of the ash, place deodorizing agents such as baking soda, citrus fruit rinds, coffee grounds, or cinnamon sticks in the cabin.
When an annoying or disgusting smell in your vehicle defies your best efforts to remove it,
reach out to Grand Prix Car Wash for expert help. Our state-of-the-art interior detailing skills, tools, and products can clean your car and leave it smelling fresher than ever.
