What good is a speeding roadster, a luxurious sedan, or a powerful SUV if the inside of it smells like death? Sure you’ve got all that power under the hood, but if a nasty smell hangs inside the cabin, would you even get inside to drive? Maybe in certain circumstances when you’ve no choice, you’d still drive in a nasty-smelling vehicle. But the thing is: you don’t have to suffer through that.
Lots of stuff can be done in order to prevent and even completely get rid of any and all nasty odors haunting the inside of your cabin. In fact, here’s a short list of how to do just that:
1) Lock those windows and doors, preventing rain, bugs, small critters, and whatever
else from leaving a nasty surprise in your car. Rainwater seeping into the
windows means the smell of fresh mildew in the morning. Likewise, dead bugs and
small animal droppings can really “freshen” up the cabin. So, never ever forget
to close your windows all the way and lock your doors before leaving your car
alone.
2) Open the windows if you smoke in your car as cigarette smoke is notorious for
clinging onto soft, cottony fabrics—which is what basically covers most of your
car’s interior.
3) Make sure you always leave your interior clean and free from anything perishable. A
piece of pizza or a donut can easily transform into a small ecosystem if left
overnight in the right conditions. If you forget to take note of this, you
won’t soon forget the odor it’ll leave in your cabin.
It’s just a matter of basic hygiene and responsible car ownership. Keep your car clean and you won’t be bothered by any odors. But if we’re pass that and you’re now forced to deal with these nasty odors, here are some quick and cheap remedies you can do to fix the situation:
1) Baking soda isn’t just for baking. Take a small to medium sized box of it, open it,
and leave it in the car overnight. It’ll suck the odors right out of your car.
If you’re willing to clean up the mess afterwards, you can even spread the
baking soda around a bit, making the process even more effective.
2) Charcoal is another effective solution. Take a medium-sized basin and fill it in with
different sizes of charcoal—from nearly powdered to almost rock-like. Like the
baking soda, the charcoal will slowly siphon in the offending odors.
If all else fails, turn-over the inside of your cabin. Have the seat covers cleaned, the floors swept, and the seats vacuumed. If that doesn’t do the trick, we suggest seeing a professional.
The ‘trick’ here is to just keep your car clean. Basic car hygiene goes a long way in preventing bad odors from causing bad driving experiences. So don’t just worry about what’s under the hood: follow our tips to keep your car fresh and healthy both inside and outside.
