“It’s not a storage unit.” She also recommends picking up a portable trashcan to keep garbage corralled. “I have a policy not to leave stuff in the car,” says Maker. When it comes to cutting down on stench, simply keeping garbage to a minimum can help. They can clean the vents and change your cabin air filter, so you’ll be breathing in nothing but fresh air. For nasty smells that just won’t quit, says Maker, you’ll need to consult an auto professional. These tricks are temporary fixes, though. Or to attack the smell closer to the source, Maker likes to put essential oils on a clothespin and clip it to the vent.
You can buy a filter online or at a pet store and leave it in a concealed space like the side pocket of the driver door under the handle to help soak up bad smells. “Activated charcoal is a great deodorizer,” says Maker. For the short term, you can mask the smell with a few easy tricks. If your vents are dirty, then the air being pumped into your car’s interior is going to smell terrible too. (It works on any upholstered surface.) Sprinkle some on the offending spots, let it sit for a half hour, then vacuum up the powder-and the odor along with it. If the smell goes beyond the mat and has seeped through onto the fabric below, a little baking soda can work wonders, according to Maker. Just make sure to avoid sleepy scents like lavender pick something invigorating, like citrus or peppermint. “It lasts longer in the mat’s fibers and will help keep things fresh,” Maker says. Before putting them back, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. With more stubborn smells, Maker recommends spritzing the mats with a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar, giving them a good scrub, rinsing with water, and letting the mats air-dry to dissipate the vinegar smell. For dry messes, shake out your mats and give them a good vacuuming. So give these dirt collectors the deep clean they need. The great thing about car mats is that they’re removable. “It might seem like an onerous task, but cleaning your upholstery is going to have a huge effect on the way that it smells,” says Maker. Still won’t come out? Break out a carpet shampooer. For trickier messes, try the hose attachment on a vacuum cleaner. With fabric seats, you may be able to address the problem with a lint roller, particularly if it’s a dry substance like dirt or pet hair. For leather upholstery, there’s not much more you can do on your own than wipe it down, but leather generally doesn’t hang on to odor the same way cloth does, Maker says. Once you get home, the real deep clean can begin.
Plus, they’re handy for everyday tidying, like a dusty dashboard.
Maker stashes a microfiber cloth in her glove compartment for just such occasions: cleans up the mess in a pinch.
Whether they’re from crumbs, dirt or liquids, messes on your seat cushions can be a real pain to get out, consequently turning the upholstery into an incubator of stink. Here are some simple and effective strategies to combat the prime culprits.
And thanks to the confined area, common smells can quickly intensify, turning an unwanted scent into a stench.īut no need to call in a pro to clear the air: Some household tools you probably already own can purge pungent odors-and help to ward off future ones. “Our cars are really just microcosms of our homes,” says Melissa Maker, the author of Clean My Space. And all that multitasking can lead to some pretty funky smells. Your car isn’t just a car-depending on the day, it can be a dining room for a quick bite (while parked, of course), a place for the kids to catch up on the latest shows, a shuttle to your dog’s vet, you name it.