Cars are basically confined spaces with absorbent seating where majorly the whole family crams. It is totally unsurprising that it may lead to bad smell and poor odor seeping in your car and staying there for long.
If it is winters, then you can’t even pull down your windows to get some fresh air. Smoking, drinking and eating and passengers with bad hygiene can overall lead to bad odor in your car.
However, you can definitely make your car smell fresh and good. But first, you need to deal with the issues which make your car stinky and bad.
Contents: Quick Overview
What Causes Bad Smell in Car?
There may be various reasons for your car smelling bad. Some of them include:
Smoking
No matter you smoke one cigarette in your car or a pack of it; it is enough to make your car cheeky.
It permeates the upholstery cushion and is very difficult to wipe out. It is one of the biggest complains in second-hand car owners.
Animal alerts
Animal hygiene is very important if you like to carry your furry friend with you in the car.
If your dog is wet or has defecated in your car, then the smell is terrible. Make sure you put a blanket on the seat before your pet sits in the car.
Eating habits
If you eat in the car, then whether it is a cookie or a sandwich, the smell is bound to stay for long. The smell of hot and spicy food items like curry can directly enter your car and may find it hard to leave.
And, if there is a spillage, then they are the worst culprit. Lastly, you never want to spill any dairy product in your car. The smell is literally horrendous and very difficult to remove.
Close windows
If you are in a poor location with dumps or farmhouses, then it is advisable to keep your windows up.
These smell if get inside the car is very difficult to remove.
Gym or sports session
Whether driving back from a sports session or gym hour or picking your kid after a football game, sweaty bodies can make your car smell fad.
Make sure you sit on a newspaper or a blanket after attending a sport session or a gym.
7 Best Ways to Get Rid of Bad Odor in Your Car
With so many things leading to foul smell in the car, you do have remedies to get rid of them.
Some of them are mentioned below:
1- Keep the air fresh
One of the major recommendations is to use an air freshener inside the car. You can use vent clips which last longer and work better.
Though it is a temporary fix and dissipates like spraying a perfume on someone.
2- Keep the windows open
A pungent smell can often get stacked because of lack of proper air circulation in the car.
Open the windows firstly when you sit in the car to lower the intensity of the smell and allow the fresh air to enter the car and circulate.
Keep the windows rolled down for some time and if you have parked your car at a safe place, then let the windows be open.
3- Use car diffuser and ionizer
The smell of a new car is amazing, but it doesn’t remain for too long.
However, if you use a car diffuser or a car ionizer, then it eventually destroys all the causes of bad odor and keeps your car fresh and clean all the time just like a new one.
Using a good aroma diffuser for your car actually makes the air of your car aromatic as well as healthy and safe.
This kind of diffusers work with a simple USB port and are safe to use even if you left them unattended.
You just need to put some drops of essential oils and plug it into the cigarette outlet. That’s all!
4- Absorb the foul odor
You can use vinegar, coffee grounds and keep them in your car overnight to make it absorb all the lingering scent of your car. You can also buy a small car air purifier and plug it inside your car.
If your car has a bad smell, then sprinkle some baking soda on your car seats and floor mats.
Allow it to rest for a few hours and then vacuum the powder. Baking soda will absorb humidity and bad odor of the car
5- Use dryer sheets
Rub the upholstery and floor mats with dryer sheets. It keeps your car smell good and clean, especially during the summers.
Make sure that you buy a good quality fragrant dryer sheets and do not forget to keep one under each of your car seats.
6- Avoid these habits
There are several habits which make your car smelly. If you stop doing them, then your car will never smell foul.
- Do not eat in your car
- Do not smoke in your car
- Do not drink non-water drinks in your car
7- Clean your car regularly
If your car is stinking badly, then chances are that needs to be cleaned inside out.
Remove all the unneeded content from your car like an old tool kit, trash, clothes, dusting wipes, etc. Then clean everything thoroughly right from upholstery, floor mat, windows, dashboard, etc.
You can also vacuum your car on a monthly basis and make use of upholstery cleaning spray.
Wipe the glasses and dashboard with vinegar and make sure you dust wipe your car periodically.