Steps
- Clean your mats with a carpet cleaner and vacuum them. Even if you can't clean them at least vacuum them. This alone may help the smell.
- Spray fabric refresher on all car fabrics. If you can, get an antibacterial one, as these tend to work better with all smells. Spray on seats, floor mats and even seat belts. Dryer sheets, such as Bounce or Downy, also work to keep a car smelling fresh. Just place several sheets or a small, opened box of dryer sheets someplace in the car. When exposed to heat from the sun, the dryer sheets will release a fresh scent. A box of dryer sheets will freshen your car for a long time and will be less expensive than buying numerous "car fresheners" with artificial smells.
- Regularly clean out the car's ashtray. After cleaning it out, spray some ordinary air freshener into it out rub around with an absorbent kitchen paper. This will leave a thin layer of the air freshener in the ash tray. It's not enough for it to be flammable but enough to have a pleasant scent.
- Always have a hanging car freshener or one of those fan ones that clip onto the car's air vents.
- If the odor is particularly pervasive, consider spraying a highly diluted cleaner (Lysol, very low concentration bleach water, etc) through the heater ducts. Do this by finding the air intake (typically under the hood right close to the windshield) and, with the fan on in the car, spray with a water bottle. This will clean out some odor that's stagnated inside the ducts.
- Check the cars air filter in the heating and A/C system it will absorb all smells that are in the car including smoke.
- Wipe the interior of the car, including the glass (smoke creates a haze on glass), with vinegar and water. You can also mist the cloth interior with the vinegar-water mixture. To make the mixture combine 1/4 cup of vinegar (white not cider) with 2 cups of water. Pour into your sprayer and shake.
Tips
- Don't use too strong a cleaner or you could ruin your upholstery or dash
- Test all cleaners in an inconspicuous place first.
- Another good aid is: 1. cut an apple into quarters and put toothpicks around the sides so each quarter can rest in a cup of water. 2. Put the apple quarters in strategic places of the car and leave them during the day or over night. (It works best with the windows down during the day). 3.It may take a week of repeating the procedure, in this case repeat steps one and two for a week.
Things You'll Need
- Carpet Cleaner
- Air Freshener
- Paper Kitchen Towels
- Fabric Refresher
- Vacuum
- In-car Air Freshener
- Spray Bottle
- Cleaner
- White Vinegar
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