Bad car smell, how to get rid of it?

[Silver-Fox]

Hi

Any ideas on how to get rid of a bad car smell i tried air fresheners etc and it still smells like old people any ideas?

thanks

[7on]

Check the truck, there might be old people back there...

[LeahM]

Mostly likely its in your rugs. Get the carpet stuff that you leave on the rugs for like 5 minutes and then vaccum. Or have you tried Febreeze?

[Silver-Fox]

Check the truck, there might be old people back there...

checked the trunk no old people, but some old clothes so i through those but still the smell is pretty annoying

i might try febreeze on the carpets

[puckhead193]

reminds me of the sienfield episode where jerry has the velete park his car and he comes back and smells like B-O.

[Lord Blackadder]

Wait till the weather is nice, then get some automotive carpet cleaner (or regular carpet cleaner) and scrub the whole thing. Give it plenty of time to completely dry out with all the doors open. You might have to do it a few times. My first truck smelled like the previous owner's cigars - it took two years before the smell went away.

Whatever you do, DON'T get one of those little evergreen trees that hangs from the rear view mirror. Besides being a major style faux pas it makes it smell like you trying to hide something.

Check all the compartments for old people.

[Mr.Noisy]

Burn it :eek:

really though, find the cause of it, wet/damp carpet smells real bad,
another cause is old shoe's, some people's feet sweat and smell, leaving a dire smell in old shoe's or sneakers,
any old food escaped into a small compartment ??

thinking about it, Just Burn the car ;)

[notjustjay]

I need to clean out my car smells too. The previous owner must have been a smoker. This fact was not disclosed to me when I bought the car and I never thought to ask. It smelled fine when I bought it (freshly detailed) but now when it's been sitting in the parking lot under the warm sun all day, and I hop in... ugh.

[iJohnHenry]

Check the truck, there might be old people back there...

Or look in the rear-view mirror. :p

[ErikCLDR]

What kind of smell are you talking about.

I would start off with opening all the doors and letting it air out. Spray some febreeze or similar product into the carpet of the entire car- trunk, floor, under the seats if applicable.

I believe some detailers have a device that somehow gets rid of bad smells in cars. They're really expensive to buy so maybe you should check out some local detailing shops and pay them to get rid of the smell if its really that bad.

[tMac85]

dont just check for old people...check the trunk for dead people!

i mean there could be like a finger or something that got away...:D


no give the carpets a scrub, the seats a good spray of odor removing spray and let it air out alllll day.

[true777]

You will need to get both your rugs and upholstery shampooed (at a full-service brushless car wash or similar place). Most likely shampooing everything is the only way to eliminate the smell for good.

[Silver-Fox]

Burn it :eek:

really though, find the cause of it, wet/damp carpet smells real bad,
another cause is old shoe's, some people's feet sweat and smell, leaving a dire smell in old shoe's or sneakers,
any old food escaped into a small compartment ??

thinking about it, Just Burn the car ;)

wont be burning it as i just brought it, not really an option as of yet

What kind of smell are you talking about.

I would start off with opening all the doors and letting it air out. Spray some febreeze or similar product into the carpet of the entire car- trunk, floor, under the seats if applicable.

I believe some detailers have a device that somehow gets rid of bad smells in cars. They're really expensive to buy so maybe you should check out some local detailing shops and pay them to get rid of the smell if its really that bad.

It isnt that bad, just smells and i really didn't have any ideas after air fresheners etc

[adk]

There's a little aerosol spray called ozium that many gas stations sell. It seems to do a pretty good job of getting a lot of smells out of cars. It doesn't smell too great in itself, but at $5 it's worth a shot.

[ArmyKnight12]

reminds me of the sienfield episode where jerry has the velete park his car and he comes back and smells like B-O.

Nice Seinfeld reference! That is a great episode.

[nikopolidis]

Check the truck, there might be old people back there...

Ha-ha! :D Lol! That reminds me Torontino's movie about 4 hotel rooms... ;)

Well, I would begin with chemical cleaning of your interior.. And, yes, check the floor it could get rotten over the years.. Maybe you also should clean it and work up with some special stuff..
Just find nice auto-cleaning service, they will lick everything in your car.. for money... :D

[letsgorangers]

Sprinkle (dry) coffee grounds on the floor boards and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Vacuum up. (Obviously, make sure nothing is wet or it will stain)

[iGav]

it still smells like old people any ideas?

A Honda dealer should be able to help you. ;)

[teleromeo]

My second hand car came from a heavy smoker, it was less than one year old but it took me months to get rid of the smell. clean as much of the dashboard, use febreze a couple of times and get a freshener. Also have much patience...

[arkitect]

Ha-ha! :D Lol! That reminds me Torontino's movie about 4 hotel rooms... ;)

That must be the Canadian Tarantino then… ;)

BTW, not having much experience of "old" people… what do they smell like? Just curious. :confused:

[Keebler]

if it's really bad, you could bring it to a car detailing place. there's a place around here that is reasonably priced ($150'ish), but they completely clean the vehicle. looks and smells brand new when it's done.

it may be a lot, but not a bad price for a one shot cleaning that may solve the problem.

[Abstract]

1. Order a pizza with extra garlic.

2. Pick it up and drive it home.

3. Enjoy your car's new smell.

[mperkins37]

In many newer cars there is a passenger air filter that removes dust in the passenger compartment. When it gets dirty, the whole car willsmell musty/dusty. get a new one & put a little fragrance on it & see if that does it.:D

[Counterfit]

If it only smells (like feet) when you have the fan blowing, it's probably something in the HVAC ducts. Change your cabin air filter (if you have one), or just get it to dry out.

[garybUK]

Use Bicarbonate of Soda, either put some in a cloth and bundle up, or sprinkle some on the car floors, it's a deoderiser.... just don't get pulled over by the Old Bill, white powder in bundles or in the car.... not a good impression :)

[iBlue]

A spammer bumped this thread but now I wonder if Silver-Fox ever got the stank out of his car. :D

[lewis82]

You will need to get both your rugs and upholstery shampooed (at a full-service brushless car wash or similar place). Most likely shampooing everything is the only way to eliminate the smell for good.

This. My parents bought an used car that reeked of cigarette. Even after a few months, it still smelled (and they took care of opening doors and windows when it was windy to try to remove the smell). Febreeze didn't work, but a normal rug cleaner worked perfectly. The fact that the car has leather seats helped a lot though.

EDIT: I should have read iBlue's post before replying... :o

[Type X]

Hi

Any ideas on how to get rid of a bad car smell i tried air fresheners etc and it still smells like old people any ideas?

thanks


Not sure if you are getting a "stale air conditioning smell" or your car just wreaks.

If its A/C here is the cause & solution

when you turn your AC on and off the condenser builds up water causing mold & spores, hence the funk
You should NEVER EVER EVER shut your ventilation system off, even if your windows are open on an awesome day... just let it run super low.

Also there are "cabin filters' 99% of people don't change them
but they are GROSS usually after 10,000 miles


Some people will spray lysol in the cowl of the OUTSIDE of the car while the vent is on high to kill bacteria And flush thru the car.

Spraying febreeze and sprinkling powder all over just "covers it up"

If you are not broke, make an appt to have your car detailed

[Shrink]

That must be the Canadian Tarantino then… ;)

BTW, not having much experience of "old" people… what do they smell like? Just curious. :confused:

I smell like a rose.:cool:

Other old people smell like VapoRub.:(

[h00ligan]

Biocide makes a product for cars that is outstanding. It's activated chlorine. I've used the house one in rentals that smell of smoke and it clears it up perfectly. You have to air it out after as it smells like an indoor swimming pool for a day. You can also rent an ozone machine.

These are the only things that work IMO.

Iirc it's called car shocker.

Here's their page. http://www.biocidesystems.com/

You can buy on amazon.

I had no issues with plastics or electronics.

[h1r0ll3r]

You will need to get both your rugs and upholstery shampooed (at a full-service brushless car wash or similar place). Most likely shampooing everything is the only way to eliminate the smell for good.

This. Shampoo EVERYTHING in the car. I'd recommend you get it done by professionals and not hourly labor at some car wash as they'll do a pretty half assed job. If the smell is that bad, pony up some cash to get it professionally cleaned and it should be good as new.

[Mac'nCheese]

Use Bicarbonate of Soda, either put some in a cloth and bundle up, or sprinkle some on the car floors, it's a deoderiser.... just don't get pulled over by the Old Bill, white powder in bundles or in the car.... not a good impression :)

I hope the op solved the problem by now.

[patrick0brien]

Not sure if you are getting a "stale air conditioning smell" or your car just wreaks.

If its A/C here is the cause & solution

when you turn your AC on and off the condenser builds up water causing mold & spores, hence the funk
You should NEVER EVER EVER shut your ventilation system off, even if your windows are open on an awesome day... just let it run super low.

Also there are "cabin filters' 99% of people don't change them
but they are GROSS usually after 10,000 miles


Some people will spray lysol in the cowl of the OUTSIDE of the car while the vent is on high to kill bacteria And flush thru the car.

Spraying febreeze and sprinkling powder all over just "covers it up"

If you are not broke, make an appt to have your car detailed

Absolutely correct - except be sure its ANTIBACTERIAL lysol. Most likely it's mildew growth on your condenser. Run the fan on high - neutral heat (matched to the surrounding air) AC off, and dump the whole can into the cabin air intake.

Oh, and be sure you take your cabin filter out before doing this. You need the spray to make it all the way in.

[sk1wbw]

I always did like coffee beans in a bag under the seat.

[speedyfv]

I always did like coffee beans in a bag under the seat.

+1 or use a couple fabric softener sheets under the seats

[lewis82]

Guys - stop posting. This thread is over 3 years old ;)

[iJohnHenry]

Guys - stop posting. This thread is over 3 years old ;)

I'm sorry. Are we keeping you from something? ;)

[lewis82]

I'm sorry. Are we keeping you from something? ;)

Nope. But the OP definitely doesn't need tips to get rid of his car smell anymore ;) I get your point though.

[millerj123]

Nope. But the OP definitely doesn't need tips to get rid of his car smell anymore ;)

I'm not sure that's the case.

Getting back from a road trip, my van had a nasty funk I couldn't identify. Thoroughly vacuuming the carpets took care of most of it, but I may try either a carpet powder or just shampoo it out to finish the job.