Check out to get tips on how to remove unwanted odors from the car's interior.

No car owner wants a stinky and smelly car interior. However, smells are inevitable especially in an enclosed space like a car. If your car happens to be stinky or smelly, the very first thing that will come to your mind is how to get rid of it. If you don’t have any idea on how to remove those stinky odors, Philcarnews.com got you covered. Here are some tips on how to get rid of those bad odors lurking in the interior of your car.

There are several ways on how to deal with bad car odors like:

1. Vacuum

Odors are often trapped in the interior’s fabric. Most of the time, vacuuming can already eliminate stinky fabric odors. The car vacuum cleaner has a special upholstery attachment, use that on the car's upholstery. You need to get to even on the little corners as the source of smell can be lurking in the deepest corners. If the vacuuming method is not enough, then try steam cleaning, if it still doesn’t work, there are other ways suggested below.

Most of the time, vacuuming can already eliminate stinky fabric odors

2. Cigarette smell

The smell of cigarette or smoke can linger everywhere, even in the duct system of your car. This is particularly for the air-condition and heater of the car. You can spray an air deodorizer in the intake valve from under the hood of your vehicle. It will remove the smoke /smell out of the system and the car.

If that doesn’t work either, you can try another trick. In a large bucket, make a 1:1 mixture of water and vinegar.  Using a clean rag, wet it in the mixture and use it in wiping the tar and smoke residue off the of the interior surface of the vehicle.  Then repeat the later process.

Take note that if you or anybody who uses the car, regularly smokes inside, the smell of smoke and cigarette will always be present, so it is best to stop smoking inside the car.

The smell of cigarette or smoke can linger everywhere, even in the duct system of your car

3. Mildew or mold

In removing the mold or mildew in the car, you need to vacuum out the moisture. You can use a wet-dry vacuum in vacuuming out any moisture present in the vehicle’s carpets and upholstery. Once finished, leave the car window open for eight to ten hours. This will allow the vehicle’s interior to totally dry out.

If you washed and/or cleaned your car’s removable mats and rugs, drying them out under direct sunlight will eliminate the mildew and mold. When the interior is completely dry, the smell of molds and mildew should also be gone as well.

To prevent mold and mildew buildup in the car’s interior, make it a habit to check for leaks and if there are any, contact your mechanic as soon as possible to address the problem. If there are no leak issues, the mold or mildew may be from a wet gear or spilled liquid. If that’s the case, remove the contaminants like rotting food then clean the particular area of the car using shampoo and an all-purpose cleaner.

>>> Also check out: How to keep your Car Clean Inside and Out

You can use a wet-dry vacuum in vacuuming out any moisture present in the vehicle’s carpets and upholstery

4. Vomit

The smell of vomit is one of the odors you wouldn’t want to have inside your car, but sometimes, it is really unavoidable to have someone accidentally throw up in the car. This is one of the odors that should immediately be removed and cleaned up mainly because vomit contains stomach acids that cling to the fiber which causes damage in it. Make a 1:1 mixture of water and vinegar in a large bowl. Next, dip the rag in the mixture then scrub it at the vomit stain. Continue the process until the stain is completely removed from the surface. After the residual of the vomit is scrubbed out of the carpet or upholstery, vacuum the water and vinegar in the carpet using a wet-dry vac.

The smell of vomit is one of the odors you wouldn’t want to have inside your car, but sometimes, it is really unavoidable to have someone accidentally throw up in the car

5. Urine

Just like vomit, urine also has a very strong odor that should immediately be removed.  Removing urine might require you to buy a stain remover for your local auto shop that is especially for carpet and upholstery. Instead of rubbing the stain remover in the urine stain, just blot it onto the surface. Let it set in for the suggested time stated in the packaging. Then let it air-dry (don’t use a hot dryer such as hair dryer because the urine may cling deep into the carpet which will cause a very bad odor).

If this doesn’t work, use a pet urine odor removing spray instead which is available in almost all pet stores. 

Just like vomit, urine also has a very strong odor that should immediately be removed

If you’re not aware of the source if the bad odor you can do the following steps:

• Clean your car – remove the clutters and trash out of your car. The main cause of the odor might be a leftover food or trash you left in your car for quite some time.  Look under the seats if there are any junk items, trash, and rotting food. Check also the back pockets and get rid of the trash items. Then vacuum the car carpet and upholstery.

• Wipe the interior surface – Wipe down all the wood, plastic metallic and glass surface in your car’s interior using a clean and soft fabric together with an all-purpose cleaning spray. If there are stains and spills, refer to the information given above to clean and remove the stains.

• Remove and wash rugs and floor mats – clean these in hot and soapy water. Some odors can be from the rugs and floormats so washing them down will eliminate the odors. Let it completely dry under direct sunlight. Make sure it's completely dry before putting them back in your car.
• Carpet deodorizer – If you’re 100% sure that the smell is coming from your carpet, sprinkle some carpet deodorizer on your car’s carpeting. Let it sit in for the time recommended on the packaging. Usually, it’s about five to ten minutes, then vacuum it up.  
• Baking soda – baking soda is an amazing odor absorbent. You can find baking soda on a local grocery store then sprinkle a pinch on the smelly area. Leave it for 4 to 5 hours then use your regular vacuum cleaner in vacuuming up the baking soda.

>>> Click to get more helpful tips and advice for your car maintenance