# Any way to get chemical smells out of a car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558 "2014-06-24T20:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/1 "2014-06-24T20:08:37Z")
We had our car detailed and frankly the smell of whatever they used makes me nauseated when I’m in it. While driving around, generally it’s possible to keep the windows open, so that’s less of an issue. But the smell doesn’t seem to be dissipating. We don’t have the option of just leaving the windows down while we’re not in the car. I’m assuming it will gradually fade, but is there any way to speed it up or neutralize it? It’s nasty. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/2 "2014-06-24T20:15:29Z")
an air fresher pine tree hanging from the mirror. if circumstances permit leave the windows open during the day while parked. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/3 "2014-06-24T21:06:29Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > We don’t have the option of just leaving the windows down while we’re not in the car. > [@johnpost](#): > > if circumstances permit leave the windows open during the day while parked. I’m sensing a disconnect. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/4 "2014-06-24T22:21:11Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > an air fresher pine tree hanging from the mirror. That just replaces whatever odor is now there with a fake pine scent. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/5 "2014-06-24T22:23:53Z")
I once spilled milk in my car. The only thing that worked was coffee grounds. I first dumped them on the spill and left them there for a week, after that I filled a coffee cup of grounds and put that in the cup holder and left it there. I would try that, just leave a cup of coffee grounds in the cup holder for a week or two. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/6 "2014-06-24T22:33:54Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > We don’t have the option of just leaving the windows down while we’re not in the car. > [@johnpost](#): > > if circumstances permit leave the windows open during the day while parked. > [@Asimovian](#): > > I’m sensing a disconnect. That’s my suggestion too. Anything you can do at all to leave the windows open will, IMO, be your best option. Even if you can get home from work, crack the four windows an inch or two and come back an hour or two later is going to make a difference. Probably more than driving around with them open. Otherwise you might try some Febreeze or Ozium. ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/7 "2014-06-25T00:56:21Z")
Try some charcoal in a couple open tupperware containers on the floorboards behind the front seats. I have had good luck with odor absorption in closed areas with this. ---
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/8 "2014-06-25T03:40:31Z")
I’d go for white vinegar. Spray everything sprayable. Your car will smell like vinegar for a couple of days, but then the vinegar smell and hopefully the other smell, will be gone. Cheap vodka works as a deodorizer, too. But I’m not sure law enforcement would understand. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/9 "2014-06-25T03:47:46Z")
Also, maybe baking soda. You can buy it in those refrigerator-ready boxes so it doesn’t spill everywhere, and tuck a few under and next to the seats. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/10 "2014-06-25T19:13:29Z")
> [@keturah](#): > > Try some charcoal in a couple open tupperware containers on the floorboards behind the front seats. I have had good luck with odor absorption in closed areas with this. Do you mean like charcoal for a grill or do you mean some sort of activated charcoal… stuff? ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/11 "2014-06-27T00:03:07Z")
white vinegar will work, I wouldn’t spray it though- during the day when its parked leave some in a tupperware bowl on the floor of the car and it will take care of it- great for at home as well when you burn food or have other weird/gross lingering smells. ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/12 "2014-06-27T01:45:14Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Do you mean like charcoal for a grill or do you mean some sort of activated charcoal… stuff? Just regular charcoal for a grill. Not the ready light stuff, just normal charcoal. It really works well. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-get-chemical-smells-out-of-a-car/691558/13 "2014-06-27T03:29:06Z")
Awesome. Thanks, everyone!