# Best way to get rid of the "car" smell **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083 "2010-08-12T21:02:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![be\_bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@be\_bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/be_bright)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/1 "2010-08-12T21:02:09Z")
I wasn’t sure whether to post this in IMHO or GQ…IMHO it is. My car is pre-owned. Bought it off the previous owner. I think he used to use a “new car smell” freshener – I removed it after the car was mine, but the smell just won’t go away. I hate the new car smell. I’ve tried every kind of odor eliminator/air freshener there is. Okay, maybe not _every_ kind, but a good many: [ul] [li]Citrus Magic (absorbs odors as it lets out a fresh, subtle one)[/li][li]A plug-in freshener[/li][li]An indoor freshener that sits in one of my cupholders (bought it at Staples)[/li][li]Even tried Oust-ing the seats[/li][/ul] The first three listed are all in my car right now…and the horrid smell still won’t budge. It gets in my hair. On hot days, I feel like I can taste it if I breathe through my mouth. The indoor freshener worked really well the first day in had it in my car. It actually seemed to be overpowering the new car smell. And then the car smell came back with a vengeance! (The freshener is only about two weeks old.) I’m sure I’m not the only person who has had to deal with difficult smells in cars. What did YOU do to take care of it? ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/2 "2010-08-12T21:09:01Z")
Are you positive the smell was just from the air freshener that you threw out? I’d sniff around the seats and mats to make sure it isn’t stronger there. Seller might have been a smoker or had some other gross source of odor in the car and heavily doused everything in order to help the sale. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/3 "2010-08-12T21:10:51Z")
Get some arm&hammer or carpet fresh. They come scented or unscented. Sprinkle it on the upholstry and carpets and let it sit a few hours. Vacuum it all up. ---
**Author:** ![be\_bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@be\_bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/be_bright)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/4 "2010-08-12T21:13:19Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Are you positive the smell was just from the air freshener that you threw out? I’d sniff around the seats and mats to make sure it isn’t stronger there. Seller might have been a smoker or had some other gross source of odor in the car and heavily doused everything in order to help the sale. Yeah, I’m sure it’s the car. It’s not a foul or stale odor; it’s just very, very strong (and is a smell I don’t like). Getting into my car is like walking into a Bath and Body Works of car smell. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/5 "2010-08-12T21:16:07Z")
If you have an ashtray, burn a few cones of incense. If you don’t have an ashtray, use a fruit nappy on the floor, and burn it overnight. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/6 "2010-08-12T21:28:08Z")
Wow, in that case I would just try to leave the windows open as much as possible. Oh, quick thought: have you checked the rest of the car for additional air fresheners? Maybe the seller stuck one in the back seat, under a seat, seat pocket, or something like that. I’ve also seen people jam them into the air vents…maybe one got pushed inside? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/7 "2010-08-12T21:34:12Z")
I once bought a vehicle at auction that was great except6 it smelled like the Marlboro man and his whole family lived it before. It burned my eyes until I two big bottles of Febreze and sprayed it everywhere inside of it over the course of a day. It got rid of the smell completely right away and it never came back. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/8 "2010-08-12T21:47:00Z")
First off stop putting other scents into the car to try and cover the existing scent. When you aren’t looking the old scents take the new guy aside, jump him into their gang and then they all come after you. Here is what I suggest: 1. Drive with the windows down, and the AC off (but leave the blower on). Do this as much as possible. Depending on the car, you can roll the front passenger window down 2" or so and the rear passenger window all the way down. This will cause a large amount of air to circulate and not buffet you to death. 2. As has been suggested check everywhere for more car fresheners. Get rid of them. 3. Vacum the carpet 4. Coffee grounds left in a can under the seat, or baking soda is reputed to kill smells. 5. If all else fails find a detail shop that has an ozone generator. Have them leave it in the car for a couple of hours. The smell will be gone. ---
**Author:** ![be\_bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@be\_bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/be_bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/9 "2010-08-13T02:30:06Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Wow, in that case I would just try to leave the windows open as much as possible. > > Oh, quick thought: have you checked the rest of the car for additional air fresheners? Maybe the seller stuck one in the back seat, under a seat, seat pocket, or something like that. I’ve also seen people jam them into the air vents…maybe one got pushed inside? Hmmm, never thought of that. I’ll check my car thoroughly. I’ll also take your advice, **Rick** , and ditch the other air fresheners for now. I’m aiming to get my car essentially scentless so that I can then put in a subtle smell that I like. :rolleyes: Thanks everyone for the advice! If all else fails I’ll do the baking soda thing. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/10 "2010-08-13T03:03:45Z")
When all else fails, try [one of these.](http://www.amazon.com/Sanrio-Air-Freshener-Hello-Kitty/dp/B002Z17S66) ---
**Author:** ![be\_bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@be\_bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/be_bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-the-car-smell/550083/11 "2010-08-13T18:13:00Z")
Hah! _Thanks._