I just had the clutch cable repaired on my car, and now it smells like a dozen cats have been peeing in there. I suspect the smell is from a glue that might have been used in the repair. The smell in such a small, enclosed space is driving me nuts (and if it is glue, probably not the best thing for me to be breathing while driving), and of course it’s winter and sub-zero all the time, so the windows pretty much stay up while driving. Any suggestions on how to get this really bad smell out of my car (and I mean get rid of it, not just add other, flowery smells to it :D)?
This may not work, but have you tried boxes of baking soda? People use them in the fridge to absorb food odors, as well as other places. They make boxes now with porous cloth sides and peel-off cardboard panels to expose the cloth, just for odor removal. Try one or two of those and see if that helps?
I would suggest waiting for the smell to subside after a few days and then go at the car with a shampooer, bottle of de-greaser and then a can of detail. Or pay someone to detail your car, should cost about 50 bucks or so.
i get the same problem in my bedroom, it stinks of fart and B.O, sometimes i think i will go to sleep and never wake up!
If it actually is the glue, this will probably be temporary while it cures. Despite the chilly weather, air circulation is probably a good thing. If it actually is cat piss (spray), that’s a different matter.
I used to work at a car detailing shop where we got all manner of unmentionable smells in cars. Cat and dog were among the worst. If it is cat (or pretty well anything organic), then you must find the spot, shampoo it thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner meant for such smells. A good detailing shop will have something.
If it is glue or something temporary, the strategy we used if we had the car for a couple days was to place a flat bottomed open dish with about 1/2 lb of ground coffee in it on the floor under the driver’s seat. Then we took 3 or 4 slices of apple and set them in the coffee.
I’ve heard some explanations about chemical reactions but personally I think its a whole bunch of hokum. It does work, however, leaving the car with a nice coffee smell (provided you like coffee) which is not too strong but does seem to mask all other odors. After three or four days refresh the apple or see if the smell is gone.
I am not familiar with any glue that smells like cat piss, although gear oil smells awful. Do you know If the person who did your work also by chance replaced the oil in your transmission?
If so, and they spilled some you’d smell that. Try washing underneath the car when you go to the carwash (good habit for everyone). If the mechanic had some on his body and smeared it in the car the only way of really getting rid of that is a shampoo, as mentioned.
If not, let it air out for a few more days and if that doesn’t work, I’ll second the shampoo.
Maybe ask the mechanic what smells so bad?
Some good suggestions here (I don’t think there have been any cats peeing in the car - it’s winter, so the windows are always up). I’ll try some baking soda and the coffee and apples thing, and also wash the car (it needs it anyway). Maybe I will call the shop and ask them what they did to my car to make it smell so bad - I’ve had gear cables replaced before without this awful smell.
Doesn’t work for B.B.O. though.
Remember Seinfeld…
Febreeze, or however it’s spelled. By the cleaning stuff in the supermarket. Got the smoker odor outta my old car.
Peace,
mangeorge
Maybe a cat got in when they left a window open cause that happened to me before. At the pet store, they have stuff you can use to get rid of the odor. You might be able to use an ultraviolet light to find where the stuff is in the car as I think that cat piss shows up under it.
**I am not familiar with any glue that smells like cat piss, although gear oil smells awful. Do you know If the person who did your work also by chance replaced the oil in your transmission? **
I had a vehicle that was less than a year old that smelled of body odor. I could not figue out where it was coming from. I tried almost everything but it kept coming back. I traded the truck, When I was getting all of my stuff out to go in my new truck, I took the toll booth doo hickey off the windshield. It is some sort of laser device they use to charge your account when you use the EZ lane on the toll way. Anyway… that thing was stinking like ten 7th grade boys that hadn’t showered in two weeks. I do not know if it was the glue or what. But buddy it was stinking. I put it in a plastic bag until I ordered a new EZ tag.
I would be surprised if a cat crawled in your car and pissed. That seems odd to me.
There are a number of great odor killers you can pick up at the local auto parts chain. My personal favorite is called “SmellBGone” and it even managed to remove the odor of years of smoking from my car after I quit.