# Mildew Smell in my Car's Air Con.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-smell-in-my-cars-air-con/75203
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 7, 2001, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-smell-in-my-cars-air-con/75203 "2001-08-07T00:17:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Chubbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chubbs)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2001, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-smell-in-my-cars-air-con/75203/1 "2001-08-07T00:17:46Z")
How it the world can I clean and prevent this? Besides covering it up with air freshner and not using the air conditioner.
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### Author:  [@tsunamisurfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsunamisurfer)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2001, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-smell-in-my-cars-air-con/75203/2 "2001-08-07T01:34:18Z")
Treatment? Tom & Ray covered this in Car Talk. Spray a 10-second burst of Lysol aerosol into the A/C intake next to your windshield, keeping the A/C running. This should kill most of the mildew spores and suppress most of the rest. If smell persists, repeat. Make sure you air out your car for a couple days, as this isn’t the kind of stuff you want to be deep breathing while driving.
Prevention? Probably can’t. Some cars are more prone to this than others.
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### Author:  [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2001, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mildew-smell-in-my-cars-air-con/75203/3 "2001-08-07T02:15:24Z")
Make sure the evaporator coil drain is clear and clean. This could take a few hours - probably have to remove the cover to expose the coil
Also important to do in the home units - lots easier too.