Hot Car Smells

We all know that our gets hot when closed up and depending on what’s in your car it can lead to smells. Here are some common hot car smells and how to take care of them:

• Spoiled Milk (other groceries) – Spoiled milk is a very unpleasant smell. We get groceries and in the midst of getting everything out things fall or get lost behind the seats. In a hot car there’s a chance that the milk will spoil faster and could possibly spill out in the car.
  1.  Method 1 – Shake a layer of baking soda on the affected area and let sit for 3 or 4 days and then vacuum it up.
  2.  Method 2 – Leave plastic containers filled with fresh coffee grounds, underneath your seats for roughly 2 weeks.
  3.  Method 3 – Use a spray bottle to mix 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Spray the spill area until it is drenched with the vinegar mixture. Allow it to soak for 5 hours and then blot dry with a clean washcloth or towel.
• Dirty Diaper – We don’t always have a trash can around. In those times diapers can get stuck in the car, under a seat or in a back door. The smell of a dirty diaper is already bad, but after baking in the hot sun it can become worse.
  1. Look everywhere and make sure to get rid of the dirty diaper causing the stench.
  2. Shampoo the carpets in the car, carpet fibers can hold smells especially if it’s ground in the carpet.
  3. Use an industrial enzyme deodorizer (can be found on Amazon.com), an enzyme cleaner uses non-pathogenic, “good” bacteria to digest wastes, soils, stains and malodors.
• Pet Smell – Pet smells can be in your car whether it’s hot out or not. A way to get rid of the smell is to mix white vinegar and water, in equal parts, and spray it in the car. When it dries the smells should be gone or at least not as noticeable. You can also clean the carpets and vacuum out the car.
• Cigarette Smoke – Cigarette smoke can be unpleasant and strong especially in a car that has been sitting in the sun. The following 5 steps should help to get rid of a smoke smell.
  1. Clean and vacuum the seats and floor of the car.
  2. Make sure that the seats and floor of the car are totally dry.
  3. Sprinkle baking soda on the upholstery and carpet, let sit for several minutes (baking soda absorbs offensive odors like smoke).
  4. Vacuum up the baking soda and reapply as needed.
  5. Wash down all windows and hard surfaces.

If you have car odor and it won’t go away, contact the professionals at your local PuroClean office and we can help get rid of it.