If Only That New Car Smell Could Last

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Telesis

Car odors can be caused by many things and unfortunately those rather unattractive looking pine trees, that hang from the review mirror, really don’t do the job.

Can you guess what 90% of all car owners have on the floor of their car?

Answer: a French-Fry.

French fries and other food items are a big contributor to car odors. Other contributors to a less than fresh smelling vehicle are mold and/or odor causing buildup in your air ducts, due to condensation and liquid coming in through the intakes.

Most people naturally turn to a can of air freshener when their car begins to smell less than desirable. But the real name of the game is to keep your vehicle clean.

Here are some tips and timing to help you stay one step ahead of unpleasant vehicle odors.



DAILY

• Remove all food, beverage and trash items.

• The number one cause of vehicle odors is rotting food. This one habit can prevent a lot of the odors that may build up in your vehicle.

• If you spill any drinks, or liquids, it’s best to use a carpet cleaner on it immediately.

• Use a car air freshener like Yankee Candle Car Jar Ultimate click for more info for Yankee Candle Jar



WEEKLY

• Vacuum

Regular vacuuming will help remove odor causing debris from your car. Be sure to remove all of the floor mats and vacuum the area underneath the mats, as well as the mats themselves.

• Wipe all non-fabric interior with a non-abrasive cleanser.

One tried and true method is to fill an empty spray bottle half full with vinegar, then fill the other half with water. Place the cap on the spray bottle and shake it up.

Then spray the plastic interior of your car one section at a time. Start with the dashboard, work your way to the steering wheel, and end up with the sides of the car door.

After that wipe the plastic interior dry with a towel or some paper towels. This will quickly dry the plastic, so that there are no water spots.

Finally, finish by using Armor All’s Orange Cleaning Wipes. These wipes are to be used on the spots of the interior that have tough to remove dirt. These are usually the plastic areas closer to the feet. Rub a wipe repeatedly across the dirty spot until the dirt disappears. Throw used wipes away; do not try to reuse them.

• Deodorize

Spray odor-removing spay (like Lysol or Fabreeze) on all fabric upholstery, floor mats and carpet. The optimal amount is to spray the surfaces so they are damp to the touch, not soaking wet. Wait until they are completely dry. When the spray dries, it lifts any odors that may be in the fabrics of your vehicle.

WARNING: If you use a citrus de-scenting spray, be careful NOT to spray it on anything plastic or vinyl, as citrus will stain and damage the plastic.



MONTHLY

• Use a glass cleaner like Windex to clean all windows and mirrors.

• Use a proper leather cleaner like Lexol to clean leather upholstery.



BI-MONTHLY

• Shampoo

To help destroy odor causing microbes that can’t be removed by vacuuming, a bi-monthly professional interior shampoo will help keep your car smelling fresh. Shampooing also helps remove odor causing spills that have remained in your vehicles carpets and/or upholstery.

If the smell doesn’t go away, chances are you are likely dealing with an air-duct issue. For that, you’ll need to arm yourself with a can of Lysol and then follow these steps:

1.  Turn your car on.

2. OPEN THE WINDOWS.

3. Turn your fans on the highest setting and the temperature on lowest setting.

4. Spray A LOT of Lysol (half the can, depending on the size of the can) into the vehicle air intake located under the hood.

5. Turn your car temperature setting to the highest setting and repeat step number 4 because the heat intake uses a different register.

6. Turn the temperature back to cool and leave the fans on high until you can no longer smell the Lysol coming from the fan.

7. Turn the car off.

8. The next time you drive your car, put all the windows down and drive with the heat blowing full blast for a while so that all the Lysol on the heating elements burns off.

By developing a regular vehicle interior maintenance routine, you can keep your car smelling clean and fresh.