By Baxter Overman | November 14, 2024 in 
Sometimes your car…well…just smells bad! Car odors can emergy randomly and from a variety of sources. For example, during a rainy week when you’re tracking in water, you might notice a mildew smell on the carpet.
Other times the pungent odor of a forgotten McDonald’s bag can emerge, especially if you have kids or eat in your car often. But don’t worry! In this post, we’ll cover the steps to remove most odors yourself.
Always remove the odor at the source
Before using air fresheners, determine where the odor is coming from and get rid of it. Odor removal can be as simple as throwing away trash; other times the source of the odor may require you to deep clean your carpets or remove stains from seats.
These ‘air freshener bombs’ you see in stores can temporarily freshen things up (and have their place in the detailing world). Just don’t view them as a magic bullet solution to permanently remove a bad odor.
Because there is a difference between permanent odor removal and air fresheners designed to temporarily add a pleasant scent to the air. I’m personally not a huge fan of clip-on air fresheners that are super-strong; some people tend to overuse them as a way to mask an odor that should just be removed at the source.
The cause of common car odors
Most car odors are caused by smoke, rotting food, or moisture. And sometimes a combination. The process to remove any locked-in odor is generally the same, so long as you have the right product and use the right cleaning process. Here are a few causes of odors you might encounter.
| Type of Odor | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| New car smell | Typically due to a process called offgassing; this typically occurs a few months of new car ownership as plastics and glues used in manufacturing vaporize in the heat and release odors. | Air out your vehicle; this smell should go away in a couple of months. |
| Musty smell | Often moisture from bottles, open drinks, or rainwater | Use a moisture absorber in the case of liquids; deep clean carpet caused by precipitation or spilled liquid. |
| Pungent, stinky smell | Often food or rotting organic material | Remove fast food wrappers and vacuum up any crumbs. Use a microfiber towel and interior detailing spray for dried food. |
| Strong, chemical smell | Commonly caused by vapor leaks or gasoline | Contact a professional for any suspected vapor leak; Leave vehicle outdoors. |
| Smoke | Typically cigarettes | Deep clean all interior areas like seats, carpets, headliners, windows, and more. Flush out odor in vents. |
Step 1: Remove any odor-causing debris
It’s a good idea to a respirator to avoid breathing in fumes for stronger odors. A mask like the N95 2400 (organic vapor respirator) can make it a bit more pleasant when cleaning harmless odors. Always use proper ventilation and caution, even if using eco-friendly detailing products.
Always start with the obvious— trash, soda bottles, cups with liquid in them, or fast food bags. If you eat in your car often, be sure you dispose of trash regularly. A car trash can is a great idea for drink bottles, wrappers, and everything else so long as you remove and empty it daily.
Once loose trash is removed, vacuum everything up; be sure to wipe up any dried food like ketchup with a microfiber towel and interior detailing spray.
Often when trapped food heats up it gives off a bad smell so look carefully for crumbs or decaying food. A crevice tool attached to your vacuum can be helpful here to reach in between seats.
Change your cabin air filter if needed
After removing loose debris, it’s a good time to check your cabin air filter. In many modern vehicles, the cabin air filter is located behind the glovebox on the passenger’s side. This filter traps pollen, smoke, and other contaminants from the outside to maintain a cleaner air quality in the cab. Some older vehicles often do not have cabin air filters.
With the cabin air filter out, consider flushing out your A/C lines if you have musty smells coming from vents. A product called Fridgi-Fresh is designed to be added to your vehicle’s outside air intake vent (which on most cars is visible when you pop the hood).
With the A/C circulating, spray the product in the vents for about 10 seconds (or as directed) and air out the vehicle for a few minutes.
If you turn off your car with the A/C running, condensed water can drip and settle in your A/C lines, causing a musty smell over time. Periodically cleansing A/C lines with a product like Fridg-Fresh will help rid this odor.
Step 2: Remove trapped odors by cleaning carpets, seats, and upholstery
Sometimes odors form over time when liquids, grease, and organic material dry and build up inside seat fabric and carpet fibers.
In this case, these trapped odors are best absorbed with a powder like baking soda (for grease) or extracted using water and suction (for organic substances). For minor cases, you can use a soft-bristled brush with a microfiber towel to agitate and “blot” odor-causing stains.
The blot method is better than nothing on fresh stains, but suction is more effective in severe cases. Check our stain removal guide for cloth seats for a step-by-step tutorial
Extracting odors is easy with a simple spot cleaner you can pick up for around $100. These devices are designed to simultaneously spray water on dirty carpet, suspend the dirt and odor in liquid, and then suck it all up. For strong odors, it’s a good idea to pre-treat the area using a drill bush or soft bristled detailing brush before using an extractor.
Hoover Portable Spot Cleaner for Carpet and Upholstery
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Always check the care label for cloth seats for proper cleaning instructions and ensure your car’s carpet fibers can hold up to general cleaning. Cheaper carpet kits with loose fibers can get damaged due to powerful suction!
Step 3: Clean areas like seatbelts and headliners
Since areas like seatbelts are hardly ever cleaned, they often trap odors. We recommend applying pressurized steam with a device like the Tornador to clean these (or a fabric-safe cleaner).
For headliners, always agitate cleaner gently to avoid damaging the fabric. A headliner typically won’t be the main source of odor unless the car has been smoked in. In the case of a smoky-smelling vehicle, extraction using steam or water is key—from top to bottom.
One last step
Consider leaving a box of baking soda in your car for a day or two after you’ve removed debris and deep-cleaned carpets, seats, or mats. Baking soda is an effective and affordable way to absorb airborne odors. Be sure to air out your vehicle if you have damp carpets to avoid mildew.
To remove any remaining moisture, my go-to is a product called DampRid—a product specifically designed for this job. After a few days, you can visibly see the moisture it collects which I like.
DampRid Air Freshener and Moisture Absorber
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Most of the time car odors are simple to remove when they stem from food or moisture. For severe cases that involve mold or an unbearable odor, it’s best to contact a professional.
If this post has been helpful and you want to learn how to clean your vehicle with confidence, I invite you to check out our video course, Washing and Detailing for Beginners. Good luck and happy detailing!
Learn the basics of car care and gain confidence in your ability.
This video course unpacks the fundamentals of washing and detailing. From exterior cleaning and blemish removal…you’ll learn the secrets that will give you spotless pro-level results!
