Like many people, you spend a lot of time in your car getting from one place to the next and may be suffering from a smelly car’s embarrassing effects. Don’t despair; however, there is a cure for this. In this article, we’ll cover the techniques that you can follow.
Step One: Begin by clearing everything out of your car and removing the trash. Be sure to reach under the seats and remove all the lost and discarded items. Then check the pockets on the doors and the seat backs; be sure and dig all the drink containers as well. One last thing, probe between all the car’s seat surfaces and remove all the stuff that’s gotten between the cracks.
Step Two: If you are looking for where a specific smell is coming from, but can not find it, it might help you to use an ion-wave ultraviolet light. It may be a few bucks out of your pocket, but would be an incredibly helpful tool.
Step Three: Wipe down every plastic, glass, wood and metallic surface inside your car with a mild detergent and warm water. Go slow and get every surface. For leather seats, use a leather cleaner. Be sure and wipe the interior of your glove compartment, too.
Step Four: Take the vacuum out of your house to vacuum your car with it, and don’t miss any spots. Remove your floor rugs that can be removed and completely vacuum the carpet and seat surfaces. Get out all the dirt. Make sure you have a skinny vacuum nozzle so you can get in between all your seats and cushions too; if you don’t borrow one from a friend. You’ll be amazed at the things that come out of there.
Step Five: If you don’t have an “upholstery hose”-equipped steam cleaner, then consider renting one. Most hardware stores and large supermarkets have steam cleaners that you can rent for around $20 per day. Spend some time and really clean the seats and carpets with the steam cleaner you get.
After you’ve gone through Steps One through Five, let your car’s interior thoroughly dry out and see if you can detect any odors. You may need to go at the carpet, and perhaps headliner, another time with an aggressive cleaning solution and the steam cleaner if you detect any odors.
Do you smell cigarette smoke? Cigarette smoke can be the hardest to get rid of. Here’s a technique to try: Sprinkle carpet deodorizer and/or baking soda over the seats and carpet respectively, leave for a few hours, and then vacuum the substance up.
In the future, clean up all spills the moment they happen. They’re much easier to remove when they first happen and will leave the least odor behind when gotten rid of fast. Also, do a regular cleaning to remove food scraps, empty drink bottles, and organic materials that have made their way into the car.
Following these tips will make you a popular chauffeur in no time, so give it a try!
Photo credit : TheHogRing.com
Source : Earnhardt’s Mr. Ed
