Is a smelly car carpet making your morning commute almost unbearable (as if it weren’t already)?
Removing a bad smell from a car takes a little effort. You can’t just go to the store, pick up a pine scented air freshener, hang it in your car, and call it a day.
Why not?
Because these cheap air fresheners don’t remove the smell- they only mask it.
So how do you get rid of a bad car smell once and for all? Keep reading to find out.
Find the Source
First things first, you need to discover the source of the smell.
Before doing any shampooing or wiping, clean everything out of your car. Look under the car seats, dig into your glove compartment, and scour every crack and crevice to make sure every piece of trash is removed.
If your car still smells after you clean out all the trash, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a mold infestation.
Wait, how does mold get into my car?
No matter how well you take care of your car, sweat, moisture, and water can still seep into your vehicle’s upholstery and carpeting.
When moisture gets locked in, mold growth occurs. And, you guessed it, a foul smell begins to develop.
Baking Soda
Ok, so now that you know the source of the smell, you’re ready to tackle it once and for all.
But, maybe you don’t have time to spend a whole day cleaning your car from head to toe.
Solution? Baking soda- the magical cure-all household ingredient.
Sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda on your car carpet, seats, and floor mats. Allow the baking soda to sit for at least a few hours, but up to a day is ideal.
Then, vacuum it all up. Keep repeating the process until the smell is gone completely.
Deep Clean Your Car
Taking a Sunday afternoon to give your car a good old fashioned scrub down can do wonders for its smell and for mold removal.
As we stated earlier, the first step is to remove all trash from the car.
After this is done, you’ll want to brush the entire car in order to loosen any dirt or debris.
Next, remove any floor rugs and vacuum the seats and the carpet to remove all excess dirt.
To really get the mold on the carpet, sprinkle on some carpet deodorizer first. Allow the deodorizer to sit for the amount of time recommended on the package before vacuuming up.
After you finish vacuuming, grab some spray on carpet shampoo and a stiff bristle brush.
Rather than shampooing the whole carpet at once, work on one area at a time. Remove the floor mats and clean those outside of the car.
After you’ve finished spraying and scrubbing the floor mats, rinse off them off and hang them out to dry. Once you are done with the interior, pat the freshly treated carpet with a dry towel to soak up any excess moisture.
Lastly, leave your windows rolled down and allow your car to air dry.
Cleaning Car Carpet: Wrap Up
With these deep cleaning techniques, your car should be smelling as good as new.
If a smelly carpet is the least of your car troubles, be sure to check out our service repair manuals. Our detailed manuals will help get your car back in prime condition.