I remember when I bought my car three years ago, I was so fascinated by the pleasant fragrance inside – the smell of it being brand new and fresh. I so wished that this smell remained for life. But with time, obviously, that amazing fragrance faded away. I had to try a few things to make my car smell nice and fresh again.
Keeping Your Car Smelling Fresh
Cleaning your car is not only important when you are going out on a date to create a good impression, but is something that you should do on a regular basis. Besides the impression, cleaning your car regularly will also help in the prevention of any odor emanating from your vehicle. Here are some tips that you can follow to keep your car smelling fresh.
Take a Munch Break
Look at this image and remember, this is something that you should never do. Eating while driving, or even when you are parked, should be avoided. Even if you are careful not to drop anything or stain the interiors, a bad smell will build up inside over time. It is better to take a break and grab a bite, else your car will start smelling like a kitchen in a few days. In case you have absolutely no choice and need to eat in the car on some rare occasion, make sure that you do not touch the steering or anything else with dirty hands. Keep some paper towels handy, and throw out all the garbage immediately when you are done.
Vacuum the Car
When you park your car at the end of the day, remove all the unwanted stuff from inside that has collected in your car when you were out all day. Do it regularly and there won’t be much mess to clear everyday. Keeping your car clean is the first step towards making it smell good. Besides everyday cleaning, it is also necessary to vacuum your car at least once a week to remove all the dust that collects inside over time. Dry vacuum the seats, carpets, ceiling, and the upholstery, so that the car remains clean and free from any odor-producing element. It won’t take much time or effort if you do this on a regular basis.
No Car-O-Bar
If you want your car to smell good and fresh all the time, then you need to follow the ‘no drinking in the car’ norm. If you and your friends have the habit of drinking in the car, there are chances that booze will spill and make the car dirty as well as smelly. Even if you are careful, a bad odor will be left behind. You will have to work really hard to get rid of this smell. So it is something best avoided.
No Smokin’ Wheels
Smoking in the car leaves a bad smell, and it does not go away easily. Not puffing away is the best option, and it presents a great opportunity to kick the habit, or at least taboo it in the car. Cigarette smoke has a very nasty kind of odor which clings to the seats, mats, and upholstery in the car. This odor doesn’t leave the car easily, and will give you a hard time in trying to do so. So, with smoking, good luck with your new-car-smell dream!
Shake the Mats
The floor mats tend to get bad very quickly with dirt, stones and stuff that gets caught under the soles of our shoes. Quite often, some plant material or food particles can also get accumulated, which in time, can lead to an awful odor. So it’s better to remove these mats every week and shake them outside, or if too dirty, wash them with water and detergent.
Shine the Glass
Use a glass cleaner and wipe down the windows and dash, as a layer of dust tends to get accumulated on them. Select the cleaner properly and make sure it does not leave any marks on the glass. Do this once a week, and after cleaning, keep the car open for some time to let the car breathe.
Odor Eliminator
If all the above tricks are not helping much, and your car still emits a foul smell, then you need to buy some odor-eliminating spray which will help get rid of the weird smell. You can spray it inside the car and put the AC on internal air circulating mode, but not for more than five minutes. This will help in removing the foul smell from your car.
For the Smooth Leather
If your car has nice leather seats, then you need to be quite careful about what products you are going to use, specially when you have to clean stains on them. You can choose among the several products available in the market, but make sure you try cleaning a small patch first before you use it on all the seats. Do not use any product that is not made for car cleaning, else you may end up spoiling the leather.
The Stain Repellent
There are many stain repellents available in the market that you can use regularly to avoid the risk of getting your car seats and carpets stained. All you need to do is spray it on the upholstery and let it dry for a couple of hours. Use it if you travel with your kids and pets frequently, and enjoy long drives with them.
Easy on the Pocket
The most inexpensive trick is to buy a box of dryer sheets, which is available everywhere at a minimal cost. You can choose any brand and scent of your choice. Place one dryer sheet under each car seat, and when it gets exposed to heat or sun, a fresh scent will spread in your car. Keep changing the dryer sheets once you feel the scent is fading.
The Scented Pendant
One more easy and inexpensive way to keep the smell in your car fresh is to buy rear-view hanging fresheners. You can choose different shapes, sizes and fragrances that you love. They give out a nice soothing smell in the car, and stay for quite some time. Once its effect is gone, you can tuck a new one. But don’t expect this to do wonders alone without regularly cleaning your car.
Grandpa’s Secret Tip
If you don’t want to take much risk with chemical products that are available in the market, then an easy way to remove foul smell in your car is to sprinkle some baking soda on your car seats for a couple of hours, and then dry vacuuming it. You can also keep a bowl of baking soda or coffee grounds overnight, and get to smell the magical aroma in your car the next day.
Buy some of your favorite fragrances and spray one of them on the floor mat and car seats from a safe distance. You can also keep a potpourri cup in the car, but make sure that it does not spill while driving. Keep some wardrobe freshener sachets under the seats or empty compartments to make the car smell fresh. If you follow some of these tricks regularly, then take it from me, every time you drive your car, the freshness will definitely be worth a long and pleasant drive.