We drive  our vehicles on average at least once a day, but for many of us , that once a day can actually mean all day especially if we have a job which requires us to be in a vehicle for hours on end, such as a police officer, real estate agent or a courier.  We also drive the kids to school; drive ourselves to school and/or work, drive to the grocery store, the skating rink, the movies, the In and Out Burger – in fact, the amount of places we drive are just as endless as the models of cars we see on the road. The amount of time we actually spend in the car on any given day can be as short as a few minutes or as long as a few hours, which is why taming odors is so important.  Trust me when I say that nobody likes to drive or ride in a stinky, smelly car, no matter how long or short the commute may be.

Luckily, there are ways to deal effectively with offending interior odors. Below are some sure-fire ways you can clean things up and kill the smell. 

Keep Your Vehicle Clean

Remove trash daily.  Keep a small plastic bag in your vehicle to store trash. At the end of the day, take the bag with you and toss it in the garbage can.  Try to vacuum the interior (including upholstery) at least once every two weeks and remember to wipe out ashtrays if they’re being used.  Don’t forget to wash down floor mats and use a good cleaner on windows, too.  I prefer Windex Vinegar spray, but you may like something else.

Febreze

Has there ever been a better product introduced that seemingly gets rid of odors by spraying it directly on fabrics?  I don’t think so in fact, whoever came up with the idea for this is pure genius.  Febreze tackles it all – from pet odors to smoke and almost everything in between.  The fabric refresher comes in a variety of different fragrances such as Lavender & Vanilla Comfort, Meadows & Rain and Citrus & Light and there’s even a Febreze fabric refresher specifically designed for cars which can be used on everything from interior fabrics to carpeted floor mats.  If you have vinyl or leather seats, its best not to use the fabric refresher and instead, try the Febreze Air Effects, which also eliminates odors and comes in three different solutions Extra Strength, Everyday and Pet Odor Eliminator.

Lysol

Lysol spray has been around for years and is used in hospitals, community rooms and doctors offices (just to name a few) to cut down on bacteria, germs and odors.  While you can’t spray it directly onto fabrics or upholstery, it’s still a good choice because it kills germs and bacteria.  Lysol has a brand called Neutra Air, a neutralizer which destroys odors by zapping bacteria in the air, which helps to eliminate odors from coming back.  Lysol also offers an array of disinfecting wipes, which I use aggressively almost every day, and they’re also great to keep in the car to wipe down steering wheels and shifter knobs.  They smell great, too.  Lysol also offers a portable travel size disinfectant on the go, which is perfect for storing in your glove box or center compartment.

Baking Soda

If it’s good enough to eliminate odors from our refrigerators, it’s good enough for our cars, too.  Sprinkle baking soda on the upholstery, carpeted floor and mats, etc., leave it set for about 30 to 45 minutes and then vacuum.  Depending on your vehicle upholstery fabric, you may want to try a small test area first before proceeding.  Always be sure to vacuum baking soda up completely.  It may not be suitable for leather or vinyl.

Kids ‘N Pets Stain & Odor Remover

This is one product I highly recommend especially if you have kids and pets!  Kids ‘N Pets Stain & Odor Remover is specifically designed for cleaning up after all those wet and messy kid and pet accidents and eliminates urine stains and odors.  It can be applied to upholstery and carpet, neutralizes odors and comes in a variety of different forms.  The best thing about Kids ‘N Pets is that it really works and can be used on almost all water-safe surfaces.  It’s not a spray and must be applied liberally, but left alone to do its job, it works well.

I’d like to hear from Cars for Girls readers – what works tried and true for you?  Have a good product to share?  A tip or trick?  Let me know…leave a comment and share what works for you.

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