How do I get a musty smell out of my car?
Asked by
Haleth (
18947
)
March 22nd, 2010
I just inherited the old family clunker. My mom drove it for a number of years, then my sister drove it and left it at my parents house for about a year. I had to fix a few things on it and clean out the interior, which was full of random crap like loose change, candy wrappers, old clothes, drink cans and lots of potato chips. The inside of the car still kind of smells like an attic or an old closet, but it’s not a moldy or mildewy smell. It’s pretty pervasive, not the kind of thing an air freshener or febreeze can get rid of. I’ll probably have to drive it for a few years before I can afford a new car.
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9 Answers
febreeze is the answer to all bad smell problems! ps I find that old attic musty smell comforting
Set a little container of coffee grounds in there. It’ll absorb the bad smells & leave a better one.
The best thing you can do is to just let it air out naturally. Make sure it’s going to be dry (no rain), and open all doors, windows, and anything else that will allow it more exposure to fresh air, and give it a few days. As @jbfletcherfan suggested, a container of coffee grounds can also work well. Maybe try airing it out first, and then the coffee grounds; a sort of two-pronged attack.
Sprinkle baking soda all over: carpet, upholstery, side panels, . . . make a solution of baking soda and water to spray on the headliner. Don’t forget the trunk…. Let it seat for about an hour, then vacuum… Repeat as necessary.
For about $50–80, you can have the interior professionally detailed.
Oust! Plus sprinkle baking soda.
There are always professional car cleaners out there that can not only give the car an unbelievably nice scent that overwhelms only for a few days, but also get every last bit of crap out of it that could also be causing the odor.
just give one of those little old “perfume ladies” a ride home from the hair salon. you know, the 60-something yr old ladies that go to JC Penny and buy a gallon of White Diamonds every week. the excess from their perfume shower will get rid of any other smell in the world.
Scatter fresh cat litter all over the car, leave overnight, then vacuum it.
A nice car freshener placed on the dash should do the trick. Roll down the windows and let some fresh air circulate through the car for a while. Now you can open the air freshener container (you get certain brands that you can attach to the air conditioning duct) and your car will be smelling fresh in no time.
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