Smelly Car, Smelly Car

April 29, 2008 6:45 AM

What is the best, non-stinky place to have my car detailed?

My car stinks. It stinks like cigarette smoke (I recently quit). It stinks like B.O. (used to ferry around sweaty actors) and worst, it stinks like the chemicals from the last time I had it detailed. Is there any way to start anew, odor-wise? Regular VW-shop detailing uses those vile chemicals. Are there better-smelling detailing options? I live in Brooklyn, so leaving the car windows down for long periods of time is not an option.

posted by pipti to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

HAve you tried squirting Ozium or Febreze into the intake vent of the AC? That does a great job of providing temporary relief.
posted by buggzzee23 at 7:06 AM on April 29, 2008

There are detailers that have ozone generator-type devices that neutralize odors. They run the thing in the car all day or overnight to get the ozone into every part of the car.
posted by pandanom at 7:18 AM on April 29, 2008

Baking soda. Works in the fridge, works in the car. Get one of those flow-through boxes, or better yet, two. My mom left an apple in my truck which turned into vinegar, and a week treatment of b.s. did the trick.
posted by notsnot at 7:20 AM on April 29, 2008

A great cheap, quick tip: Buy a bar of deodorant soap and place it dry under one of the seats. It makes a pleasant non-obnoxious temporary quick fix. You can even leave it in its box and punch a bunch of holes in it with a pencil.

My brother had a very old car where some of the seat cushion material was rotting, making a weird sharp smell. This helped immensely.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 7:47 AM on April 29, 2008

Response by poster: Pandonom: any idea where I can find one of these ozone detailers?
posted by pipti at 9:28 AM on April 29, 2008

baking soda works in the fridge

No, it doesn't.
posted by dmd at 1:37 PM on April 29, 2008