Car Air Fresheners and Dealing With Smells Properly

AUTOMOTIVE · GLOBAL

Car Air Fresheners and Dealing With Smells Properly

Where smells come from, masking versus removing, fitting safely and sensitivity

Air fresheners cover a smell, and the smell keeps being produced. Finding the source is usually quicker than people expect.

Where car smells come from

Damp carpets and underlay from a leaking seal or a wet umbrella, the cabin air filter, spilled drinks in seat foam, food under seats, and the air conditioning evaporator, which grows mould in a dark damp housing.

A musty smell that appears when the fan starts is almost always the air conditioning or the cabin filter.

Fixing rather than masking

Change the cabin filter, which is an inexpensive part and frequently never replaced. Run the air conditioning regularly and switch it off a few minutes before arriving so the evaporator dries.

Lift carpets to check for damp and find the leak, since a car that never dries will always smell.

Fitting an air freshener safely

Not hanging from the mirror, where it obstructs vision and can be an offence, and not where it could reach the pedals if it falls. Vent clips are the safer option.

Keep liquid and gel products off dashboards and trim, since many strip or stain plastic and vinyl permanently. Check before fitting.

Strength and sensitivity

Strong fragrance in a small enclosed space triggers headaches, nausea and asthma in some people, and a driver who feels unwell is a safety problem.

Start with the mildest option and consider passengers, particularly children and anyone with a respiratory condition.

Ventilation

Opening windows for a few minutes does more for cabin air than any product, particularly after the car has stood in the sun.

Deep cleaning the interior

Vacuum thoroughly including under the seats and in the seat rails, shampoo fabric seats and carpets, and let everything dry fully with the doors open. Wipe hard surfaces with a proper interior cleaner rather than household spray.

An enzyme cleaner is the only thing that reliably removes milk, vomit and pet accidents, since it breaks the residue down rather than covering it.

Before selling

A clean, neutral-smelling interior does more for a viewing than almost anything else. Remove heavy fragrance before a viewing, since buyers assume it is hiding something.

Air conditioning maintenance

Run the air conditioning for ten minutes at least once a month, including in winter, since the system relies on circulating oil to keep the seals from drying out. A system left unused loses gas and seizes.

An antibacterial treatment through the vents deals with an evaporator that already smells, and a new cabin filter afterwards keeps it that way.

Keeping it fresh

Vacuum regularly, deal with spills immediately, and keep a small bin in the car.

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