Help! This Rotten Odor Is Ruining My Sweet Car!

By Author: Jay Grewer
Total Articles: 11
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What's the worst accident that can happen inside your new car besides a fire? I'm an "odor damage loss prevention specialist" and I've seen just about everything. Insurance companies refer their high value problem cars to me, as a last resort to avoid writing the vehicle loss off as a total loss due to an impossible odor. Imagine seeing a brand new Maserati where the owner returned from a month long vacation, to discover a rotting watermelon she'd left on the front seat.

Cat urine, dog and human vomit, spilled or spoied milk, dead rats, gasoline fumes, fire and smoke damage, flooded and mildewed cars, deceased corpses, I fix them all! There are countless scenarios that can cause your brand new car to be unbearable to sit inside, let alone drive. In addition, damage such as cigar smoke, may dramatically devalue your new, or near new car. So here are some basic tips to cleaning up your problem stain or odor.

Basic Cleanup: Don't make it worse! "Soak up" the spill and try not to enlarge the area of damage. A wet-dry vac is ideal for this purpose. First apply a small amount of clear water and let it soak ...
... in, and then extract it with the wet-dry vac. Then use a very dilute solution of dishwashing liquid soap such as Dawn. About a half teaspoon of soap in 8oz of water should do it. Rub or brush a small amount into the problem area, and extract. Repeat with clear water, and repeat if necessary. Be careful not to over wet the carpet, because you can spread the stain, and or cause mildew if it doesn't dry properly. Now roll the windows down and allow the car to naturally dry, for 24 hours.

Don't put it off!! Delay in properly resolving the source of the odor, allows some stains and odors to permanantly set. In most cases, using scented carpet freshener, automotive upholstery sprays, and fragrant air fresheners simply add to the problem. For example,if you place a pinapple air freshener in a car with spoiled milk, you'll get a tropical rotton milk odor.

Final thoughts: Always carry plastic bags with you in the car. Keep your animals on blankets and preferably restrained. Use washable seat covers, and carry containers for groceries to prevent spills. Keep your climate control on recirculate when driving through areas with bad odors, then switch back to fresh air mode. Pick leaves out of fresh air intake underneath the bottom of the windshield, and finally, avoid using plain water in the windsheild washer tank.