Your car isn’t just a car—depending on the day, it can be a dining room for a quick bite (while parked, of course), a place for the kids to catch up on the latest shows, a shuttle to your dog’s vet, you name it. And all that multitasking can lead to some pretty funky smells. “Our cars are really just microcosms of our homes,” says Melissa Maker, the author of Clean My Space. And thanks to the confined area, common smells can quickly intensify, turning an unwanted scent into a stench.
But no need to call in a pro to clear the air: Some household tools you probably already own can purge pungent odors—and help to ward off future ones. Here are some simple and effective strategies to combat the prime culprits.
Spills on the Seat
Whether they’re from crumbs, dirt or liquids, messes on your seat cushions can be a real pain to get out, consequently turning the upholstery into an incubator of stink. Maker stashes a microfiber cloth in her glove compartment for just such occasions: cleans up the mess in a pinch. Plus, they’re handy for everyday tidying, like a dusty dashboard.
Once you get home, the real deep clean can begin. For leather upholstery, there’s not much more you can do on your own than wipe it down, but leather generally doesn’t hang on to odor the same way cloth does, Maker says. With fabric seats, you may be able to address the problem with a lint roller, particularly if it’s a dry substance like dirt or pet hair. For trickier messes, try the hose attachment on a vacuum cleaner. Still won’t come out? Break out a carpet shampooer. “It might seem like an onerous task, but cleaning your upholstery is going to have a huge effect on the way that it smells,” says Maker.