Removing Odors from My Car

Updated on June 17, 2009
S.W. asks from Saint Anthony, ID
9 answers

My car smells absolutely horrible. Somehow, we left a little carton of half finished milk in my car and I think that some of it spilled onto the carpet. I have tried using a carpet cleaner, odor neutralizer and vinegar. Nothing is helping. I NEED some ideas on how to get the horrible smell out of my car. I just about puke every time I open the door to get in. Please HELP me!!!

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P.M.

answers from Great Falls on

I use a product called Sol-U-Mel. It deodorizes as well as helps gets stains out in a more concentrated level. It's much safer than using other chemicals. You can order it online. Just drop me a line, and I can tell you more about it!

Tricia
http://www.Mamas2Mamas.com

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D.D.

answers from Denver on

I suggest Fabreeze. I know.... chemical, chemical, chemical. But, if you spray it in the morning of a warm day, let your car sit with all the windows open in the garage or in the shade, it removes the odor, and won't choke you. When I was pregnant, I had hyper-emesis, and I vomited in my car one day! UGH!!! I cleaned it up, and then used Fabreeze, and 24 hours later, no stink. Good luck.

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K.B.

answers from Denver on

I second the Sol-U-Mel. I use it everywhere in my house. It does have a strong scent at first but it goes away in a few days. It prob smells better than what you are smelling now though.. GL to you.

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J.S.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Have you tried baking soda?

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L.J.

answers from Denver on

Are you sure it's the milk or is there something else somewhere else? We had a dead mouse one time and it took weeks to find it. Made getting in the car very bad. How about getting the car detailed? They could find it and take care of it. It costs money, but might be worth it.

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S.W.

answers from Salt Lake City on

A detailer could get to the bottom of it for sure, but it wouldn't be free. . . at least $50, probably more like $100. But, you car would be gorgeous afterward! Maybe one of your teens would like to make a buck cleaning every crevice?
I've had good luck with Oxy Clean and also a cleaner made for pet accidents called "Nature's Miracle." You can get it at PetSmart and similar places and it's about $8 for a big bottle. It eats up any essence of the organic (poo, pee, and probably spoiled milk, too) so there's nothing left to stink. The idea is that the pet cannot even detect where the accident was, so he is not triggered to have another accident in the same spot. There's no floral scent or anything, just clean. Consider calling a good grooming shop if you don't have a big pet store nearby; they might carry Nature's Miracle or something similar.
Good luck!

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J.F.

answers from Billings on

A carton of milk once exploded in my car on the way home from the grocery and it was hot and dried before I could really clean it. It was the worst smell ever. I tried every carpet cleaner, and then we finally took it into a car cleaning service and had them shampoo it professionally. It was much cheaper than we had anticipated, and worth every penny. We aired it out as much as possible and after they shampooed it, the smell finally went away. I would try this and make sure to tell them what it is they're trying to get out! By the time you spend money on various cleaning solutions, I found it was much cheaper to just have a professional clean it. Good luck!

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J.B.

answers from Great Falls on

I'm sorry for your stinky problem! I had the same thing happen once. I covered the whole area in baking soda (lots of it!)and let it sit for a day, then vaccuumed it up. It did better than any other cleaner I tried. Good luck!

J.

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