Banishing odors: A complete guide to removing smells from your old car

Fee-fie-foe-fum, where the heck is that smell coming from? If it's an old car, a funky stench can set up camp anywhere. So dig out your gas masks. We'll show you where foul odors like to hide and tell you how to evict them.

Musty smells

Dust, moisture, and mold can build up over time. Since they're hard to spot, start by vacuuming the carpets, seats, and headliners. Next, spray a fabric freshener or upholstery cleaner on every surface. Finally, roll the car windows down on a sunny day so the interior can dry out and get some fresh air.

Smoke or tobacco smells

Cigarette smoke is a tough one. Begin by airing out your by leaving the doors open. A run-of-the-mill spray won't work. You'll need to find a specifically designed spray for tobacco odors and use it on all fabrics and surfaces. Lastly, place an open box of baking soda or activated charcoal in the car overnight to absorb any remaining smells. Car odor removal - going up in smoke.

Food and drink smells

Fast food on the go can quickly turn into a crumb trail. Wiping up food or drink spills right away helps, but the sooner you can apply carpet and upholstery cleaner, the better. This avoids stale odors being trapped in the fabric. For a natural method, sprinkle baking soda on carpets and seats, let it sit for a few hours, and then hit it with a vacuum.

Pet smells

For pet owners, cars can get ripe from their four-legged friends. It's best to vacuum pet hair and use pet-friendly fabric fresheners regularly. You can also place a pet-specific air freshener in the car.

Old car smells

Chemicals from aging plastic can stink up a car. To address this, driving with the windows down helps, but you can also use an air purifier to filter out unwanted aromas. You can also let citrus peels marinate inside your old car to help neutralize the odor. Car freshness here we come.

Whether it's musty smells, lingering smoke, or pet odors, these tried-and-true methods will help you keep making sweet road trip memories. If your car is too rancid to reckon with, get an instant offer from Peddle and see if it's worth cashing in.