We’ve all been there. We are driving down the road, thinking about the next item on our to-do list or singing along to our favorite song, and we get a whiff of something that just doesn’t smell right. We sniff again, wondering if it was something on the side of the road or someone else’s car as they drove by. As we drive along, it is obvious that the smell is us, or our vehicle, and it will need attention. Pitt Stop Detail & Auto Sales can help you figure out what’s going on and, more importantly, get rid of that odor. 

Causes

There are many reasons why your car may smell bad. Obviously, a vehicle that has been smoked in, even with the windows rolled down, will have a lingering smell of smoke. Spilled drinks like your morning coffee or kid’s sippy cup of milk can smell, especially over time in a hot car. If your furry friend likes to ride in the car with you on errands or for their puppuccino, they can leave odors in your vehicle as well. Occasionally, our cars will have small leaks in the seals of doors which will cause an increasing musty smell as the water seeps into your carpet or upholstery. If you smell burning, especially rubber or an electric smell, you need to see your auto mechanic as soon as possible. As these odors present themselves, they tend to seep further and further into the interior of our car, regardless of the material our seats and floors are made of. While some interiors are easier to clean, they can still trap odor. What’s more, when combined with the extreme heat common in our area, these odors can be particularly offensive. 

Solutions - First Defense

Consumer Reports gives us the best advice, “[t]o prevent these odors, there’s an easy solution: Keep your car clean.” Your first defense against car odor becoming an issue in your vehicle is to keep your car as clean and debris-free as possible. We know we spend a lot of time in our vehicles going to and from work, running errands, and making trips to see far-off places and loved ones near and far. With an increasing amount of time in our vehicles, we are bound to drop, spill, or knock over something. By cleaning this up immediately, we are reducing the chance of an offensive odor taking hold of our space. Our recommended first steps are to vacuum any obvious debris, spot-treat any potential stain, and blot any liquid that may be present.

Solutions - Next Steps

Sometimes we don’t know there is a spill or other issue until the odor has already set in. Other times, the spill is too large to completely clean up ourselves. When this is the case, Pitt Stop Detail & Auto Sales can step in to help eliminate your car odor. We have special methods and techniques that can remove the source of the odor at some of the deepest levels of the interior of your vehicle. Some cars, trucks, or SUVs may need even more attention and require a steam clean which we can also do. We can perform these services as part of regular cleaning or add these on for those not-so-special circumstances. 

Either way, with regular interior detailing or a deep clean including steam cleaning, Pitt Stop Detail & Auto Sales will provide you with the best service and the cleanest car imaginable. We can clean every inch of your vehicle to restore that sparkle with a better scent than ever. And to keep your car smelling fresh and clean, we offer several products and air fresheners to bring out your favorite scent. Contact us today for more information or to schedule your appointment.