How to truly remove odors?

[YankeeFan]

Just curious if I will need to go to a local detail shop for them to use an extractor or are there other options? Will an extractor even do the trick? I currently wipe down seats with Folex, spray with Valugard Odor eliminator and keep all 4 windows open while sitting in the garage. But once windows are closed there are odors, not smoking, not body odor, just an 8 year old car with odors.

Thanks,
Howard

[Setec Astronomy]

Have you owned this car the whole time? Is it cloth upholstery? Is the odor related to use of the air conditioning?

[Rsurfer]

Just curious if I will need to go to a local detail shop for them to use an extractor or are there other options? Will an extractor even do the trick? I currently wipe down seats with Folex, spray with Valugard Odor eliminator and keep all 4 windows open while sitting in the garage. But once windows are closed there are odors, not smoking, not body odor, just an 8 year old car with odors.

Thanks,
Howard

You will need an enzyme that will kill the bacteria. There are many on the market.

[chet31]

My own opinion is that many people clean the seats and carpeting, but forget about the headliner. The headliner is a large surface capable of trapping a lot of odors. People think that cleaning the seats and carpets has failed. It hasn't failed, it's just that they have neglected to also clean the headliner.

[builthatch]

i have used a product called BLAST before - it's a two part granule bottle that you mix in a bag and place in the car...almost like a bomb or fogger. supposed to be able to handle decomposing flesh, smoke, fish, etc.

i used it for smoke. but, i also used a green machine and enzymatic cleaning solution on all of the cloth (seats/headliner) and carpet first, just to be thorough.

it smells like chlorine at first but eventually goes away. just make sure you put it in a cardboard box, not directly on upholstery. and follow the directions. leave it in there for a day and stay out while it works.

honestly i don't even know if it's available any longer. but it worked. :shrugs:

[YankeeFan]

Have you owned this car the whole time? Is it cloth upholstery? Is the odor related to use of the air conditioning?

Used car, past owner leased it for 2 yrs, dealership added a vanilla scent that finally dissipated. Yes cloth and no not due to the AC as I don't use it often and no additional odors when on

[YankeeFan]

My own opinion is that many people clean the seats and carpeting, but forget about the headliner. The headliner is a large surface capable of trapping a lot of odors. People think that cleaning the seats and carpets has failed. It hasn't failed, it's just that they have neglected to also clean the headliner.

Interesting, I will try that. Thanks......

[PiPUK]

Biological products, as Rsurfer says, can do a good job. One thing to remember with this product class is that longer contact time is better - they are 'alive' so don't work as fast as chemicals. There are also chemical de-odourisers, which I actually are more effective but it is harder to identify them on the market - they get mixed into the 'odouriser' class (which do nothing more than add a strong - pleasant - odour).

[oldmodman]

After all the interior surfaces have all been cleaned by whatever is the correct method for that type of surface. And the A/C ducting has been cleaned of any mold or mildew, then it will be time for the Nuclear Option.

Treating with Ozone. I have used an ozone generator on a couple of cars that had been given up on by others. Vomit and dirty diapers in a car baking in the sun is pretty hard to eliminate the odor. But a six hour treatment (twice) with the ozone generator did it. And the odors did not come back.