I just bought a new car and unfortunately I cannot tolerate the new car smell. Does anyone have any suggestions what to use to remove the new car odor. I am allergic to all chemicals. I've been putting a cup of vinegar in it every night and keep the doors open all day but I took it out today and before I went a mile I had to return home. Any help very much appreciated.
Orva from Toronto, Canada
Go to your Auto Parts Store. Here in Texas we have an O'Reilly's that has something call Ozium, it with the Air fresheners. It will that the smell out, but remove anything like air fresheners before you use it because it will completely remove the fragrance. Good Luck
Cindy: Thank you so much for that tip, I will try Ozium and let you know how I make out with it. Thank you again for the tip.
Orva
If you aren't allergic to essential oils (natural - not chemical) then you can buy a diffuser (wood or terra cotta) and use your favorite fragrance in your car.
My mother in law bought a car previously owned by a veterenarian which smelled of medicines. The dealer suggested putting a half can of coffee granules on the floor in back seat area and light it.
How about spraying the vinegar on the carpet etc and then leaving the doors open? I often spray vinegar on my carpet when the dog has a messy moment. I can't smell the accident or the vinegar.
The new car smell is the product of plastic ingredients effusing out of the vinyl and other plastic surfaces. You can greatly speed up the process by putting a gentle heat source in the car with the windows rolled down 1/4 inch, or park it in hot sun.
Odium will not help with chemical fumes, it sanitizes, or kills, bacteria, not chemical fumes. Ozium Eliminates smoke and offensive malodors caused by airborne bacteria. OZIUM is a product that sanitizes the air you breathe.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How do I remove odors from new car floor mats?
By PV from TX
I would wash them with soap and a scrub brush then hang to dry.
You can try taking them out of the car then wiping them down with half vinegar/half water then leaving this on wet & repeating it again in 5 minutes, then hose them off. Believe it or not, vinegar removes odors... But, I think the only thing that will really work is airing them out & time. You might try removing the mats from the car then leaving them out in the sunshine & fresh air for a day or two (flipping them over throughout the day). The easiest thing to try would be to spray on Febreze, but I don't think it will work. I think the only thing that will work is fresh air & sunshine because it's the plastic/rubber/PVC (& maybe the formaldehyde) that's making them smell. SO it's basically the "fumes" from the plastic/rubber/PVC that's giving off the nasty smell. I think the only thing that will really work is fresh air, sunshine & time.
Except, if you or a friend have an ozone based air cleaner. Ozone always works to clean the air & surrounding area & upholstery.
I once bought some rubber mats from the dollar store. They worked fine, but I couldn't use them because they smelled so strongly of new tires! You know, that really strong smell of rubber. We figured that the mats were made of recycled tires & that's why they smelled so strongly of tires. The same thing happened when I bought a new pair of black rubber mud boots. (they also must have been made of recycled tires) I left them on a shelf in my craft room & they stunk up the whole room for weeks.
Also, I was told by an electrician that PVC can't be used indoors or in a garage because of the toxic fumes PVC gives out. You can only use PVC outside. Who knows what your car mats are made of?! But one thing's for sure, it's probably not a great thing for you to breath. You might try calling the car dealership & ask them if they know how to remove the mat's odor. You may end up hanging them up in your garage & using something else to protect the car's carpeting in the mean time (like that clear roll-out plastic made for high traffic areas. It's sold in rolls in Home Depot's carpeting area).
Just keep a spray bottle of vinegar or liquid Febreeze in your car and spray the mats every day for a few days. I always keep one or the other in my car and do it every now and then for musty odors or if I had a brain fluff moment and let someone smoke in my car.
When things have that strong plastic smell, they are giving off gases from the plastic. So it's best to leave those items outside & air them out until all the chemicals have settled down. That's why I like older things - no chemical gases!
Dont ever use Febreze. Not even a chemist can get that odor out. Its just a strong perfume containing 87 chemicals.
Please dont ever use Febreze. The Febreze smell is strong and wont come out. Not even a chemist can get it out. (Consulted) Its far worse than anything Ive tried to remove.
