You ever had a bad smell in your car that you just could not scrub away? The type which sticks around and boldly asserts itself? We might have a few tips to help you out:

DIY car air freshener

Tip number 1 for DIY lovers.

You will need:

1 sheet of felt

Scissors

All purpose craft glue

Twine

Hole puncher

Essential oil

Cut the felt in the shape of your liking. Punch a hole and insert the twine and make a loop to hang it on your rear-view mirror. Glue the loop to the felt to keep it in place. Allow it to fully dry.

Once dry, apply the essential oil to the felt. If it’s hot outside, apply oil to the felt every other day. 

Shampoo the interior

Now, let’s say that you are not good with your hands. Tip number 2, will work best for you. An idea so simple, its efficiency will surprise all your passengers.

What you need:

A spray bottle

Scented shampoo

A piece of cloth

This one is rather straightforward. Fill the spray bottle with 2:1 measures of water and shampoo so it’s mildly soapy. Spray the interior and sweep with the piece of cloth. Do it everywhere. Shampoo the carpets, the seats, the ceiling, the dashboard all the way down to the centre console, head unit and gear stick. Leave no area unsprayed and make your ride smell as good as possible.

The third option

This one is for those who are on the clock. You either have to drive an important client around or an impromptu date with that special someone, the fact remains that your car smells and in the next 20-or-so minutes, it should not smell anymore. 

What you need:

Liquid disinfectant

Spray droplets of the liquid disinfectant in the exterior vents. Get in, run the AC, drive around a little bit and that bad odour will simply fizzle out.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that the best way to avoid smells is to keep your car clean with a good weekly wash. You can read more on how to do this efficiently without wasting water here. Drive safe!