Gone in 60 Smells: How to Eliminate Bad Odors from Your Car Fast

It takes a professional to steal a car in 60 seconds—or less—but it doesn’t have to take you more than 60 minutes to eliminate bad odors from your vehicle. You’ve got better things to do than spend hours finding a way to get rid of pungent smells in your car. Find a solution that puts a smile back on your face when you get behind the wheel with the best car odor eliminators. 

The car odor eliminator methods described below work for almost any nasty smell, from pet odors and spilled milkshake to soggy fast food crumbs. Drift car fresheners make quick work of replacing these foul odors with pleasant fragrances. Best of all, you can enjoy exclusively curated Drift scents every month when you join the Scent of the Month Club.

How to Eliminate Bad Odors in 60 Seconds or Less

Eliminating car odors quickly requires a careful plan that covers all possible scenarios. Use the four-step process below to remove foul odors from your car. Then, put the finishing touches on your ride with a car freshener so powerful it’s got to be illegal. 

1. Pinpoint the Perpetrator

The first step in any heist is determining the mark. When it comes to a stinky vehicle, determining the source of the smell is the best place to start. Most car odors stem from spilled food and drink, pets, cigarette smoke, mildew, or bodily fluids. 

If gasoline is the source of your car's stink, your safety is at risk. Determine if your gas tank is leaking and clean up any spilled gas before you proceed. Fuel leaks and vapors can easily ignite with the smallest spark. 

2. Experiment to Find the Right Combination 

Once you know what’s making your car smell so bad, you can match it to the appropriate car odor eliminator method. While a thorough cleaning can benefit any vehicle, you may not have the time or desire to go all-out. When a quick fix is in order, the following methods can help: 

• Dryer sheets: In addition to removing static from clothing, dryer sheets can also help remove odors from vehicles. 

• Coffee grounds: The smell of coffee grounds can mask foul odors, and they’re easy enough to throw out once they’re no longer effective. 

• Baking soda: Sprinkle baking soda on the interior carpet and cloth seats, leaving it overnight before you vacuum it up the next day. 

• Vacuuming: Removing crumbs, dirt, and any other loose debris from your vehicle can help remove bad smells. 

• Steam cleaning: Similar to the carpets in your home, your vehicle’s carpets can require a thorough steam cleaning to remove foul odors completely, especially if they’re related to mildew, food, or other fluids. 

• Odor bomb: Also known as foggers, odor bombs immerse your vehicle’s interior in a refreshing scent by releasing a significant amount of scent in a short period. 

Unfortunately, some smells may require cycling through a few methods before they release their hold on your car. Like an expert lock pick, you’ll need to dig into your bag of tools to discover the right combination to remove foul odors from your vehicle. If you’re unable to make any headway, it’s time to consult the experts. 

3. Call in Reinforcements to Finish the Job

Some odors are better left to the experts, i.e., the professional detailers who make it their business to restore your vehicle’s clean, fresh scent. Equipped with everything from stain-removing solutions to steam-cleaning extractors, these automotive detailers use their expert knowledge to make your vehicle look and smell like new. They can also remove the worst smells using an ozone machine. 

4. Make a Clean Getaway With a Fresh Scent

After the foul odors in your vehicle are gone, it’s time to replace them with a pleasant scent that expresses your personality. It’s also a good idea to replace your cabin air filter to remove any sources of odor there, too. There are many car air freshening solutions to consider, but only one stands out above the rest. 

Gone in 60 Smells: The Best Quick-Acting Car Odor Eliminator

Drift premium car fresheners are the ideal solution to replace the foul odors in your vehicle with delightful aromas that make you want to breathe in deeply. Made from sustainably sourced alder wood, alloy metal, and organic stone, the Wood, Metal, and Stone car fresheners are infused with clean essential and fragrance oil blends. They’re also safe for pets and kids, vegan, and cruelty-free. 

It is simple to install a Drift car freshener in your vehicle. First, remove the scent block from the packaging if you chose the Wood or Stone car fresheners. Place the scent block on the provided metal clip—it will magnetically attach—and snug it over your driver or passenger visor. 

If you chose the Metal car freshener, remove the vent clip from the metal body and attach it to the back. Place the scented block inside the Metal car freshener and cover it with the provided lid. Clip the car freshener to any vent in your car, and adjust the scent intensity with the corresponding tab located on the bottom of the metal body. 

Drift luxury car fresheners last up to 30 days. Free from phthalates, parabens, mineral oils, DEA, formaldehyde, petroleum, propylene, dichlorobenzene, and other harsh chemicals, these car fresheners come in a variety of scents, including those released through our exclusive Scent of the Month. Subscribe today to receive a new car freshener every month—only from Drift. 

Time’s Up for Bad Car Odors When Drift’s in the Driver’s Seat

The clock has run out for foul smells that have permeated your car’s interior for too long. Infuse your vehicle with premium scents designed by the experts at Drift because it’s legal to steal a whiff, but all the more rewarding to possess it. Subscribe to the Scent of the Month Club to experience refreshing scents every month.