Your Car Smells Like Regret? Here’s How to Fix That Before Your Next Date

If your latest breakup left a bad taste in your mouth, the smell of regret can also wrinkle your nose. Regret has a bad way of lingering, weighing down on you as you attempt to move forward with love and the next chapter in your life. When regret has you cycling through emotions like loneliness, frustration, disappointment, sadness, nostalgia, shame, and anger, it’s time to introduce the smell of something new into your life. 

The guide below can’t take away all the pain associated with regret, but it’s a great place to start. Discover how you can work through your regret like it’s a foul car smell and what it means to put your best foot forward in your love life. A Drift car freshener can help infuse your space with uplifting scents to propel you forward toward whatever comes next. 

How to Work Through Regret Like It’s a Bad Car Smell 

What would regret smell like if it were a pesky odor you couldn’t get out of your car? Perhaps it would be musty and stale or tinge the air with a sour aroma. Use the steps below to rid yourself of the bitter, unpleasant aroma of regret the same way you would a bad car smell. 

1. Confront Your Feelings

They say the first step to resolving a problem is recognizing it or admitting there is one. Take a moment to confront your feelings of regret and view them as they are. What would your regret say to you if it were sitting beside you? 

When your car has a bad smell to it, the process of removing it begins with acknowledging how bad it stinks. Noticing its presence enables you to interact with it, learning more about what it smells like and where it comes from. That leads us to the next step: finding the root of the problem. 

2. Trace the Source

If your car smells like you left a bag of fast food in it for a week, you’re bound to find a few french fries near the seat rails. Removing these leftover crumbs gets rid of the source of the smell, but disposing of it for good requires a deep cleaning. The source of your regret deserves the same treatment. 

Once you’ve found the source, the healing process can begin. Explore your feelings and what sticks with you the most when you consider your regret. Is there anything you can do now to change what you’re feeling? 

3. Realize the Potential for Growth

Before you become overwhelmed by the potential to alter your world, remember that this is a time of personal growth and achievement. Take time to reflect on what you’ve learned and the person you’ve become. Forgive yourself for your mistakes and reframe your perspective to be open to possibilities. 

When your car smells a bit off, you don’t junk the entire thing and start over. Instead, you focus on what’s valuable and how you can bring out the positive elements. Both you and your vehicle can benefit from recognizing what advantages you’re working with as you turn your attention toward the future. 

4. Move Forward

Now’s the time to take action. Scrub the stains out of the carpet and make amends to begin healing old wounds. Focus on the present, reinstating and committing anew to the values you hold most dear. 

5. Reap the Benefits of Time

It takes time to get bad smells out of a car, and the same goes for your past relationship. As time passes by, seek the support of your loved ones and practice gratitude for what you’ve been given. Take comfort in the knowledge that someday, you’ll have successfully moved on from the heartache—and foul odors—that once dominated your life. 

6. Look to the Future

There’s no telling what the future holds, from new acquaintances to new adventures behind the wheel. Prepare yourself for the numerous experiences that life still has in store. You might be surprised by what’s just around the corner. 

How to Set Up Yourself and Your Next Date For Success

There’s no telling how long it will take you to move on from the regret of your last relationship, but with an eye toward the future, you’re moving in the right direction. When it’s time to set yourself up with someone new, keep the following in mind. You might just avoid regret if you do. 

1. Take Small Steps

Regret can often stem from reacting too quickly or not allowing yourself enough time to think properly. Avoid these situations by taking small steps at your own pace. Communicate your needs upfront and stick to the values you’ve recently rediscovered. 

2. Focus on What You Can Control

Unfortunately, regret can often stem from the actions others may or may not take. However, you must remember what’s in your control and how you can act upon that power. In fact, there’s a certain sense of freedom in recognizing you typically have control over very little. 

3. Cultivate Positive Habits

After you’ve removed the bad car smell from your vehicle, you’re less likely to engage in activities that could result in the return of that smell. In a similar fashion, it’s good to establish and maintain habits that keep you from returning to the land of regret. Although it may be easier said than done, the results speak for themselves. 

4. Surround Yourself With Positivity

It’s challenging to steer away from regret alone at the helm, but the task becomes easier with support from your loved ones. When there’s someone there to help—like a professional detailer with the wisdom of knowing how to deal with stubborn car smells—the burden can seem lighter, even just for a moment. What support system can you lean on as you overcome regret? 

Replace That Regretful Car Smell With Joy and Happiness

Drift makes it easy to infuse your vehicle and your life with a fresh new scent that can help you attract the type of partner you’ve been searching for and take on an exhilaratingly new perspective. Subscribe to the Scent of the Month Club to receive exclusive access to our monthly scents, and sign up for our newsletter to be notified of limited-edition releases. Open your car door to a comforting scent and a budding relationship with Drift.