It looks as though younger generations won't associate floating VOCs with the experience of buying a new car. "That new-car smell" will become something old folks recall with nostalgia whenever they break open a new plastic shower curtain. Kinda sad. The best car air fresheners have a variety of pleasant scents. “Refreshing and light scents like citrus, clean linen, or a subtle floral aroma tend to be popular choices for car air fresheners,” Belair says. “Men tend to lean towards stronger fragrances, such as leather, mahogany, and dark ice.” In rare cases, some additional deodorizing power might be required. If you just can’t seem to shift those smells, here are some popular remedies you can try. Dog hair is also notorious for ruining clean interiors. Just a few journeys with a pet in the car can leave it looking and smelling like a kennel! What's the secret to getting that "new car smell" in your old car? The answer may surprise you. And it doesn't involve a trip to the dealership.

To keep that new-car smell, wash all of the floor mats with detergent and warm water and let them air dry outside. You can also leave them in direct sunlight if you want to speed up the process.

Although everyone nods knowingly when you say, "New-car smell," smells differ from car to car. For example, Hennig and I smelled an older "new" car, a 2001 Arnage, and Hennig's notes read, "Boom! Leather and beurre noisette. Rich without being overbearing." Gruber said that J.D. Power's consumer data collected from around the world shows large-scale cultural differences when it comes to the appreciation of new-car smell. In the United States and Japan, for example, IQS issues related to scent make up only a tiny percentage of reported problems. In China, however, last year’s IQS complaints involving new-car smell were more than 10 times higher than those recorded in the U.S. Cars are a relatively closed environment. Unless they are kept clean, it doesn’t take long for them to become a stuffy breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria and smelly molds.

These clips should be stored at room temperature, so you won’t be able to keep the extras in your car. Like other car manufacturers, Ford works to eliminate offensive odors rather than creating pleasant ones. "But almost everything has some smell," said Graham. Whether you’ve had your car for five days or five years, the reality is that the unpleasant smells of sweat, fast food, and any other disagreeable odors will eventually make their way into your vehicle. While the occasional deep clean will rid your vehicle of any unwanted smells, the best way to keep your ride smelling fresh every day is with a car air freshener. Wine guy Jeff Hennig, the dapper fortyish sommelier for the tony Valbella!! restaurant in Greenwich, Connecticut, agreed to come with me and smell cars. Pet and child accidents: We love them, but pets and kids sometimes (often!?) do things that are outside our control! Any accidents are guaranteed to stink out your interior. Plastics and hard surfaces are easy to clean, but upholstery can take a lot of work to return to its original freshness.Clean cloth seats with a carpet and upholstery cleaning product like Resolve and a carpet and upholstery brush, or with a portable carpet and upholstery cleaning machine like Bissell’s Cordless Portable Carpet Cleaner. Treat leather seats with leather cleaner and wipe dry with a clean microfiber cloth. Clean the Vents Finally, when the seats are dry, add some scented seat-covering protectors. These smell great and will help keep your car smelling fresh longer than you would expect! Wash the Floor Mats

The scent may be overwhelming and strong if used incorrectly, especially when placed in a smaller car or confined area. In addition to washing the mats, it's a good idea to clean your floorboard with hot soapy water. Be sure to dry thoroughly after all of this is done.

Meguiar’s Carpet & Fabric Re-Fresher Odour Eliminator

Ozium was created in the 1940s as a sanitizing spray, but it eventually caught on with car people. Dealerships use it to freshen used cars. Car detailers use it. Car owners use it to keep their cars smelling nice. Walman, affectionately known in the business as "the Nose," is comfortable admitting that smell is a valuable marketing tool. "Call the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia," he said. "It does plenty of olfactory studies for the automotive industry." If you have leather upholstery , you will want to give that premium hide a premium treatment. Well-cared-for leather should look great, feel great, and definitely smell great. See what our customers are saying about Leather Restore Ceramic Conditioner and show that hide the respect it deserves! Bentleys and Rolls-Royces smell dizzyingly like leather. Less expensive cars smell more like a new shower curtain or newly installed wall-to-wall carpeting. Hennig's notes on a 2004 Acura TSX , for example: "Very one-dimensional, nothing lying underneath. Clean, pleasant, sterile, a touch of plastic." Or a 2003 Acura 3.2TL: "Very faint, almost an absence of aromas. No leather smell at all. Light plastic or cleaner." A 2003 Ford Escape was "mixed aromas of leather, rubber mats, carpet, and plastic." Reynoso adds that other good places for hanging paper disposable air fresheners are “off the turn signal or windshield wiper levers behind the steering wheel.”