Getting rid of BO and Cologne smell

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FiddlerMD

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I recently bought a used 2008 BMW 328i. The previous owner seemed to have used too much cologne, which I noticed immediately. After being in the car for a little longer, I also detected sweat and smoke. The car is great, but this damn smell is preventing me from fully enjoying it.
The smell does seem to get a little worse when the heat is on, but it does not seem like it's coming out of the vents.
I tried leaving vinegar in the car overnight since I heard that kills some smells but that didnt work too much (maybe a little.. although now it smells like vinegar a little :)).. and i tried coffee grounds.. which also maybe helped a tiny bit. What i'd really like to do is KILL the damn smells. seriously it feels like i'm driving around in this guys' armpit.
I saw some posts on here saying bombs, ozone, sprays, etc work but I am curious if there are any sure fire ways to really get rid of the BO and cologne smells. The smoke smell is very minor so I woudlnt worry about that right away.
Thanks all!
 
Steam the carpets. Scrub the heck out of the seats. And lastly, but most important, you'll have to steam the headliner also.
 
jpegs13 said:
Steam the carpets. Scrub the heck out of the seats. And lastly, but most important, you'll have to steam the headliner also.
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Correct.

The odor molecules are attached and impregnated into any of the fibrous materials so in order to remove the odors completely you either have to remove the odor molecules or mask them.

You can try any of the below,

Dakota Non Smoke - odor remover, smoke odor eliminator, tobacco odor eliminator, odor remover, smoke odor remover, car odor eliminator, remove smoke

Duragloss Absorb-It Odor Eliminator #371

Meguiars #23 Odor Eliminator Gallon: Eliminate car interior odors with Meguiars bulk size of #23 Odor Eliminator!

Meguiars Car Odor Eliminator is a quick spray solution to interior car odors. Meguiars Car Odor Eliminator does not mask odors - it eliminates them!

Dakota Odor Bomb - Car odor bombs for smoke odor removal, pet odor removal and more for a clean, refreshing scent!



I've read good things about the Ozone Treatment, maybe call around and see if any of the local detail shops off this service.

Cleaning headliners and not warping or stretching them is really hard, so be carefully how you touch this component.


:)
 
well, I just ordered 4 different odor eliminator products - I'll post a review once i get them and try them out. I really hope at least one of them actually gets it.
 
To fully eliminate the odor you will need to use either a fogger (bomb) or an ozone treatment. As Mike stated above the molecules from the offending elements have penetrated and bonded with the molecules of the fibrous materials and now you need something (like ozone or fogger smoke) with a very small molecular structure that can penatrate the molecules of the fibrous materials and break the offending chemical bond.
 
cleaning all plastic areas with APC will help too ... and I find leather cleaner and Duragloss Odor Absorber can help also. Clean air vents with Einszett Klima-Klean and you are ready to roll.
 
I recently worked on a car that had been hit by a skunk and the odor had impregnated the seats very well.

I took a big box of baking soda sprinkled it liberally all over the interior, then took a scrub brush to rub it into the cloth. Left the doors open for about an hour for some airflow. Vacuumed the seats, floor, etc. To get the smell out the door panel I used the tornador with carpet cleaner.

Dealing with the wheels and body was more difficult.
 
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The Tocamo I just detailed was used as a work truck. Even After I shampooed the mats and carpets the car still smelled.
So I used this:
Clean Air Kit

It worked great and had the car smelling like new.
 
To add, check the cabin air filter if so equipped and change it as I'm sure that has the same odors in it too.
 
Cabin Air Filter is where all the odor is coming from. Take and place a 4 paper plates with a thin 1/4" layer of baking soda in them overnight for around 8 to 10 hours. Then the next day carefully place 4 identical ones on the seats close the car and let the airconditioner circulate on medium or low for 15 Minutes. lso make sure the trunk is not the source of some of the odors !
 
I know this works...:props:
autogeek_2089_26818901
 
Absorb-It is one of the products I ordered.. they're scheduled for delivery today so hopefully in the next day or 2 I'll be able to use them - I'll post my impressions as it progresses.. I figure i'll start with the sprays and do 1 per day or so to see how much effect it has - if they all fail, i'll bomb it
 
Ok so I got all the products. Yesterday I used up a whole bottle of Absorb-It in the car. The only spot I didnt do very thoroughly is the headliner. This is mostly due to the fact that the stuff would spray all over the seats / dash. I realize I should probably cover everything up with a tarp before doing headliner but I was doing kind of a quick and dirty job.
Result - so far, the smell has gotten better. I can still smell it if I take a deep whiff or immediately upon entering the car from outside, but it's certainly a lot more subdued. I will wait another day or so and then try meguiars #23. results to follow.

note - It is currently 20 - 35 degrees where I am so smells are hard to judge. In the cold, usually the stuff won't smell as much.
 
OK so the smell came back. Next step is to clean all the leather and spray the headliner - will chime back when done
 
If it's just you driving the car , keep the fan on full blast with the windows down for a while a most times the smell will leave . My new car had a funny smell and I tried this for about a week and the smell is gone .
 
This is the reason I plan to purchase an ozone machine. Not everyone can offer this service, especially in my area.
 
bill walsh said:
they work great but new uv ones work better all though they cost more money
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that's what i plan to buy. the one i was looking at could deodorize in as little as 15 minutes and was $1,200. the uv ozone machine i'm looking at now is $1,700. just wish Auto Geek carried steamers and ozone machines! i'm still researching ozone machines, steamers, and extractors. most likely i will buy one of the extractors from here, the durrmaid super 1600.
 
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