Removing air freshener odor from used car

[itgoofy]

Found my dream car, a 2005 Yukon XL. The only issue is that the previous owner seemed to have an air freshener in the car that is overwhelming and aggravating my allergies. I have gotten a significant amount, maybe 50% of the smell out in the last week since I purchased it by doing the following:

Vacuum/steam clean all surfaces.
Wiping down surfaces with rubbing alcohol
Spraying white vinegar all over the surfaces and letting it sit in the sun with the windows down/doors open
Charcoal bags and baking soda boxes placed in the car
Wiping out easily accessible AC vents

However, the smell is still there. Almost all of the smell is coming straight from the center console. If I sit in the back seat I can barely smell anything, but in the drivers/passengers seat it is noticeable. I think the previous owner had some sort of perfume/air freshener sitting in the console and that plastic absorbed the odor.

What else can I do to remove the smell? I was told an ozone machine, however, I have fairly severe allergies and asthma and I am worried the ozone smell may linger or make things worse.

Thanks. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[Rsurfer]

Google "Enzyme"

 

[Eldorado2k]

Found my dream car, a 2005 Yukon XL. The only issue is that the previous owner seemed to have an air freshener in the car that is overwhelming and aggravating my allergies. I have gotten a significant amount, maybe 50% of the smell out in the last week since I purchased it by doing the following:

Vacuum/steam clean all surfaces.
Wiping down surfaces with rubbing alcohol
Spraying white vinegar all over the surfaces and letting it sit in the sun with the windows down/doors open
Charcoal bags and baking soda boxes placed in the car
Wiping out easily accessible AC vents

However, the smell is still there. Almost all of the smell is coming straight from the center console. If I sit in the back seat I can barely smell anything, but in the drivers/passengers seat it is noticeable. I think the previous owner had some sort of perfume/air freshener sitting in the console and that plastic absorbed the odor.

What else can I do to remove the smell? I was told an ozone machine, however, I have fairly severe allergies and asthma and I am worried the ozone smell may linger or make things worse.

Thanks. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Did the charcoal bags make any difference at all? I’ve never put them in my car since it doesn’t have any foul odors in it, but I may give it a shot to see if it can help neutralize.

 

[itgoofy]

Did the charcoal bags make any difference at all? I’ve never put them in my car since it doesn’t have any foul odors in it, but I may give it a shot to see if it can help neutralize.

Definitely. I put them in every car I have regardless because they keep the car odors minimal and clean. I usually do those fridge/freezer baking soda cartons under the seats and 1 charcoal bag per car.

I'm certain either that or the baking soda or both helped the current situation as well, since it is dissipating every day I check and they've been in there for about 4 days now.

 

[Bobh59]

Have you replaced the cabin air filter?

 

[itgoofy]

Have you replaced the cabin air filter?

Actually, this model doesn't have one. I did, however, order a Dorman air filter kit in which I cut a hole and install one myself. I will be doing that as soon as I get the smell out.

 

[Bobh59]

Actually, this model doesn't have one. I did, however, order a Dorman air filter kit in which I cut a hole and install one myself. I will be doing that as soon as I get the smell out.

I thought about that right after I hit the send key.

That stuff is like smoke in that it gets everywhere including places that can't be cleaned like underneath the dash, inside doors, etc. which might require an ozone generator or one of those odor eliminator bombs. Short of that, have you hit the headliner, the hvac vents including the intake ones under the dash, and underneath the seats - both the seats themselves and the flooring. Clorox makes a cleaner/disinfectant with hydrogen peroxide that works great on smoke & pet odors that might be worth a try.

 

[Eldorado2k]

What else can I do to remove the smell?

Here’s a few things you can do:

Seatbelts. You must deep clean the seatbelts. If it’s a 2005 odds are those seatbelts have probably never been properly cleaned, and I bet they’re not only dirty, but they’re probably holding onto that strong odor you’re trying to get rid of.

Take a look at these seatbelts and imagine the odors they must’ve been holding onto...

Use some clamps, spray the side of your vehicle with car soap or waterless wash, then quickly saturate the seatbelts with LATA straight undiluted, next scrub them with a good brush, rinse with your water hose, dry with a blow dryer if you have 1 or simply towel dry and leave out until they fully dry.

When you’re done with those steps you should have the cleanest seatbelts on the block. You’re welcome.

In regards to steaming: Steam cleaning must be done a certain way in order to fully live up to its bold claims... Did you know that in order for steam to be effective at removing odors and disinfecting surfaces it must be held in the same spot for 5 seconds? That means every single spot of carpet, upholstery, etc. 5 seconds at a time... Suddenly it doesn’t seem as snappy as those that promise easy results in a youtube video huh?

I can tell you from my own experience that in order to truly eliminate odors with a steamer that the 5 second rule is absolutely true because my cat once knocked over a gallon of Megs D120 Glass Cleaner Concentrate in my den and when I came home from work the entire house smelled like that chemical especially in that room. I tried steam cleaning 2 days in a row and it wasn’t until I quit messing around and did it the proper way aka holding the steam over each and every square inch of carpet that I was finally able to eliminate that strong grape chemical scent of D120 in my house.

Unless you have an extractor, you’re better off using a diluted All Purpose Cleaner and scrubbing the carpets with a brush and mopping up with cotton terry towels until they’re all clean. Steamers are overrated when it comes to carpet unless you’re truly in need of removing odors and are willing to have the patience to do it right.

Otherwise do the cleaning with a brush/towel or extractor. They both beat a steamer.

I cleaned these carpet matts with the brush/towel method. I would never reach for my steamer for this task.

1 more tip: When using your steamer for the 5 second at a time method to disinfect or eliminate odors, you ideally want to avoid using this type of nozzle if possible.

Why? Because that nozzle releases a “jet stream” of water, which is counterproductive if you were to leave it in 1 spot of your carpet over and over again... What you want to use is the steamer with no nozzle or as close as you can get to no nozzle because that’s when it’s truly releasing Vapor Steam. The Jet Stream may “look” neat for cleaning cup holders, but Vapor Steam is where a steamer truly holds its value. That’s when it does what only a steamer can do.

Hope this helps... Thanks for reading.

 

[ClearVue18]

Here’s a few things you can do:

Seatbelts. You must deep clean the seatbelts. If it’s a 2005 odds are those seatbelts have probably never been properly cleaned, and I bet they’re not only dirty, but they’re probably holding onto that strong odor you’re trying to get rid of.

Take a look at these seatbelts and imagine the odors they must’ve been holding onto...

Use some clamps, spray the side of your vehicle with car soap or waterless wash, then quickly saturate the seatbelts with LATA straight undiluted, next scrub them with a good brush, rinse with your water hose, dry with a blow dryer if you have 1 or simply towel dry and leave out until they fully dry.

When you’re done with those steps you should have the cleanest seatbelts on the block. You’re welcome.

In regards to steaming: Steam cleaning must be done a certain way in order to fully live up to its bold claims... Did you know that in order for steam to be effective at removing odors and disinfecting surfaces it must be held in the same spot for 5 seconds? That means every single spot of carpet, upholstery, etc. 5 seconds at a time... Suddenly it doesn’t seem as snappy as those that promise easy results in a youtube video huh?

I can tell you from my own experience that in order to truly eliminate odors with a steamer that the 5 second rule is absolutely true because my cat once knocked over a gallon of Megs D120 Glass Cleaner Concentrate in my den and when I came home from work the entire house smelled like that chemical especially in that room. I tried steam cleaning 2 days in a row and it wasn’t until I quit messing around and did it the proper way aka holding the steam over each and every square inch of carpet that I was finally able to eliminate that strong grape chemical scent of D120 in my house.

Unless you have an extractor, you’re better off using a diluted All Purpose Cleaner and scrubbing the carpets with a brush and mopping up with cotton terry towels until they’re all clean. Steamers are overrated when it comes to carpet unless you’re truly in need of removing odors and are willing to have the patience to do it right.

Otherwise do the cleaning with a brush/towel or extractor. They both beat a steamer.

I cleaned these carpet matts with the brush/towel method. I would never reach for my steamer for this task.

1 more tip: When using your steamer for the 5 second at a time method to disinfect or eliminate odors, you ideally want to avoid using this type of nozzle if possible.

Why? Because that nozzle releases a “jet stream” of water, which is counterproductive if you were to leave it in 1 spot of your carpet over and over again... What you want to use is the steamer with no nozzle or as close as you can get to no nozzle because that’s when it’s truly releasing Vapor Steam. The Jet Stream may “look” neat for cleaning cup holders, but Vapor Steam is where a steamer truly holds its value. That’s when it does what only a steamer can do.

Hope this helps... Thanks for reading.

Look good my good sir

Sent from my SM-N960U using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Try cleaning out the vents. Helped me get rid of some bad odors in my neighbors car we couldn’t locate. Bought it at Oreilly’s

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Farmallluvr]

all good suggestions,,,also look under the front seats to make sure someone didn't stick an air freshener up inside the seat bottom,,also pull the cup holder out of the center console,,I've found air fresheners in there as well,,basicly look anywhere someone could jam an air freshener ..be creative in your search.

Car dealers are notorious for covering up smells with out addressing the problem

 

[jorge1]

Here’s a few things you can do:

Seatbelts. You must deep clean the seatbelts. If it’s a 2005 odds are those seatbelts have probably never been properly cleaned, and I bet they’re not only dirty, but they’re probably holding onto that strong odor you’re trying to get rid of.

Take a look at these seatbelts and imagine the odors they must’ve been holding onto...

Use some clamps, spray the side of your vehicle with car soap or waterless wash, then quickly saturate the seatbelts with LATA straight undiluted, next scrub them with a good brush, rinse with your water hose, dry with a blow dryer if you have 1 or simply towel dry and leave out until they fully dry.

When you’re done with those steps you should have the cleanest seatbelts on the block. You’re welcome.

In regards to steaming: Steam cleaning must be done a certain way in order to fully live up to its bold claims... Did you know that in order for steam to be effective at removing odors and disinfecting surfaces it must be held in the same spot for 5 seconds? That means every single spot of carpet, upholstery, etc. 5 seconds at a time... Suddenly it doesn’t seem as snappy as those that promise easy results in a youtube video huh?

I can tell you from my own experience that in order to truly eliminate odors with a steamer that the 5 second rule is absolutely true because my cat once knocked over a gallon of Megs D120 Glass Cleaner Concentrate in my den and when I came home from work the entire house smelled like that chemical especially in that room. I tried steam cleaning 2 days in a row and it wasn’t until I quit messing around and did it the proper way aka holding the steam over each and every square inch of carpet that I was finally able to eliminate that strong grape chemical scent of D120 in my house.

Unless you have an extractor, you’re better off using a diluted All Purpose Cleaner and scrubbing the carpets with a brush and mopping up with cotton terry towels until they’re all clean. Steamers are overrated when it comes to carpet unless you’re truly in need of removing odors and are willing to have the patience to do it right.

Otherwise do the cleaning with a brush/towel or extractor. They both beat a steamer.

I cleaned these carpet matts with the brush/towel method. I would never reach for my steamer for this task.

1 more tip: When using your steamer for the 5 second at a time method to disinfect or eliminate odors, you ideally want to avoid using this type of nozzle if possible.

Why? Because that nozzle releases a “jet stream” of water, which is counterproductive if you were to leave it in 1 spot of your carpet over and over again... What you want to use is the steamer with no nozzle or as close as you can get to no nozzle because that’s when it’s truly releasing Vapor Steam. The Jet Stream may “look” neat for cleaning cup holders, but Vapor Steam is where a steamer truly holds its value. That’s when it does what only a steamer can do.

Hope this helps... Thanks for reading.

Wow Eldo, this is awesome!

I didn’t know the effectiveness of team for 5 seconds and removing the nozzle to disinfect and eliminate odors.

I will certainly apply this technique from now on.

Thanks for sharing!!!

Jorge



Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline

 

[itgoofy]

Great info guys.

The smell is still here. It has dissipated quite a bit, but it's there. If I sit in the back seat it's almost nothing, but it is quite strong in the front. I've determined that either the previous detailer, or previous owner, lathered up the car in an oily, armor-all type substance that has a strong perfumey, chemically fragrance. I took the dash off today and noticed quite a bit of it leaking out of the vents. It looks exactly like armor all(it looks like oil) but it has a nasty smell to it. I am going to be removing the entire dash tomorrow and getting into the AC ducts with rubbing alcohol. I'm also going to folex the carpets, though I don't think they really smell. It's coming from the center console and the dash, where presumably there is more of this stuff hiding. I need to figure out how to get this center console out of the car, or buy a new one, if I can't get this odor out soon.

I figure if there is some smell embedded into the AC ducts there is no way I'm getting it out of the car, so that's my next choice.

By the way, what odorless cleaner would you guys say would do best to strip this crap off the surfaces? I've used rubbing alcohol with moderate success, but it still seems embedded into some of the plastics. Any ideas?

I'll get the steamer out next week and try holding it much longer on the surfaces once I get all remaining remnants of this crap out of the vents/ducts.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Have you thought about calling the previous owner and asking him what it is?

 

[Sharply Dressed]

Eldorado2k. What is LATA?

 

[Eldorado2k]

Eldorado2k. What is LATA?

Los Angeles Totally Awesome

 

[PaulMys]

Los Angeles Totally Awesome

I'm gonna have to mix up some LITA

Long Island Totally Awesome.

 

[Sharply Dressed]

Los Angeles Totally Awesome

So you spray the seatbelts with undiluted LATA?

 

[Sharply Dressed]

So you spray the seatbelts with undiluted LATA?

I just looked up “LATA”. Sorry. Now, which product?

 

[itgoofy]

Well guys, I'm stumped. I cleared out the air vents as best as I could. Every day I open up this car it still smells. Even my sister commented on that odor. I removed the top of the center console, which reeks of this 'chemical fragrance' stuff. She agreed that's the smell embedded into the car. I'm not sure what the next step is. I Folex'd the carpets really good last night- they don't seem to smell though. It's something in the front of the car, in the area of the center console/front seats. I will try the intense steam cleaning job again, but I don't think that will do it.

Is the ozone machine the next step?

I really wonder if there's a hidden air freshener. I've taken apart almost everything but the center console and I see nothing.