How do you keep your car smelling nice?

I have my wife drive it occasionally. That helps.

 

But never take to the ride your mistress... wives had unusual sensitive noses...

 

On a related note, has anyone noticed the new car smell fades quickly in the Prius?
This is my fifth new car (always Subaru before, new car smell lasted for a long time) but after a few months my new car smell is long gone.

No smoking, eating, fast food, pets, etc. It's always kept clean. But the smell is just long gone

 

I don't use any of the "automotive" specially designed air freshners. The vent clips? The small stick em's? I've tried them and really don't like them.

I know this wouldn't necessarily work for everyone but what I do is simply buy one of those "room sized" air fresheners, you know the ones that are cone shaped, and you slowly raise the cone up as it is used up. I personally like "Waterfall" or "Fresh Breeze" scents. As opposed to something too perfume like. You can get these at The Dollar Tree. I hide the freshener in the back in the rear door side vent...cup holder. A little two sided tape keeps it from sliding around.

If the smell is too strong....I push the cone down....not strong enough? I raise the cone, and the best thing is I get 2-3 months of use, instead of 2-3 weeks with the little automotive freshners.

 

Thanks! I will try that.. My 2nd (part time) job is pizza delivery. Unfortunately to make any money with the stingy non tipping customers, I have to drive the Prius. I currently use the febreeze car scent spray, but I have to spray it every day almost and at $5 a bottle it doesn't last very long.

In my high school and college days, I would love to get into a pizza smelling car. 15yrs later, It makes me nauseous.

Again, thanks for the tip about the cone type fresheners!

 

Nah. I promised the wife she'd be the only one.

 

What is a good way to get a fart smell out of the fabric seats, Like one the went deep?

 

Easy way that might work for you is to spray it with Fabreeze. A better way is to clean it with an upholstery shampooer.

 

For Leather Upolstry, try this



Leather Care, 16 Ounces


- Griot's Garage


It is better than new car smell, it is Leather smell. Also, it cleans and conditions the leather as well. My car is nearly 3 years old and people still comment on my car still having the "new car smell" to it. It is definitely the leather cleaner. (and I too don't allow food or drink except in rare circumstances.....my dog was in my car, once, and I had a bunch of towels under him, which I removed immediately upon his exit.)

 

...and this is good ...
whatever... I'm still considering to buy a small ozone generator - to be used also @ home for wardrobes, provision store, my small own room where I smoke like a chimney. All that stuff mentioned above - it is all chemical - smells nice but what is the contents of all of those fresh-marine-pine-lime scents? Okay I'm smoker (not in the Prius though) - having daily inhaled a lot of toxic fumes but what I need in between is just fresh, clean air

 

Agreed - and no bringing pre-cooked food home in it like Chinese or pizza... while the seat warmers are hot enough to cook a Lean Cuisine food smells linger in a car.... my stepdad followed that rule in his Lexus.

I am constantly wiping down the interior myself and have the hose out religiously to get rid of salt... this baby has to last a long time!

 

You can be diligent about keeping your car clean, but sometimes the smell simply comes from sweaty passengers - like kids (and their friends) after sports practice. My daughter's van is going to have it bad - her oldest kids are just entering their teens and her husband, who she picks up from work, works in construction.

 

trident gum.
really, it does okay for smell.

 

No recirc air. Always fresh air intake and at least 2 bars or the car will stink up.

 

Recirc mode always allows a percentage of fresh air in. It's never 100% recirc.

 

I just ordered some of this.

 

That's right, only a small percentage of fresh air. Not enough fresh air = stinky car. It's that simple.