How to Eliminate New Car Odor?
3 Answers
Methods to eliminate new car odor: 1. Open windows for ventilation: Opening windows is the most direct way to remove new car odors. Regularly ventilate to promote air circulation; 2. Place activated charcoal or bamboo charcoal: Activated charcoal can absorb harmful gases and takes up little space in the car; 3. Visit an auto beauty shop for ozone treatment, photocatalyst, or silver ion deodorization; 4. Install an in-car air purifier: Car air purifiers can effectively clean the air, not only eliminating odors but also removing polluted air; 5. Place citrus or grapefruit peels in the car—their fresh fragrance helps neutralize odors.
That pungent smell in new cars is really annoying. I usually start with the ventilation method. On summer afternoons, I park the car in the shade, roll down all four windows for half an hour of airing, and doing this for three consecutive days shows noticeable results. I also place activated charcoal bags in the car—two in the door compartments and two in the trunk. Every month, I take them out to sun-dry, and they're good to use again. If I need to use the car urgently, I fill a spray bottle with diluted white vinegar and spray it on the seats and floor mats. This old-school trick works fast, and the smell fades significantly by the next day. The key is to avoid using perfumes to mask the odor, as mixing chemicals can make it even worse.
After picking up my new car last time, I tried several odor removal tricks. The easiest method was placing 3-4 fresh lemons in the cup holders - the fruit acids naturally neutralize plastic smells. Weekly, I'd make DIY deodorizer sachets using coffee grounds: drying the grounds and stuffing them into old stockings to place under floor mats for odor absorption. On sunny days, high-temperature formaldehyde removal is a must: close windows to bake the car for an hour to release formaldehyde, then air out by opening doors for 15 minutes, repeating this cycle 2-3 times. I specifically tested car air purifiers, but they didn't perform as advertised. Turns out diligent wiping of the dashboard and door panels with a damp cloth for physical odor removal works best.
