Left raw beef in the trunk

[Setec Astronomy]

Originally Posted by POPPAJ

Maybe someone from New Jersey could chime in?

Hey, I already did! Maybe if you can find who cleaned up this car they can help you: Body Found in Car Is Said to Be Mob Figure's - New York Times

[bfhammer]

Oddly enough vinegar is a great deodorizer, kills 98% of bacteria as well. I use it for most of my household cleaning in a 50/50 mix. I'm readying my older truck to resell and sent it out for detailing, but the smoke scent was still really strong. I sprayed with febreeze and left a tupperware with straight vinegar in it for a day and the smell is gone.

[Honda Tool]

I have used the vinegar technique as well and it works great.

[gtppilot]

Funk in your trunk !

[RustyBumper]

My dog pee'd on the rear bench seat of my truck a few months ago. I thought that I had gotten it out, but no such luck. I even applied enzymes to the area but I guess that it may have penetrated the foam. I wonder if the vinegar trick will work if I soak the cloth and foam with vinegar? Does anyone know if the smell of vinegar lingers after it has touched cloth or foam?

[Honda Tool]

Originally Posted by RustyBumper

My dog pee'd on the rear bench seat of my truck a few months ago. I thought that I had gotten it out, but no such luck. I even applied enzymes to the area but I guess that it may have penetrated the foam. I wonder if the vinegar trick will work if I soak the cloth and foam with vinegar? Does anyone know if the smell of vinegar lingers after it has touched cloth or foam?

All I did was fill a tupper ware container about half full of vinegar and leave it sit in the car for a couple of days. I didn't apply vinegar at all. This was in my wife's 06 CRV that we left the sunroof open during a down poor. We sucked as much water out as possible but still got that mildew smell.

[bfhammer]

I've done both the Tupperware and the pre soaking before steaming, both are pretty effective and the vinegar smell goes away quickly. The Tupperware is more effective on a soaked in smell but it does require a bit of time. I just popped the container open at night when the last drive of the day was finished. Works in the fridge and around the house too.

[Hatchman]

I've got some smoke smell in a car as well. I'll try the vinegar method. I've found Febreeze works pretty well, but only for a few weeks and the smell comes back.

[StadiumDetail]

JSFM35X nailed it.

I use the same process for odors caused by bacteria. The Enzyme cleaner is the key and works wonders. I order from a local distributor so I don't know any over the counter brands, but do some research and get this resolved NOW. The reason you are smelling it in the car now is bacteria spreads and will travel to all the carpet in your vehicle, if you stop it now you can spot treat the problem otherwise you are deep cleaning the whole car.

Extractor makes this a whole lot easier as well. If you don't own one, I would suggest calling a detail shop and just let them take care of the problem if you can spare the $$$, I would only charge $20-$30 for the trunk and $50 for the whole carpet so not too expensive. They should have the products and tools necessary.

edit: thought I would add this just because. I used this process on a Nissan Merano two days ago for spilled / souring milk. It had been there two weeks . Had to do the whole carpet and all the seats (carpeted) and got probably 95% of it out with one pass. I told her to let eveything dry and air out and come back if it is still lingering. I've yet to hear anything.

[red kiosk]

My neighbor did something like this a few summers back. Wifey went grocery shopping with their new Mustang, while Hubby was loading up the Tahoe for their camping trip. A package of ground beef fell out of the bag and was left on the floor in the back of the Mustang till they got home a week later. The Mustang was sitting in the driveway, in the sun, the whole time they were gone. Not as bad as a dead mobster's body, but kinda' like a dead "little body". The smell dropped him to his knees and it wasn't a pretty picture either, there was even maggots crawling around his carpet. I'm pretty sure he hired a professional cleaner. Take care!

Jim