Anyone know how to get rid of the "air freshener" that car dealerships spray inside cars?

[Hindsight]

I bought a used car for my mom with only 3,000 miles on it. It was a trade-in to a car dealership. As part of detailing the car, the dealership sprayed some sort of air freshener in it that smells like cotton candy and it is crazy powerful. Why someone would do that to a car that still has the new-car smell is beyond me, but regardless, it`s so strong that your clothes smell like it after riding in the car for just 5 minutes.

I tried cleaning all surfaces including carpet, upholstery, and vinyl with a mix of vinegar and water but it still smells. I haven`t touched the headliner yet, mainly because headliners are so delicate.

Does anyone know where dealers usually spray this stuff? Like, is it just on the seats or under the front seats on the carpet or everywhere? And any tips on how to get rid of it would be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Stokdgs]

Perhaps, go back to the Dealer and ask them to ask their "Detailer" what they used, if its a paper under the seat, etc., or what ??

In my experience with added smells in vehicles, it is sometimes done to Mask the odor of something else.

While this may not be the case for you, it is nevertheless done by some people to cut corners and not really find the source of the odor/s and remove it/them from the vehicle..

I cant imagine how a car with 3,000 miles would smell like anything unless it was smoked in a lot, and rather than remove All the Nicotine, they just bombed it and hoped you wouldnt notice...

If it were my car, first I would take it back and say remove that added smell, and then remove the original odor that you are trying to cover up, or I want my money back...

I Detailed an M5 awhile back that had this exact scenario as you, and it was so bad the new owner could not drive it because it made him sick...

Once I cleaned the entire vehicle including removing a large amount of Nicotine out of it, (the original odor that they tried to cover up), the car smelled Clean again and all was well..

Or you can check everywhere, raise the seats as high as possible and look with a flashlight, check under the dash for those nasty little tree things, etc, check the trunk under everything, etc..

Sorry this had to happen, hope you get it resolved.
Dan F

[Merlin]

Have you thought of using So2Pure: Odor Eliminator...

"So2pure is an air purifier and will eliminate all smells good or bad from within the confines of your vehicle. Any use of air fresheners or scents of any type will be short lived and not beneficial in the long term."

[Hindsight]

Thanks for the replies guys. I bought the car out of state (best deal I could find) so going back to the dealer is not an option... too far away. I did call them a couple of times to ask them exactly where their detailers sprayed the stuff, but I think the fumes from the deodorizer must be rotting their brains because they twice told me they spray it on the carpets. I have a really good nose and smelled the carpets. It`s not coming from there. To me, it smells like it`s coming from the seats mostly, and some of the vinyl surfaces.

I tried some Meguiars carpet and upholstry shampoo, vinegar and water, and rubbing alcohol on the seats. Its helped a bit but the smell is still there.

I may give the So2Pure a shot Merlin, thanks for the tip!

[RTexasF]

It will go away in a short time, especially if your weather allows windows open. Don`t sweat it, the fragrance will subside quickly. I would worry more about what it is hiding.

[Pats300zx]

So2pure is great. It removed a terrible smoke smell on my Dodge Ram when I bought it used.

[Merlin]

...To me, it smells like it`s coming from the seats mostly...

I`m sure you probably did this already but...Did you check under the seats for something like a Wonder Wafer?

[Hindsight]

Yeah I checked under the seats. My sniff test says that they simply sprayed the scent directly on the seats. I`ve been letting it air out with the windows down and it`s been warm here lately so hopefully in time it will subside before my road trip across the country to deliver the car to mom. It`s two months away so that`s a lot of time.

[Merlin]

Meguiars has a few Odor Eliminator and New Car Scent Protectant products you may wish to check out.


This a new. It`s Meguiars product Whole Car Air Re-Fresher Odor Eliminator and it looks VERY promising.