In the know: causes of stinky cabin

Our cars are an extension of our homes. On that note, it’s only fitting that we keep the former as neat and as clean just like the latter.

But despite how well you organize and tidy up your car’s interior, you might still be annoyed by bad cabin odor. What causes the stinking smell and how you get rid of it is what we’ll look into in this article.

So, put your mask and gloves on because we’re going deep to find out what causes bad cabin odor.

Carpet caught something

At some point, we all stepped onto something smelly as we made our way to our car. It could be some form of rotting trash or something even worse.

These can stick to the soles of our shoes and get caught in our car’s carpet. Thankfully, these things are easy to spot and can be relatively easy to clean. A simple detergent mix and thorough hosing will get the job done.

Smoking inside the car

Most cars made in the 90s came with cigarette lighters and ashtrays as it was then common to smoke inside automobiles.

Unfortunately, the smell of cigarette smoke can stick to the headliner, the fabric seats, as well as on the fabric door trims of the car. Much worse, they cause minor interior finish discoloration and can get the aforementioned panels dirty over time.

Further, smoking tobacco inside our cars can cause second-hand smoke, which is bad for non-smoking occupants of the automobile.

Luckily, today’s manufacturers have started dropping cigarette lighters as a feature and began replacing them with air filters to keep the air quality inside the cabin clean.

A trip to the detailer can help one get rid of cigarette odor and surface discoloration.

Moldy air conditioner

If not properly cleaned or maintained, our car’s air conditioning system can get moldy. That said, it can cause the cabin to have a musky and moldy smell that’s altogether bad.

Additionally, a wet carpet and bread (from last week’s grocery trip) under the seat can also cause mold to grow inside the cabin.

There are plenty of do-it-yourself remedies online in eliminating mold in our cars but it would still be best to leave it in the hands of professionals.

Spilled food and beverages

In some cases, food and beverages might spill onto your car’s carpet or seats. Over time they can cause an unwanted smell inside the cabin. 

Common culprits include mustard (from the burger you ate a few days back), catsup (that your kid wiped the seats with while eating his fries), and that Mango Dragonfruit with Lemonade refresher your wife accidentally spilled that’s now starting to smell sour.

In this case, spraying the surfaces with foaming fabric cleaner might help with removing the smell.

Final thoughts

There could be a plethora of reasons why your car’s cabin stinks. While the abovementioned are odors that can be removed by giving your car a thorough clean, some odors can even signal mechanical issues in your vehicle.

For the latter, it would be best to see your trusted mechanic rather than a detailer as those odors could merit a repair.

Photos from Juan Paulo Papa

Also read: 

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