Car Cleaning - Lingering Odours

[BrizoH71]

My wife and I were at a family shindig on Monday night. On the way home, however, my wife decided without warning to blow chunks all over the car.

She then hung with her head out of the window for the remainder of the journey home (which involved prolonged at-speed motorway driving for the better part of an hour!) casting the contents of her stomach (3 bottles of white wine, 2 cucumber sandwiches) all along the side of the car, and occasionally in it...

So there I was in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after putting her to bed, rinsing off the bodywork as best I could and trying in near darkness to clean up puke from the interior of the car. I revisited the car on Tuesday morning, giving the interior another going over, even paying some Polish valeter £20 to have a go.

I thought I had got it all out, but there is still a lingering smell that I can't get rid of.

I've tried Febreze, a bicarbonate soda solution and neutradol vacuum-off poweder on the seats, carpets, mats, even the ceiling and around the door seals but I can't get rid of the smell. I'm beginning to suspect some has maybe managed to seep down into the door and I'll have to take the door panel off to clean it out.

I've even taken to a 10-mile nightly motorway drive with all the windows open to try and aeriate the car of the smell. Nothing is working.

Does anyone have any ideas how to get rid of the putrid smell of stale sick from inside a motor?

 

[Wolfman]

Swan Vesta should do the trick !

Seriously you may have a problem as if its got into the fabrics it may never totally come out, my last cars owner smoked and it was only 1 year old, never got rid of the faint tobacco smell ever

Ask at your local taxi firm what they use must be a regular thing for them

 

[Gazboy]

I'd be asking the wife to help with the elbow grease..

Halfords sell an odouriser that over time reduces bad smells, I have one in he footwell of my car as the previous owner was a smoker (I didn't notice as she wore a wonderful perfume on the test drive) and it has worked but took a long time.

Have you taken the door card off? It may be worth taking to a professional car cleaner (not a £20 bob-a-job in a car park) for a full interior treatment as it sounds like you've done about all a DIY'er can do.

 

[thecraw]

Full shampoo valet. Get the full works done then two magic trees for evermore!

 

[CMAC]

These fabric sheets you put in the tumble drier (sorry can't remember their name) stick 1 or 2 under each seat. They are exceptional for getting rid of smoke smells, I don't know about 'Tom Dick' but worth a try.

 

[Alan]

You need to wash it with Bio Brisk , or autoglym G101. Both you need to get off the autoglym rep. If you see one of their lorries going about stop and ask him for some. I've got some G101 but transporting it may be a problem.

 

[chris661]

I generally have two or three gun dogs in my boot so tend to have a few whiff :mmm: I just give it a spray with the autoglym odour neutralise which works a treat. Its about 8 quid from halfrauds so pretty inexpensive might be worth a shot.

 

[BrizoH71]

I'd be asking the wife to help with the elbow grease..

I'm trying to solve the problem, not make it worse.. the wife can't stand for cleaning up sick, it makes her produce more of the stuff. :lol:

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll try anything to get rid of the smell short of torching it altogether.

 

[bladeplayer]

Full shampoo valet. Get the full works done then two magic trees for evermore!

THIS ^^^^^ .. if its in the fabric of the seat or floor mat you are goig to have to get it valeted properly then when you ge it back youd be better leaving it running with the heaters on (lock it with the spare key if needs be) .. youd be suprised some of the smells & stains we get in some of our trade ins .. Drying it out properly after the shampoo valet is a must tho

 

[gripitripit]

Proper valet the only way...£60 quid and upwards I reckon.

 

[Andy]

Dakota Odor Bomb

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dakota-Car-ODOR-BOMB-Eliminator/dp/B006T1RBGA

 

[Phil2511]

Odours come from bacteria usually. Best way to kill bacteria, and when there is added moisture the smell will intensify.
A method I used to get rid of kiddie sick and dog smells which worked was a steamer. I bought a Polti one for £229 which after using multiple times and for other tasks as well (like cleaning grout on tiles) has easily paid for itself.

There are cheaper ones but not sure how good they are, you could try hire places, the ones around me didn't have any but it's worth a try.
Or else go with the full valet option. They usually use very hot water in the machines with cleaning chemicals which will help to kill the odour.