Ok guys my little brother bought a car from dealer and the interior smells. It has been about a year now and it still smells like vitamins. I think the previous owner use to deliver or keep vitamins in the car for long periods of time.

Outside of shampooing carpets is there anything else that can be done about this? IS there a machine we can use or rent?

What would you guys suggest or do?

Thanks.

 

probably change the cabin air filter, shampoo the carpets, and condition the leather with lexol ... that should help the smell quite a bit IMO

 

An ozone generator might help . Some detail shops might have them and check rental places.

 

I already shampoo the carpets and that didn't do much. Doesn't the cabin filter just filter out pollen, dust and other odors from outside getting in?

His seats are all cloth is the problem, so not sure if the cloth seats absorbed it over time.

I'll try that ozone thing..but not sure where to rent one of those things... anyone know if you can even rent that?

 

Definitely change the cabin filter, also febreze the seats, carpet, and head liner. Also check under the seats to make sure there's nothing under there that could be causing the smell

 

Odour Neutralizer / Deodorizing

Many odours are caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, mould, and mildew. First start by cleaning all the interior surfaces (inc headliner) but remember shampooing alone will not eradicate these odours. You eliminate dour-causing organisms with very specialized chemicals.

Look for stains, if there are no stains, use the process of elimination; it is very effective when searching for the source of an odour; floor or seats, mats or carpet? If the vehicle has velour upholstery, a spill can penetrate on contact. If it is vinyl or leather, it will run to the deepest seam. Pay special attention to the headliner and all glass surfaces

a) Aquartz - CleanAir, an advance high grade air purification coating based on the latest nano-science technology photo catalyst. In the presence of light, active oxygen is formed and excited on the treated surfaces to destroy all micro-sized air pollutants, including petro fumes, smog, diesel smoke, exhaust gases, industrial smoke, chemical off-gassing or VOCs from car fabric, leather and plastic materials, air toxins, cigarette odours, etc.

b) PŪRWorld is a spray application deodorizing product (not a cover-up sent); hydroxyl radicals are among the strongest oxidizing species, even much stronger than chlorine, ozone, and peroxide. They act as very powerful disinfecting agents by oxidizing the cells of microorganisms, causing rupture and leakage of vital composition. They accelerate the breakdown by destroying the molecular bonds. This will help combine the organic gases to form a single molecule that is not harmful to humans thus enhance the air cleaning efficiency.

Symptom that occurs from prolonged exposure to microbes that grow in automobile interiors, the presence of the microbes causes similar reactions as sick building syndrome. Some of the examples of odour molecules are: tobacco odour, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, urine odor, gasoline, and many other hydrocarbon molecules in the atmosphere.

Generally speaking, disinfections by titanium oxides are three times stronger than chlorination, and 1.5 times stronger than ozone treatment. PŪRWorld provides photo catalyst surface coating for long-lasting effects of deodorization, sterilization, and anti-soiling purposes. Using specialized spray-coating equipments, a fine mist of photo catalyst can be applied on different types of surface material that guarantees the maximum result. DrivePur Protection Systems

Application method- spray product onto cleaned surfaces, turn the AC to recirculation mode, spray return air ducts (clean or change cabin air filter) allow to run for approx 5 minutes, allow the deodorizer to permeate the various surfaces for about an hour before using the vehicle.

Cabin Air Filter

The recommended replacement interval for a cabin air filter depends on the type of filter being replaced. (Carbon or paper) and the cabins filter exposure to the environment and mileage driven.

Most vehicle manufacturers do recommend replacing a paper or carbon activated filter once a year or every 10,000 to 12,000 miles to keep the cabin filter working at its highest efficiency. Check vehicle owner’s manual for location
Activated charcoal cabin filters. These filters have an extra layer of activated carbon that reacts with odours and other airborne pollutants to neutralize them before they enter the vehicle. The charcoal activated filters will also reduce the levels of CO2 (carbon monoxide) and NO2 (oxides of nitrogen) from the emissions of other vehicles on the road.