Over time, the cabin of your car can start to develop a variety of foul odors. These odors can make riding in your car uncomfortable for you and embarrassing if you need to give someone a lift. Preventing foul cabin odors is not as difficult as many car owners may assume if some basic maintenance steps are followed.

Change The Cabin Air Filter

The cabin air filter is responsible for filtering the air that is flowing through your air conditioning system. As this filter becomes coated in dirt and dust, it will start to smell foul, and this will cause the air flowing through it to absorb these odors. Ideally, your air filter should be changed every few months to minimize this problem. A good rule of thumb will often be to have this filter inspected when changing the oil. In addition to reducing the odors in the cabin of the vehicle, this can also help those that suffer from allergies to find some relief from severe reactions when they are in their vehicle.

Steam Clean The Interior

The interior upholstery can also accumulate foul smells. These smells can be extremely difficult to remove without steam cleaning the interior. This is due to the odors being deep in the fabric and cushioning of the upholstery. A steam cleaner will be able to reach these deep areas so that any odor-causing bacteria can be neutralized. While most people will only need this done once a year, those that smoke or regularly transport smelly substances should have steam cleaning done more frequently. Also, you may want to avoid using the air conditioning system while smoking or hauling smelling substances as this can limit the amount of the odor that gets absorbed by the filter.

Use Vent Air Fresheners

Having air fresheners in the vents of the air conditioning system can help to keep the interior of the car smelling fresh and pleasant. While some high-quality air fresheners can last many months, it is always advisable to change them every few weeks. Using seasonal or holiday car fresheners might be a good way to remember to change them. This may seem unnecessary, but it will prevent you from becoming too accustomed to the scent of the air freshener. When this occurs, it will likely be far less effective at making the car's interior smell good to you. If you wish to avoid throwing out your old air freshener when you are cycling them, they should be stored in an airtight bag with as much of the air removed as possible. This will prevent the scent of the air freshener from completely fading until you decide to cycle it back into use.