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Old 08-04-2020, 07:20 AM   #1
jack wingard
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Default Musty Smell

what is the best way to remove musty smell from inside the car?
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Old 08-04-2020, 07:55 AM   #2
marty in Ohio
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Default Re: Musty Smell

I spray with Fabreeze a couple times a year. Works for me.
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Old 08-04-2020, 08:08 AM   #3
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Default Re: Musty Smell

Roll the windows down and drive, drive,drive...
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Old 08-04-2020, 08:35 AM   #4
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Default Re: Musty Smell

I agree with the Drive drive drive sentiment. You can sprinkle Baking soda on the seats and carpet let it sit for a few minutes and vacuum it up, this will help a bit.
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Old 08-04-2020, 10:45 AM   #5
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Default Re: Musty Smell

Depends on what it is. "Musty" can mean a lot of stuff. The best you can do is mask the odor. The problem is through time these odors are absorbed by the fabric and cotton and in some cases the floor boards. I reupholstered our Tudor two years ago and it had a very old interior in it (not original). I did find mice skeletons under the rear seat and cleaned best I could and used bleach to sanitize and deodorize when I first bought the car. When I re-did the interior I was shocked as I found 6 more skeletons one of which was in the headliner. I sprayed bleach and painted Por 15 on everything. With the new interior I use baking soda in an open container and it seems to work OK. You might check with a commercial/residential outfit to see what is used by them.
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Old 08-04-2020, 11:53 AM   #6
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Hydrogen peroxide is the best thing I’v found to eliminate odor. Works for skunk odor and even a refrigerator that had power off for 3 weeks one summer in the fishing camp. Don’t know how safe it would be on fabric, might bleach color out. Suppose you could try it diluted in inconspicuous area?
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Old 08-04-2020, 12:11 PM   #7
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Default Re: Musty Smell

I'll be honest.. mine smelled old when I got it and I loved it.
My wife always hated the smell of the interior.

After two years of ownership I had someone in our club re-tack the headliner the correct way. In doing so she found two dead mice up above the headliner/rear side panels. That was the source of my "Old car smell".

Now I keep Bounce dryer sheets under the seats and the interior always smells nice
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Old 08-04-2020, 06:10 PM   #8
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Default Re: Musty Smell

Damp-rid works in buildings that smell musty, with a car you might need to seal the car. A new interior will work, that worked with my Tudor !
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Old 08-04-2020, 07:49 PM   #9
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Default Re: Musty Smell

Put about a cup of household Ammonia in a bowl.
Roll up the windows.
Put the bowl in the car overnight.
Smell is gone.
Cheap. Easy. Fast. Safe. Effective.
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Old 08-04-2020, 07:58 PM   #10
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Default Re: Musty Smell

I don't know whether this product is available in the US but I use NilOdor. It is a small spray or an even smaller bottle with a dipper stick that carries a couple of drops. That is enough. a couple of squirts in the car and any odour - even cigarettes is gone for a few weeks. Then repeat.
https://www.productreview.com.au/lis...er-concentrate
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Old 08-04-2020, 08:03 PM   #11
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3 hours of an ion machine.............
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Old 08-04-2020, 08:50 PM   #12
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Default Re: Musty Smell

I still like my solution in post #3...If you still have the smell you simply haven't driven it enough...
TOB
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Old 08-04-2020, 08:59 PM   #13
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Default Re: Musty Smell

I’ve had good luck with a bowl of white vinegar in a closed car over the weekend. My friend uses a plate of charcoal briquettes and he swears by his remedy!
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Old 08-05-2020, 09:54 AM   #14
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Default Re: Musty Smell

Dead mouse aside, nothing like the smell of an old car that had been sitting for years all shut up, that bring back memory's of when I was a kid, every time I get in one. Love it!
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:03 AM   #15
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Default Re: Musty Smell

Ozone generator. I use one in my VRBO rental cabin. Gets rid of food odor and smoke.
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:43 AM   #16
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Default Re: Musty Smell

Quote:
Originally Posted by David R. View Post
Hydrogen peroxide is the best thing I’v found to eliminate odor. Works for skunk odor and even a refrigerator that had power off for 3 weeks one summer in the fishing camp. Don’t know how safe it would be on fabric, might bleach color out. Suppose you could try it diluted in inconspicuous area?
How is it used? Spray? In a dish or bowl overnight?
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Old 08-05-2020, 10:45 AM   #17
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Default Re: Musty Smell

I put a febreeze air freshener under the rear seat of my Tudor. It works well.
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