So far we’ve gone through a number of unpleasant smells that mean one problem or another with your car. Today we’ll talk about how to get rid of unpleasant smells that do not have to do with mechanical issues. Things like spilled food, old cigarette smell, or body odor from a gym bag you swore you took inside months ago.

1. Try baking soda.

It doesn’t just work in the fridge. This works particularly well with food issues though – if you’ve spilled food on the carpet, remove as many of the crumbs and debris as possible then sprinkle baking soda on it. Rub the baking soda into the area and let sit for a couple of hours. After you’ve let a little time pass, vacuum up the baking soda. If the smell persists, rinse and repeat.

2. Charcoal!

Not only great for a weekend barbecue but also the unspoken hero of odor absorption. Leave a chunk of charcoal in your car for a couple of days and be mesmerized by the glorious absence of foreign smells left.

3. Smokers:

Cigarette smells are a little trickier, but if you’re relatively comfortable with all that dwells beneath the hood, or know someone who is, spray air deodorizer in the A/C intake. This is necessary because cigarette smoke also enters your car’s duct system – this may be the reason why you’ve struggled to remove that smell before.