Do any of you have any special tricks to get the musky/stale smell out of a car that's been sitting for 3 years? I'm looking at a old 300E that hasn't been driven for 4 years and it smells like it in the interior. Any tricks out there?
Thanks
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Detail/shampoo the entire interior then open all the doors and trunk on a good warm sunny day and let it air dry for several hours. The smell will be gone.
Set a cup full of vinegar on the floor board, close the car up and let it sit in the sun for a day. Remove the vinegar and air the car out for a few hours. Close the car up, and put a cup of freshly ground coffee beans on the floor and let it sit overnight. The nasty smell will be replaced by fresh coffee smell. The coffee smell will go away in a few days and the nasty smell should be gone. If not, repeat. This procedure worked for my buddy's airplane.
Only think fishy are some of the members of this board. LOL
Hey all thanks for the advice. I'll try the shampoo interior as it needs it and is a logical next step. If that doesn't fix the musky smell, then I'm on to the Vinegar and Coffee suggestions. Any other ideas out there? I heard of fabric dryer sheets at one time?
Yeah the dryer sheets will mask the "musk" but the bugger will come back. Spray all fabrics and carpeting (don't forget the headliner) with FeBreze fabric freshener. I'm sure they have it in the 51st state.
Wait a couple days and sprinkle baking powder based carpet freshener on the floors. The pet stuff has enzymes in it like FeBreze. Vacuum up the powder.
If this doesn't spank it you need the carpets professionally steam extracted. If that doesn't do it, back to the dryer sheets. Lots of 'em.
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Last edited by White_Knuckles : 11-27-2007 at 06:07 PM.
Ya mean ya got a FISHY smell in your car??LOL Or do you mean musty???
Smokie
I was getting the impression that he had a trophy fish somewhere in the car. Hurry up spring.
Well, when I first get my w124 diesel it smelled awefully old. It was sitting for about 7 years before I got the keys. Most of the things previously stated have worked for me and various other cars that I've owned (i've never tryed that vineger and coffee thing though). Just as an added incentive here, if you use the heater or A/C you will surely get that old stale smell into your car eventually. Try spraying some Febreeze or odor killer into the vents whilst one or the other is engaged. I forgot where I sprayed exactly, but maybe someone can find a chart and I'll point it out.
Best of luck.
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Get Musky/Stale smell out of Car? 
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