5 Ways to Keep Your Car Smelling Fresh in the New Year

The calendar is set to flip to the new year, officially making your vehicle one model year older. But even if a new ride isn’t part of your 2024 plans, your current car can still smell brand-new. 

Courtesy of HoneyCar, here are five steps you can take to avoid complacency and preserve that New Car Smell year-round. 

Clean the Upholstery 

Let’s start with the basics. Dirt, debris, and pet hair accumulate quickly within your car’s interior, and without routine maintenance, you could find yourself wondering what went wrong. Vacuuming regularly not only eliminates this material, but it also reduces odors that get trapped in the upholstery. You should take advantage of the available vacuums whenever you take your car to the car wash (ideally twice per month), but it also might help to keep a hand vacuum in the car for more regular maintenance.

In addition, with New Year’s resolutions in full swing, make 2024 the year you quit smoking in the car. Not only is it a bad habit in its own right – the smoke contributes a long-lasting, ashy scent to your interior and can potentially ruin the car’s upholstery.

Don’t Let Garbage Linger 

Not only do most drivers not keep a waste receptacle in their car – for many drivers, the car is their trash can. Don’t let garbage linger; instead, get in the habit of treating your car’s interior as you would your living room.

Consider purchasing a car trashcan to make upkeep more manageable. You can find them for under twenty dollars. Stick it next to your seat and properly dispose of snack wrappers, ATM receipts and beverage containers rather than letting them fall to your floor mats. (Also make sure you shake out those mats every week or so.)

Leave Baking Soda Out Overnight 

Baking soda: the secret ingredient of the cleaning world. When odors overwhelm or won’t easily depart, sprinkle a small quantity of baking soda around your vehicle’s mats and carpets. Let it sit overnight, and then vacuum everything the following morning. You’ll find that the baking soda was able to absorb several of the odors in your car, leaving a comparatively fresh scent behind.  

Baking soda can be a lifesaver when you’re in a pinch and don’t have the time for a deep clean or thorough detailing. If odors persist, leave the open baking soda box resting in your driver’s door pocket for a couple of days. 

Use an Air Freshener 

They may be passé, but there’s a reason air fresheners still dangle from rearview mirrors everywhere. Make sure you’re picking out an air freshener that neutralizes odors rather than just covering up the scent. With a wide range of top-notch products available, there’s little sense in finding a temporary fix for a problem that can be actively resolved.

For instance, you could choose to invest in an oil diffuser. In addition to masking unwanted odors and replacing them with a rich fragrance, essential oils have been known to reduce stress and keep you alert while you drive. 

Know the Difference Between Cleaning and Detailing 

Detailing your car involves thoroughly cleaning and restoring your car’s interior. Unlike a surface cleaning or routine vacuuming, detailing addresses… well, the details. Areas that often get neglected during regular maintenance, such as air vents and spaces between seats, are rigorously tended to. 

Detailing is a deep cleaning process that requires hours of your time and several cleaning materials. You can go as far as shampooing the upholstery or providing a coat of wax. Remember that every additional step you take helps eliminate the spread of odors. 

So Fresh and So Clean 

Drive into the new year confidently with an assist from HoneyCar. When you’re ready to change vehicles, our extensive inventory across four locations is guaranteed to have what you’re looking for. Schedule your test drive with us today and enter 2024 with a clean slate and a fresh ride.