To remove scents from the car I've used vinegar in a spray bottle with water and just repeated sprays until the scent finally vanished. Depends on the strength of the scent and the individual's sensitivity. It's worked for me!

I have a brand new car. I left all the windows open and the the moon roof open too. Left it in the garage and my roommate hook up a large fan to circulate the air.

Also I drove the car with the windows down for 2 weeks.

You could try renting an Ozone machine. It is what a some car dealers will use when they try to get smells from smokers out of a car (that really doesn't last though, that smell never seems to get out, I know from experience buying a used car driven by a smoker). But we actually bought an Ozone machine and use it regularly to clear the air in our van if people have been passengers in it that were wearing perfume, fabric softener in clothes, etc. It's been a life saver, but they are expensive. You should be able to rent one, and it may take more than one treatment. Also, you should run the car w/AC going while you do it (at least one of the times), to get it out of that system. These machines are powerful, you don't want to breath the air as it is working, but it airs out quickly once the doors and windows are opened.

It's been an ongoing process for me. The last owner had something really stinky in there-maybe sprayed Fabreeze. I sprayed vinegar on all the surfaces I could wash. I've used many things and they've all helped some but have to keep at it. Recently I went to a pet store into the fish dept and bought carbon that they use in fish tanks and that's helped about 80-90%. I just lay it on the dishboard and it seems to clean up the odors and then put it into the sun to recharge and use it again.Hope this helps.

Thanks, I will try some of these suggestions. My husband has washed the inside of the car with baking soda, but we haven't tried vinegar.

Have you tried baking soda and airing and then vacumming the soda. It is pretty surprising what it will do and is on the opposite of the acid-base spectrum from vinigar (which with 1/2 water is my favorite floor cleaner.)

My experience is it sort of depends on what you are trying to neutralize....if vinegar doesn't work try soda and vise versa.

Just for the record I have had ultra excellent cleaning car upolstry with dry soda and a bit of water just put it on and rub it off with a terri cloth....can vaccum later. Since it doesn't smell and tends to remove smells, cleaning even a little at a time in a car may help....I say this because with chem sen sometimes we get too tired to "do it all" of any project.

Often ozone does not work, or makes things worse. 70% isopropanol rubbing alcohol (or better yet 99% - available from drugstores on special order) works very well. Rub on, leave wet for a few seconds, and immediately wipe off with fresh paper towel, BEFORE it dries. The 99% could hurt some plastics - test first.

Also, ammonia works well, wipe on, let dry, rinse off. As strong as you can stand. Parsons makes a fragrance-free sudsy ammonia (orange-red label), and ammonia is also sold pure, without soap.

Hi, has anyone used a filter specifically designed for cars? Thanks again for your comments - this is a great community.

Our youngest daughter ran over a skunk the other night and the car was filled with it's odor. We sprayed the inside down with alchohol and opened all the windows. The next day we added baking soda and lightly sprayed again. It took several days, but the 'scent' of nature is now gone...Thank God.