Does Baking Soda Get Rid of Car Odor?

Baking soda is the classic DIY fix for car odor, and for light smells it does help. Here's how to use it, and where it falls short.

How to use baking soda for car odor

1. Vacuum thoroughly and remove the source: old food, gym clothes, the forgotten sippy cup.
2. Sprinkle a thin, even layer on dry carpet and fabric seats.
3. Work it in gently with a soft brush and leave it overnight with the windows closed.
4. Vacuum it all up. Leftover powder in the fibers attracts dirt.
5. Keep an open box under a seat to absorb new odors.

Where baking soda falls short

• Smoke. Nicotine coats the headliner, vents and seat foam. Removing smoke smell from a car takes extraction, vent steaming and usually ozone.
• Spilled milk. It soaks through to the foam and sours. The smell comes back every hot day until the foam is extracted.
• Mildew and mold. A health issue, not just a smell. It needs cleaning, steamed vents and a new cabin air filter.
• Vomit and pet accidents. Enzymes and hot-water extraction, not powder.

The professional fix

We find the source, shampoo and extract the fabric, steam the vents and, for smoke, treat the cabin with ozone. Mold and odor removal.