Smell is an important part of keeping a car interior clean, it doesn’t matter how meticulously vacuumed it is, if it smells like a sewer monster nobody will want a ride in it.
Odour eliminators work by breaking down the source of these smells and neutralising them, using a cocktail of chemicals to break down bacteria leaving behind no smell at all.
Once you’re done removing those nasty odours, you’ll be free to spritz it up with some fabric spray or air freshener, just remember these won’t remove bad smells.
Autoglym Odour Eliminator
The best odour eliminator
Price: £8.87 | VIEW OFFER
A staple option that you can keep in the car for any mid-trip nasal emergencies, Autoglym Odour Eliminator is an excellent option for keeping bad smells away. Designed to eliminate bad odours at their source, this spray is claimed to be excellent on smoke, pets, and spilt food and drink.
The squared-off bottle means it won’t rattle about too much in your boot, cementing this as our pick for dealing with smells on the go. Also, Odour Eliminator is a fairly affordable entry which helps it stand out to us as the best car odour eliminator.
Pros:
• Effective scent neutraliser
• Affordable
Cons:
• Not the strongest option
ValetPRO Enzyme Odour Eater
The best odour eliminator for pet owners
Price: £8.95 | VIEW OFFER
A top choice for removing odours with a simple spray, this bottle from ValetPRO is designed to eradicate bad smells at the source, leaving behind fully cleaned fabric. In 500ml form, this bottle is supplied ready diluted for use, while larger bottles need to be diluted 5:1 with water.
It’s effective on all organic content, including mould and cigarette residue. It’ll also remove organic stains left in fabrics which makes it our top pick for both pet owners and motorway munchers.
Pros:
• Affordable
• Effective on all organic smells
Cons:
• Not designed for the strongest odours
AirVidox Car Odour Remover
The best odour eliminator for really bad smells
Price: £19.95 | VIEW OFFER
This is the nuclear option for cleaning a bad smell from a car. Designed to totally destroy any smell, microbe and tiny insect present in your car, the Airvidox is a serious piece of kit and is best reserved for the very worst cars (i.e., it’s recently been pulled from a canal).
Mix the two products together and leave it inside your car for four hours. Ensure that the car is in a well-ventilated area as the smell is incredibly potent. Simply wash the AirVidox with water to neutralise it and enjoy a car that has no scent at all.
Pros:
• Extreme cleaning ability
Cons:
• One-time use
• The chemical is potentially dangerous
Meguiar’s Carpet & Fabric Re-Fresher Odour Eliminator
The best odour eliminator for general upkeep
Price: £15 | VIEW OFFER
This fragranced odour eliminator is designed to work like any other odour eliminator spray, permanently removing odours from interior fabrics and leaving behind a new car scent.
We like the generous bottle size (709ml), simple trigger design and lack of any residue. Less good is the relatively short amount of time the new car scent lasts. At least the odours don’t appear to return after treatment.
Pros:
• Simple to use
• Leaves a gentle smell
Cons:
• New car scent doesn’t last too long
Turtle Wax Odor-X Whole Car Blast
The best odour eliminator on a budget
Price: £9.99 | VIEW OFFER
A cheaper way to give your entire interior a good refresh, Turtle Wax works similar to an air freshener bomb but is also designed to totally eradicate bad odours before leaving a pleasant new car scent. This kit comes with two 100ml canisters that you leave to work in your car’s interior.
Turtle Wax claim it works by removing the odours down to a molecular level and that these smells will be completely eradicated for 30 days. It’s not the most effective option but it’s still an acceptable option.
Pros:
• Effective odour elimination
• Leaves a nice smell
Cons:
• Only two uses from the set
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