How to keep your car smelling fresh

• The laundry option
• Morning coffee
• Cotton balls
• Sugar keepers
• Baking soda

Walk into the service station when you’ve filled up with fuel, browse the aisles in a supermarket or do it yourself (DIY) outlet, or visit a car accessory centre and you’ll be overwhelmed with choices when it comes to air fresheners of all sorts of designs and fragrances.

But what if you want to save some money, or prefer a fragrance that’s not usually available, or don’t want something dangling from your rearview mirror, are there any alternative solutions? Well yes, and here are a few ideas to consider.

The laundry option

Many people love the smell of freshly cleaned laundry, so why limit it to your home, when you can even enjoy it in your car? Tumble dryer sheets therefore make the perfect cheap, DIY air freshener that you can truly place and forget. Simply buy a box of your favourite scent, and tuck one under the front, or under both front seats, and the job’s done. The scent will generally last for quite a while, but it’s obviously an easy matter to replace them when the time comes.

Morning coffee

The old adage that freshly brewed coffee can sell a house, is also an aroma that can be enjoyed when behind the wheel.  You can easily keep the smell going all day by creating a DIY air freshener with items you’ll already generally have at home. Take a breathable linen bag, or maybe a sock, and fill it with ground coffee beans. Tie it closed and again, place it under the driver’s seat, or both front seats, turning it occasionally as the smell starts to fade.

Cotton balls

Although cotton doesn’t have its own fragrance, it can be used as a host for something that has – such as essential oils. It’s simple task to soak the cotton ball in the essential oil, wrap it in a sheet of gauze, tie closed and hang it from your car’s vents or rearview mirror.

Sugar keepers

Similarly, clay/terracotta discs, often referred to as ‘sugar keepers’ because they absorb moisture, are another excellent way of ‘storing’ a scent that can be enjoyed in your car. Saturate a disc with 10-15 drops of your favourite smelling essential oil, allowing it time to thoroughly penetrate the surface. Once all the oil is absorbed and dry, you can place it under a seat, in a cup holder, in the glove compartment, or even hang it from the rearview mirror.

Baking soda

Finally, although many DIY blogs suggest sprinkling baking soda over your carpet or upholstery, letting it sit overnight, then vacuuming it up, this isn’t necessarily the best way of masking unwanted odours, because it can quickly clog up your vacuum cleaner, affecting its performance.

nstead, you can use the baking soda in a much less messy way by finding a jar that will fit nicely in the cup holder, and filling it to about half full. Then, sprinkle in 15-20 drops of your preferred essential oil and, rather than screwing on the original lid, use an elastic band or some string to secure a piece of breathable fabric or netting over the top. The baking soda helps neutralise bad odours, while allowing the fragrance of the essential oils to permeate the cabin.