Cant remove smell :( now what to mask it with?

[rvx290]

I have posted on here a couple times about a truck that I purchased that was a rollover that I overhauled, its windows were left open in the compound for a week or so and it seems the guard dogs made it their home as well, I cleaned it, shampooed (the proper way) many timed and it appears spotless BUT there is a lingering odor that I just cant get rid of no matter what I do, I dont want to waste any more time or money on it because like I say it is as clean as can be, so I have to give in and just going to mask it with an air freshener, I normally like a neutral smelling vehicle so I dont want anything overpowering, can anyone recommend an air freshener that has a nice smell that wont bother people that might have sensitive noses as I drive alot of people around.(not looking for floral or candy smells)

[Andrew C.]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

Have you tried spraying odor eliminator?

[rvx290]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

[QUOTE=Andrew C.;425841]Have you tried spraying odor eliminator?

Yep, sprayed every peice of fabric in the cab with it, even into the vents. 2 bottles in one week (thought it would be overkill.) it just made it smell like the scent of the odor eliminator during that week, after that it faded away and gradually went back to its current lingering odor.


....on another note, just been doing some reading, anyone have any luck with active carbon? (charcoal)

[Rthario]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

Try this stuff.



Ive never personally used it but have heard a lot of good things. There are also quite a few fragrances to choose from. Good luck.

Bob

[Keebler]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

Try grinding some coffee beans and sprinkling them around on the carpet and seats (if cloth). Let the grounds sit a few days before vacuuming.

[DaniloSilni]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

bring it to nick tucker

[Bill Davidson]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

I had the carpets cleaned in rental suite due to a dog doing it's thing. The guy came in with a moisture meter. It's basically a stick with 2 probes on the end. He poked it in various points throughout the carpet to target the problem areas. He told me that urine never actually fully dries out. The moist urine is completing the circuit between the two probes.

So basically what I would do is test all of the areas of the fabric/carpets in the truck. Find the problem areas then concentrate on cleaning those areas. You might actually have to lift the carpet in those areas and clean the floor underneath if you don't have a strong enough extractor.

There are a number of moisture meters available on the market. If it were me, I'd try using a multimeter. Ultra violet light can also be used, but you've probably already cleaned the surface too well for the stain to show up.

Personally I wouldn't give up on eliminating the odor. I'd pull the carpet and the seats if I had to.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

Did you remove the seats and get the carpet there?

[rvx290]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

I did remove the seats, I did not remove the carpet though as its (appeared) that the seat were the main problem, I could see the stains, the carpet appeared clean though, not that that guarantees it actually is clean.

Recently I have been reading alot of good things about "active carbon" (charcoal) pellets that are supposed to work great at removing odor and moisture, after work today I purchased a carton (at the local petshop, its used for keeping water clean and odorless in fishtanks I beleive) I spread it all over the carpet, under, behind and on seats filled socks with it and placed in various places, it looks messy as hell at the moment, like as if a squirrel $#!+ all over the inside of my truck, but I dont need it for a few days so I can play myth busters and experiment with the active carbon to see what happens with the mild odor problem. If it works, great, if not, unfortunately it might come down to removing the carpet and shampooing or replacing which is alot more work than I have time for right now. (I might post this carbon experiment in another section for others who might be interested or already know what the outcome will be.)

[concoursgarage]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

What is the make model and year of this truck?

[BlackScreaminMachine]

Re: Cant remove smell now what to mask it with?

To be honest, when you have living matter that can create bacteria, it actually binds itself to fibers and filiments of the carpet and interior.

To BE perfectly honest, you may need to rip the interior out and start fresh. Some of the smell is past the fabric and in the foam or in the case of the carpet, the insulation.