# Smell in Interior

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/smell-in-interior/46118>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** explorer, smells, ford\
**Created:** [March 15, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smell-in-interior/46118 "2010-03-15T01:08:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CCM400](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@CCM400](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CCM400)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smell-in-interior/46118/1 "2010-03-15T01:08:18Z")

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We managed to leave a quart of ice cream on the carpet in backseat. We now have a terrible smell. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the smell? Thanks

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**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smell-in-interior/46118/2 "2010-03-15T01:11:08Z")

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Take the vehicle to a good detail shop. They specialize in odor removal. Not too expensive and they usually do a top notch job.

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**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smell-in-interior/46118/3 "2010-03-15T01:56:04Z")

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I Think Missleman Is On The Right Track.

I know how bad the odor can become. I managed a body shop once and a customer was in a collision coming back from grocery shopping. The car sat out back in the summer sun, closed up, with a broken jar of mayonaise and a rotting head of cabbage, just to name a couple items. You could not get in that car.

A detail shop may have a steam / extractor cleaner that might work. I think they’d know if they could do it or not. Some cars have foam backed carpet and some cotton backed. GM says that cotton backed carpet backing should be replaced if it gets wet.

Consider your car insurance if this turns ugly (uglier).

CSA

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**Author:** ![IndyMel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@IndyMel](https://community.cartalk.com/u/IndyMel)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/smell-in-interior/46118/4 "2010-03-20T15:53:25Z")

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Dairy spills are the worst. I had a milk spill in my trunk, and was able to eliminate it using an oxygen-based carpet/upholstery cleaner (like Oxy Clean).