During daily errands, accidents have been known to happen to car. Fortunately, not all accidents involve chaotic crashes with car damage. Oftentimes, these mishaps are as simple as babies spilling their milk, causing the nourishing formula to quickly spoil and produce a pungent stench within the automobile.
Although the smell of spoiled milk can be challenging to remove, there exist a wide range of household solutions for lifting the odor and freshening the automobile. By following the below tips and tricks, you can be sure that your car be fresh and free of any residual sour milk stink.
Sour Milk Smell Removal Solutions
1 Blot Dry Milk
Once a milk spill has occurred, it is extremely important to blot dry all of the substance from the affected area within the car. Using a clean hand towel, press against the upholstery, padding or carpeting until all available moisture has been extracted from the surface.
2 White Vinegar Mixture
As a secondary action, you will want to apply a mixture of white vinegar to the location where the stink of sour milk has developed. Begin by mixing a solution of one part white vinegar with four part water within a generic spray bottle. Proceed to mist down the affected areas of the car until they have become fully drenched in this formula. Allow the mixture to soak in for 4-5 hours, before returning to blot dry the white vinegar solution and leaving the windows open to properly air dry away.
3 Enzyme Spray
As an alternative to white vinegar, enzyme cleaning spray can have an even more powerful effect in eliminating sour milk smell within a car. Purchase a enzyme cleaner at your local pet store or large super market, and proceed to heavily spray down the milk affected areas until they are sufficiently moist. Once completed, allow the enzyme spray to settle in for 24-48 hours while the active enzymes go to work in literally eating through the odorous residues. After 1-2 days have passed, the enzyme moisture can be blot dried, leaving a freshened car interior behind. As a note of precaution, avoid using this enzyme formula on leather or suede automotive upholstery.
4 Baking Soda Absorption
As an additional absorbent step, baking soda can be sprinkled over the affected locations within the car’s interior. After sprinkling the carpeting over the smelly areas within the carpeting, provide 3-4 days for the baking soda to have it’s full effect before vacuuming or sweeping it out of the automobile.
5 Coffee Ground Trays
As another absorbent measure, coffee ground trays can work to pulling difficult automobile odors. Spread a cup of coffee grounds across two different cookie trays. Next, place the trays under the two front seats and allow them to remain the for 1-2 weeks. During this time, the grounds will work to absorb the residual milk odors and replace them with the subtle aroma of coffee beans.
6 Air Out in Sun
Airing the car out in the sun can have a powerful deodorizing effect. Find a safe place to park your car within direct sunlight for 6-8 hours with all of the car’s windows rolled down. If any smell remains after the an entire day within the sun, try placing your car out for a second or third day until it has become entirely freshened.
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Photo credit: Bill McChesney
As a preliminary step, you will want to blot as much of the smelly milk out of the carpeting as possible. While preforming this action, you will want to place you entire body weight behind the press increase your effectiveness in extracting the sour smelling moisture. Once dried, you will need to pour additional water on this location to soak the affected spot and dilute the remaining milk residues. Finish this step by pressing drying this location again to extract the watery milk mixture from the carpeting.
As a secondary step, shampooing the carpeting can be performed to properly lift any remaining sour milk debris from the carpeting fiber. Apply a few teaspoon of shampoo to the affected carpeting and pour water on the location to properly moisten the spot. Begin rubbing the location and allow the suds to properly lift any unwanted residues. Finish by blot drying the location, pouring water and then blot drying until no shampoo evidence remains. Often, performing these two steps are all that are required to wipe out minor sour milk odors.
Although white vinegar will likely be sufficient, the aroma of white vinegar can be avoided by using odorous enzyme cleaner to literally eat through the odorous milk residues within the carpeting. Pour your enzyme carpet cleaner over the affected location until the carpeting and affected padding is sufficiently moist. Once the affected carpeting location has been soaked, allow the enzyme cleaner to soak within the spot for 24-48 hours. After this time has passed, finish by blot drying the carpeting to lift any remaining enzyme cleaner from the carpet padding.