Techniques to effectively remove odors

by Prentice St. Clair

Professional detailers are often faced with the challenge of stinky cars. For example, a well-used mini van that has carried several children munching on snacks in the back can become quite odoriferous in a matter of a few short months. Sometimes the standard interior detail will remove these odors and sometimes it won’t. Another example might be the customer who has decided to quit smoking after years of driving around in the car with a lighted cigarette and all the windows closed.

In either case, deodorization is the process that is needed to remedy the problem. In general, odor removal involves a two-step process. The first step is to remove as much of the odor-causing material as possible. The second step is to treat the area with some kind of odor neutralizing product or technique. Most odors are caused by organic material or by the microscopic organisms that are feeding off of the material. A common mistake is to rely solely on “step two” of the odor neutralizing process just described. Unfortunately, odor neutralizing products are typically not strong enough to eliminate the odor if the source is still mostly intact.

We will discuss some techniques that will help you effectively remove odor. We’ll start by talking about the first step in eliminating odors, which involves cleaning the affected area as much as possible using standard interior detailing techniques. Try to determine the source and location of the odor, first by consulting with the customer. Usually, if the customer is calling on you specifically because of an odor problem, he or she knows the source. If the customer does not know the source or location of the odor, you may have to complete a general interior detail and deodorization procedure.

Localized Odor Problems

Sometimes the source of the odor is a small or localized spill. In this case it is possible to clean up just the spill area. For example, the customer may have spilled the morning coffee beverage containing dairy products (milk or cream). Other examples include spilled baby formula, milk, food or condiments. Another common localized problem involves the bodily fluids of pets or humans (e.g., urine, vomit, or something worse … ).

The cleaning step must be thorough, heavy-duty and repetitive. I recommend using slightly stronger concentrations of your favorite cleaners, scrubbing thoroughly, and removing as much residue as possible. For example, if you are cleaning a spill off of carpeting, you may want to repeat the normal “spray, scrub and extract” process several times over the spill area. For this, there is no substitute for a hot-water extractor.

Also, make sure to clean ALL impacted surfaces. Some spills have an explosive component that leaves splatter over several panels on the interior of the vehicle. Check the seats, the headliner, the carpeting, and the plastic and vinyl panels near the spill spot. You may have to remove some plastic trim pieces near carpeting that the spill may have crept under.

Once the spill or fouled area has been thoroughly cleaned, you can proceed with the odor neutralizing techniques discussed later in this article.

In the case of spills on the carpeting, it may be necessary to lift the carpeting and also clean or replace the padding that is sometimes under the carpeting. There are injection devices that allow the technician to inject odor neutralizing chemicals through the carpeting into the foam backing. If you do not have such a device, you can dilute your favorite odor neutralizing spray and pour it into the affected area. Let it sit for an hour or so, then extract out as much as possible with a soil extractor. Then place clean towels down onto the area and press down on them with all your weight so as to soak up as much left-over liquid as possible. Finally, position a high-volume air mover over the area so that the air flow “shoots” directly onto the wet spot.

There are a couple of potential problems with these techniques, however. First, as mentioned earlier, without removing as much of the source of the smell as possible, injecting or soaking the area with odor neutralizing chemical may not completely work. Second, it is possible to leave behind too much moisture, which could damage the floor panels. Additionally, if the moisture remains after the odor neutralizing chemicals have lost their effectiveness, the moisture could itself become a source of an odor. So, you must examine carefully the situation at hand and determine whether the improved interior scent is worth the small risk involved.

Overall Odor Problems

Often, it’s not a specific spill that is causing the odor in a vehicle. It may be that the car is simply “well-used” and has been soiled repeatedly over months or years by various food and beverage spills, pet occupancy, or by transporting young and old athletes to and from events.

In the case of overall odors impacting the entire interior, a thorough cleaning of the vehicle interior is necessary before utilizing deodorization techniques. Your interior detailing process should be a systematic endeavor, utilizing the appropriate chemicals and tools to thoroughly clean the inside of the vehicle. Tips here include:

• making sure to remove all of the debris from under and between the seats (front and rear);

• using a hot water extractor for carpeting, mats and cloth seats;

• using only hot water in your extractor and pre-spraying the carpets with carpet cleaner designed specifically for extractors;

• cleaning ALL plastic and vinyl panels; and

• spot-cleaning or steam cleaning the headliner.

A special example of an overall odor problem is the vehicle belonging to a customer who has recently quit smoking tobacco products. Tobacco smoke seems to infiltrate every nook and cranny of the vehicle interior. It also penetrates deep into foam, fabric and carpeting products. Thus, every interior surface must be cleaned, including under the seats, under the dash, and the headliner. I like to go over these surfaces again with my steam machine, which helps to zap leftover residue with 320 degree steam.

A steam machine comes in handy for cleaning the headliner in this situation. If you do not have one of these devices, you can use the normally forbidden technique of applying the hot water extractor on the headliner, however carefully. Of course, in the case of sagging, worn, damaged or just-plain-old headliners, you may want to recommend to the customer that it be replaced, especially if he or she is serious about removing as much of the smoke smell as possible. Removing tobacco smoke odors is a challenging and tedious process that commands a premium price. I recommend charging twice your normal interior detailing rate plus an extra surcharge for the deodorization treatment.

When you are removing air-borne odors like tobacco smoke, it also may be necessary to replace the cabin air filter, which many vehicles have. You can check with the local dealership specializing in the make of vehicle upon which you are working. Of course, the price of the replacement filter and the fee for the labor is passed onto the customer.

Step 2: Odor Neutralization

After the malodor source material has been removed as best as possible, a special deodorization technique can be employed to help ensure the elimination of any remaining odor. There are typically three choices here: spray the area with an odor neutralizing chemical, fog the vehicle interior with the same type of chemical, or use an ozone generating machine.

Odor Neutralizing Spray

The easiest and least expensive technique is to spray the affected area with an odor neutralizing chemical, which attacks the source of the odor. An “odor neutralizer” is different from a fragrance, which simply masks the odor for a short period of time. Once the fragrance has worn off, the odor will return. In contrast, an odor neutralizing chemical actually helps to kill the micro-organisms that give off the foul scent, thus “eliminating” the source of the odor so that it is far less likely to return. Simply spray the chemical liberally over the spill area, allow it to sit for a while, then wipe off the excess with a clean towel.

One disadvantage of broadcasting odor neutralizing spray onto the various surfaces of the interior is that these chemicals can leave behind a residue that attracts dirt slightly more readily than if the surfaces are simply left clean. Be aware of this fact as you spray the inside of the vehicle and wipe off any excess spray.

A quick spray of odor neutralizer is a nice touch at the end of a standard interior detail, even if no malodor is present. This last step freshens up the air inside the vehicle and adds to the customer’s perception of the cleanliness of the vehicle. I recommend giving a quick spray of your favorite odor neutralizer under the front seats. This way, if there is any residue leftover from the chemical, it will be less likely to attract noticeable dirt than if the neutralizer is sprayed on exposed carpeting.

Fogging Machine

For a more general deodorization effort within the vehicle, you can use a fogging machine, which simply creates a fine mist or fog using the same odor neutralizing chemical. The advantage of this technology is that the fog infiltrates virtually all areas of the vehicle interior, including the carpeting, headliner and foam backing of the seats. You can let the machine run while you do other work, which saves time and is more thorough than manually spraying the odor neutralizer throughout the vehicle interior. The only disadvantage of this technique is that the mist can leave a slight residue on the interior surfaces, but this residue can be wiped off after the treatment.

Ozone Generating Machine

A more effective odor neutralizing effect can be had by utilizing an ozone generating machine. This machine creates ozone, which is an unstable version of the oxygen that we breathe. This unstable oxygen tends to “seek out” and kill the micro-organisms that cause odor. Like the fogger, the ozone treatment will fill the entire vehicle, including all nooks and crannies, the carpeting, headliner and seat foam. Be aware that ozone is not safe to breathe and the machine should be used only when the vehicle is unoccupied by humans, pets and plants. Overuse of ozone can also damage some surfaces on the interior of the vehicle. After treatment, open all the doors of the vehicle and allow it to air out for 30 minutes or so before returning the vehicle to the customer.

Marketing Odor Neutralization

Odor removal is a valuable service that will be specifically requested by and needed by a fair portion of your customer base. It is well worth the investment in equipment and chemicals to be able to offer odor neutralization services. Even if you are operating on a tight budget and can only afford equipment essential to basic detailing (e.g., hot water extractor), you can still offer deodorizing service by using the relatively inexpensive odor neutralizing chemicals until you can afford the equipment.

Deodorization is a premium service that should be priced accordingly. For example, if the customer requests a standard interior detail and an additional deodorization service, the price of the deodorization alone should be about 50 percent to 100 percent of your standard interior detail price. The price of cleaning up and deodorizing a localized spill—for example, a café latte spilled in the passenger foot well—could be as high as the price of a complete standard interior detail. Consider in your pricing structure the value of removing an annoying odor. That is, even if it requires very little extra labor to use an odor neutralizing technique, you are providing a valuable service for the customer and should be compensated appropriately.

One way to increase the price of a deodorization treatment is to warranty the service. To avoid problems with warranty service, tell the customer that you will be able to remove 75 percent to 90 percent of the offensive smell. Explain to the customer, “The only way to completely remove the odor is to replace the vehicle. Most odors will dissipate over several months. Essentially what I am doing is cutting that time frame down to a few days or weeks. There may be just the slightest lingering hint of the odor but that should dissipate in a few days. If not, call me back for a free re-treatment.” In other words, don’t offer a “money back guarantee.”

There are many companies that deal with vehicles that are in need of deodorization. Obviously, used car dealerships need this service, but also consider offering your service to law enforcement agencies, and taxi, shuttle and luxury transportation outfits.

Summary

Deodorization is a valuable service that can add extra profit to your detailing business. Remember to treat your deodorization as a two-step process, first cleaning the area, then utilizing a special deodorizing technique. Marketed correctly, this service can attract new customers and increase the average ticket of your existing customers.❖

Prentice St. Clair is the president of San Diego-based Detail in Progress Inc. which offers consulting and training in the automotive detailing and reconditioning industries. He can be reached directly at 619.701.1100 or by e-mail at prentice@detailinprogress.com.