[Vivek Jayan]

I just put the blower on full speed 1 or 2 mins before the end of each journey and its kind of helping. Another suggestion would be to avoid keeping clothes inside the car. Many people tend to keep clothes for wiping purposes on the side door pockets. Though this is necessary it is a very obvious reason for the bad odor inside a car. Many of us use at least a bit of water to wipe down something and this moist piece of cloth is kept back inside the car. Bacteria tend to thrive on this and give the insides of the car smell like a dead rat! If the wipe is an absolute necessity, maybe one can place it inside a sealed polythene cover r something!

I recently noticed this when I almost fainted after smelling two pieces of small towels kept on the door pockets!! They smelled exactly like the elusive stench which haunted our car for a long time!!

[thoma]

Look what I saw when I've been to the nearby supermarket today! Car fragrance from Godrej which looks ultra designer. It was priced at an introductory 209/-. Says it will last 60 days. Didn't buy it since I doubt when the refills will be in stock. Or is it not refillable? Has anybody tried it out?

[pganapathy]

I find that odonil is a very practical and rather cheap solution to car fragrance. A packet costs around 40 to 50 bucks and lasts a month to maybe even two months. Also, there are various smells/flavours on offer. Pick whatever suits your sensibilities and off you go.

The best thing with it is that it can be placed almost anywhere in the car without too much difficulty. Ideally put it in a place where it won't move about and it works fine.

[nettooran]

Cut a Dove soap into two pieces and keep it at two ends. The car would smell really nice..

[danlalan]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

I find that odonil is a very practical and rather cheap solution to car fragrance. A packet costs around 40 to 50 bucks and lasts a month to maybe even two months. Also, there are various smells/flavours on offer. Pick whatever suits your sensibilities and off you go.

The best thing with it is that it can be placed almost anywhere in the car without too much difficulty. Ideally put it in a place where it won't move about and it works fine.

ODONIL?? Really?Thats not right to the car man. ODONIL is strictly not for the car. Its for the TOILET or URINAL. And it will always belong there.
This could cause some kind of a health hazard if its in your car 24x7.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by danlalan

ODONIL?? Really?Thats not right to the car man. ODONIL is strictly not for the car. Its for the TOILET or URINAL. And it will always belong there.
This could cause some kind of a health hazard if its in your car 24x7.

I never thought of it in terms of a health hazard, but going by that logic wouldn't all types of air freshener be the same.

I know it is not the norm and odonil is used in the bathroom, but it is surprisingly efficient. I have a friend who smokes in my car from time to time and it has seemed to keep that smell out/neutralized it.

The fact that it worked out cheaper than all the other alternatives was just a bonus. Also, I found that when buying other air fresheners, one needed to be cautious and ensure you only bought original products. There are a lot of Chinese fakes floating round the market and I have inadvertently picked up a few. God, those smell good the first few days and that's it. Not even worth the reduced price

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

I never thought of it in terms of a health hazard, but going by that logic wouldn't all types of air freshener be the same.

I know it is not the norm and odonil is used in the bathroom, but it is surprisingly efficient. I have a friend who smokes in my car from time to time and it has seemed to keep that smell out/neutralized it.

The fact that it worked out cheaper than all the other alternatives was just a bonus. Also, I found that when buying other air fresheners, one needed to be cautious and ensure you only bought original products. There are a lot of Chinese fakes floating round the market and I have inadvertently picked up a few. God, those smell good the first few days and that's it. Not even worth the reduced price

Avoid smoking in the car at all costs. Drives down the resale value frighteningly. Plus, the car frankly stinks to high hell and is most hateful for non smokers.
My father ( who was a heavy smoker at one time) instituted this rule. In none of his jeeps or cars were the passengers allowed to light up.
I was a heavy smoker too until 6 months ago when I quit.
On my various holidays outside of India I got used to the fact that one was not allowed to smoke in the rented cars. I got into the habit of pulling over at rest stops to smoke.
Wen I bought the Yeti, I decided there would be no more smoking inside the car as a hard and fast rule. Happily in 4 months time after buying the Yeti I quite the smoking habit completely.
Now I use this MyShaldan freshener, Lime, Citrus or Orange fragrance only. The car does smell nice and clean overall.
Add the fact that I polish the leather seats and interiors once a month or so and the car generally tends to smell clean and nice overall.
I like a fresh smelling car with a generally clean feel inside as well.

Worth keeping it this way considering the kind of money these things cost these days!

[avingodb]

Originally Posted by thoma

Didn't buy it since I doubt when the refills will be in stock

I also saw this in Big Bazaar in Delhi. There were refills too priced at Rs. 110 or so. So you can try this out.
When they launched this, the Delhi Times for that day was scented! I think it was the pink fragrance and it was decent.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Avoid smoking in the car at all costs. Drives down the resale value frighteningly. Plus, the car frankly stinks to high hell and is most hateful for non smokers.
My father ( who was a heavy smoker at one time) instituted this rule. In none of his jeeps or cars were the passengers allowed to light up.
I was a heavy smoker too until 6 months ago when I quit.
On my various holidays outside of India I got used to the fact that one was not allowed to smoke in the rented cars. I got into the habit of pulling over at rest stops to smoke.
Wen I bought the Yeti, I decided there would be no more smoking inside the car as a hard and fast rule. Happily in 4 months time after buying the Yeti I quite the smoking habit completely.
Now I use this MyShaldan freshener, Lime, Citrus or Orange fragrance only. The car does smell nice and clean overall.
Add the fact that I polish the leather seats and interiors once a month or so and the car generally tends to smell clean and nice overall.
I like a fresh smelling car with a generally clean feel inside as well.

Worth keeping it this way considering the kind of money these things cost these days!

Thanks Shankar. Never knew that cigarettes drive down resale value of the car. Anyway, in my case it is not that I smoke but there are a couple of friends who smoke in the car from time to time. Think it is time to institute a strict no smoking rule.

I also try to keep my car interiors as clean as possible and polish the plastics once a month. For me a clean interior makes driving a pleasure and also soothes me.

[rubicon]

I have been using Poppy, Little Trees (Black Ice) and My Shaldan.

Recently I spotted something new at the Reliance Fresh (Retail store) in Chennai. glade (a SC Johnson company) - Gel Air Freshener.

Net Content : 60 grams
MRP : Rs 65
Fragrances : Lemon & Rose
For Use in : Home & Car

I picked one lemon fragrance and its really nice. Very good fragrance and economical as well.

[Sheel]

I shifted from My Shaldan recently to a freshener made abroad.

It is of the same size as a lunch-box and whatever is encrypted is in some alien language. Plum is the only English word. It is packed inside aluminum foil (a la odonil) and you have to cut it a bit.

The shop keeper has said the shelf life to be ~2 months. Cost Rs. 300. With covered parking the shelf life shall increase. A nice change from My Shaldan

EDIT : My Car isn't at home as the road is currently being resurfaced right outside. The Car shall be back in a week. Post which I can put pics.

[haria]

Well, I don't use any car perfumes/freshners in the car - I have found a slightly different solution - I put few pellets of camphor on the all the door pockets/boot/front dash/etc. A pack of 50-100 pellets costs me Rs.30 and will last for 2-3 months. You get a nice smell when you step inside the car - esp. if it is parked outside in the sun . My friends say entering into my car is like entering a temple or a pooja room

Yet another option ( i do it once in 3-4 months) which has worked real well - I keep an open bowl of white vinegar on the rear seat and leave it overnight. By morning, all stale/weird odours would have disappeared. Got this tip from a service enginer in Mandovi motors.

WARNING/NOTE: If you forget to remove the bowl of vinegar in the morning, before you drive your car, well, you will have to contend with a new smell!

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by haria

Well, I don't use any car perfumes/freshners in the car - I have found a slightly different solution - I put few pellets of camphor on the all the door pockets/boot/front dash/etc. A pack of 50-100 pellets costs me Rs.30 and will last for 2-3 months. You get a nice smell when you step inside the car - esp. if it is parked outside in the sun . My friends say entering into my car is like entering a temple or a pooja room

Yet another option ( i do it once in 3-4 months) which has worked real well - I keep an open bowl of white vinegar on the rear seat and leave it overnight. By morning, all stale/weird odours would have disappeared. Got this tip from a service enginer in Mandovi motors.

WARNING/NOTE: If you forget to remove the bowl of vinegar in the morning, before you drive your car, well, you will have to contend with a new smell!

Camphor is quite flammable, no?

[trave11er]

Originally Posted by haria

Well, I don't use any car perfumes/freshners in the car - I have found a slightly different solution - I put few pellets of camphor on the all the door pockets/boot/front dash/etc. A pack of 50-100 pellets costs me Rs.30 and will last for 2-3 months. You get a nice smell when you step inside the car - esp. if it is parked outside in the sun . My friends say entering into my car is like entering a temple or a pooja room

Originally Posted by mayankk

Camphor is quite flammable, no?

I agree camphor smells nice, but won't it be dangerous considering the lower ignition temperature of camphor, esp. if the car is parked in the sunlight for a longtime?

[haria]

Originally Posted by mayankk

Camphor is quite flammable, no?

Originally Posted by trave11er

I agree camphor smells nice, but won't it be dangerous considering the lower ignition temperature of camphor, esp. if the car is parked in the sunlight for a longtime?

Hi mayankk / Traveller

You are partially right - I mean, camphor IS easily flammable BUT it does not have as low cumbustion point as liquid perfume(s), which are MORE inflammable.

Some thoughts on this: Sometimes in my pooja room, on red hot dhoopa sticks, i put some pellets of camphor and it has generally NEVER ignited (unless i light a match or something) - only it will be getting vaporized fast with some camphor smoke. I doubt whether we are going to keep a red hot dhoopa in the car any time .

But on a general note, be aware that it is easily flammable (but so is any alcohol based perfumes). So if you are in the habit of smoking/etc in the car and there is possibility of it catching fire - be careful and DON'T put too much camphor - few pellets would do. Bottomline, there is an element of risk (there with any inflammable materials), but feel that it is within acceptable limits

OT: simple test: Heat up a saucepan or something (make it real hot, much hotter than a car ever become in the sunlight) say 5 to 10 minutes in a gas burner would do. Switch off the gas, take the saucepan to a safe area, dump many pellets of camphor on it.. see whether it will catch fire. If yes, you are right! (it will not, i bet)