YUCK! My van interior stinks! Help!

[mom2boys]

A thermos of hot chocolate was spilled in the back of my van over the winter. Didn't realize it was there for a few days. Cleaned it up. Used foaming carpet cleaner & even the baking soda carpet freshner on it. I used the shop vac on it - it even lifted the carpet from the floor by a couple of inches. All seemed good - UNTIL it started to get warm out. My van stinks. Even leaving the vent windows open isn't keeping the stench out.

Any suggestions for heavy duty carpet stench remover?


What do the detailers use?

 

[taeja71]

I got one of those order deoderizer containers. Its got charcol flecks in it. There's also orange or lemon scented oder removers in containers. Just keep in mind your van will smell like a lemon or orange grove for a while. A cheaper stinkier route is using amonia. Put straight amonia in a small container, close all the windows and leave it over night. Be sure to air out the van before loading the family Good luck.

I have no clue as to what the auto detailers use. I'd like to know too.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

For a quick solution try Fabreeze. Sorry I can't offer advise for the long haul.

 

[wdw4us2]

Did you peel the carpet back and also clean the underside? Is there any other fabric underneath the carpet there, like sound deadening padding? You need to clean both sides of the carpet as well as the area underneath it. Also, the spill may have spread underneath to areas you didn't clean on the top side.

Was the hot chocolate made with milk or water? If it was milk, that is where the smell is coming from. DH spilled a milkshake on the floor of his truck last year. He told me it was all cleaned up. When I checked it, he was surprised to see me remove the floor plate (covered when the door is closed) and there was milkshake all over underneath there.

Use the same cleaning method and you should be okay.

 

[agnes!]

You could also try some fresh coffee grounds in a container, leave that somewhere in the van for however long it takes. That can remove/mask odors fairly well - I've heard it recommended for removing odors from stinky appliances. (To get this OT...the perfume shops in the France & British pavilions use dishes of coffee beans to clear your nose of perfume.) If you've cleaned the area as well as you can (removing the carpet up & cleaning *under*, etc.), I would put some ground coffee down on where the spill was, leave it there for a while and then vacuum it up.

agnes!

 

[barkley]

i've heard you can buy kitty litter (the kind with the absorbing stuff in it)-wet down the area and let it sit for a day-then vacuum it out. it may take several applications (dd spilt milk once on a comforter and didnt tell me-i can't count the number of washings it took to get rid of the smell-milk based spills are the worst!).

 

[mom2boys]

I do suspect that ther might be mild residue under my carpet. I have an Odyssey. The spill is in the "pit" - the area behind the 3rd row seat where the seat goes when folded down. How would I get under that carpet? And just as important - how would I get that carpet back in place?