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How can I remove odor from my car seats?
I went fishing about a week ago with some buddies and, on the way home, hit a massive pothole which caused a cooler full of fish to tip over, and fish water to spill all over the backseat. I’ve been trying ever since to get the fish smell out of my seats, but nothing’s working! How can I remove this odor from my car’s seats?
Chloe Jenkins · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re dealing with this! Luckily, there are a few different tricks you can use to remove odor from your car seats, but you should know that some of them will require a bit of patience and may not work right away. Here are a few different options you can try:
- White Vinegar. Mix one part white vinegar with two parts water in a spray bottle, and spray the solution onto the seats. For cloth seats, you can simply let the mixture dry. For leather seats, wait a few minutes, then wipe off the solution. Vinegar works as a natural deodorizer and can fight against bacteria and fungus, which makes it super effective against fish odors.
- Enzyme Digester. These can typically be found in the pet aisle of your local grocery store. You will likely only need to spray it on and allow it to sit, per the manufacturer’s directions, but some may require you to vacuum the area after it has dried. It’s also not safe for leather seats, so keep this in mind!
- Steam Clean. Safe for leather and cloth seats, steam cleaning will kill odor-causing bacteria without introducing any products or chemicals to your seats.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the odor in your seats, consider checking your car’s alignment or suspension after hitting that pothole. Many large potholes can cause serious damage to your vehicle as well as the fish in your back seat, so it’s important to check on your car after you hit one. Oftentimes, pothole damage is covered under your car insurance’s
collision coverage
, so you may be in luck there!If your repair costs are lower than your deductible, you should consider shopping around for new coverage with the
Jerry
app. We’ll get you personalized quotes
from top providers in seconds, so that all you need to do is pick the plan that works best for you. And once you pick one, we’ll help you switch over!Happy cleaning—and hope the next fishing trip goes a little more smoothly!
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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