I'm in a dilemma right now, my mom told me she had spilled milk in the back seat of her car and she found a way to cover up the smell, but my dad can still smell the milk and all I can smell is the cover up(not bad, but can definitely tell its probably hiding something.) I told my mom, I'll detail her car and I can get the smell out and she doubted me, which made me want to make her car absolutely perfect. I get my 303 Cleaner and Spot remover, carpet brush, wet/dry vac, and mf towels figuring that is all I will need. I see where most of the stains were and some of it has "dried" up parts of the carpet, so I wet the heavier areas and dampen the non visible stain areas. It seems to have removed the stains(carpet is still crusty in those heavy areas but looks a lot better), but the smell is still there. I'm not going to lie in that the carpet was still a bit wet after I was done as I couldn't get it dry enough even with my wet/dry vac and mf towels. The next day you can't smell the cover up, but you can smell the Milk, so I figured I could just go over it again and it would get the milk out and so I tried it again and no luck. The carpet is still a bit moist since I haven't been able to let it air dry, and I feel really bad for my mom. I mean its not killer, but you can definitely smell it. Sorry for the long post, but any help would be appreciated. I'm going to tell her to put some baking soda in there for the time being, and hope that works till I can figure something else out.
Have you tried a hot towel with cleaner or hot water? Have that losen the area and then spray cleaner.... vaccuum.... several times to see if you can get all the liquid out? Some of it might be 'baked in'. Then hit it with odour remover. (there are a few out there -- someone in this forum might have experience with them)
When my friend spilt milk in her Jaguar, I told her to go and get it taken care of with a hot water extractor. She had to pay a little bit for it, but it came out perfect.
As a last resort... I've cleaned a few carpets THOROUGHLY by removing them, hitting them with a hose, scrub brush using a slurry of laundry detergent. Things to consider: It's a b*tch of a job. You'll probably break something (trim piece clip, etc.) You might lose a bolt of screw (Ziplock bags are your friend) The jute backing will get soaked too. MUST be done on the hottest day of the year. Start early so it can completely dry in the hot sun. It's cheap, very effective and complete, but very time consuming.
Did she rent the hot water extractor or did she bring it to a shop that had one? I might use this as an excuse to buy one :giggle: I'm trying to find a good cleaner that will break down the milk... I found some in countries, just not in the US
If the interior has a lingering odour from take-out food, spilled milk or wet pets, use a product that chemically alters the proteins that odour-causing microbes feed on (Lysol Neutra Air®) or Clean Air Genie Fogging Air Freshener - Clean Air Genie Fogging Air Freshener) that is non-toxic, non-allergenic, fast acting without a cover up scent or an offensive perfume smell. Extractor Units: add 4 ounces Odour terminator to each gallon of extractor solution. Clean interior glass after use to prevent spotting. Replace cabin air filter after odour removal. Odour Terminator (http://www.autoint.com/autostore/pc...stSellers..P.asp.comm) is not a perfume or cover up scent; it’s an unscented formula that chemically alters the proteins that odour causing microbes feed on. It's non-toxic, non-allergenic, fast acting without offensive perfume smell and will not damage interior materials or components. If you have an extreme odour problem try Chemical Guys Offensive Odor Eliminator. This concentrated formula is designed to eliminate the worst odors quickly and easily. This formula quickly attacks the organic molecules, breaking them down and eliminating the source of the foul odor. Use it remove smells form coffee, food, spills, human odors, pet urine, vomit, mildew, mold and so much more. One 16oz bottle can be diluted with 2 gallons of water for increased value or used at full strength Detailed Image - Auto Detailing and Car Cleaning Products, Tools, and Tutorials - Detailed Image
you need an ionizer!!!! it will emit ions into the air and decompose all the bacteria and so on.. this is what dealers and some detailers use to eliminate odor not cover it up. i have used just a plug in one that goes into the lighter and the next morning the car smelled like new. you need to make sure you have cleaned the stain as best you can and don't close the doors leave the car open till it dries then use the ionizer. if the next day it still smells repeat. but your problem is the bacteria is still in the carpet. Cg lightening fast is a good product so i have heard but i haven't used it personally. i am going to order a gallon soon to test on my 540's carpet with some grease and oil spots. i seriously would invest in an ionizer though. the one that goes into the lighter would work but if you could get a larger one and plug it in outside the car and just close the door gently. it got out chemical spray from a raid type substance my parents used when they had an ant problem in one of the Cadillac's they used to have down there at the time a few years ago. then you can just use it in your home when your done. good luck!!!
I've been so curious about these items, the ionizer products. Getting rid of certain smells is something I've been working on for a long time, I've done a bit of reading up on some machines, the ones I've read were the ones that Al-53 posted up that people purchased to get rid of the smell of smoke from the forest fires in there homes. I think they are interesting machines and they seem to get the job done, but I'm still not done researching them so I haven't purchased one just yet. I would assume that they would take care of odors in vehicles as well, but like I said just me assuming.
From my carpet cleaning days, maybe a professional protein spotter might break down the milk to make it easier to extract.
