Sometimes there is nothing better than hot coffee in your cup while driving somewhere, for example, to work. Suddenly, you are knocking over this cup, and your car’s interior is full of coffee stains and its smell. If you have a similar problem with spilled coffee, this article will help you get rid of it.
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Coffee odor: how to get rid of it?
Though the situation with the spilled coffee is unpleasant, there is still a range of different ways to get its smell out of the car (and it is not an air freshener!). Make sure to follow our clear and helpful tips to solve this problem.
Using baking soda
Coffee beans, when they are roasted, can leave a special smell for quite a while if you don’t get rid of it. Baking soda can be a great way to solve the smell problem. How does it work? The process is pretty simple.
Just purchase baking soda and put it in any container that you have.
Leave it open in your car for some time to absorb the smell.
Moreover, leave a little baking soda under the floor mats. Don’t worry, you can easily get rid of it after that by vacuuming.
Using a mix of warm water and white vinegar
For this method, you need one cup of white vinegar and two cups of warm water, as well as a spray bottle.
Mix it and then spray it inside your car, paying special attention to the floor mats and seats. Leave it to air-dry.
Trying pet odor removers
Though it may sound a little bit strange, sometimes nothing works better than special pet odor removers if your goal is to get rid of the smell in the car.
These removers’ compound includes special solutions that perfectly fight unwanted odors.
As there are plenty of different and well-working pet odor removers, we wouldn’t recommend an exact one. Feel free to choose the one you think will be effective.
Using coffee beans
This method is quite simple; all you need are about three to four tablespoons of coffee beans.
Put them in an open container and leave them in your car for some time. You will notice that they quickly absorb the odor.
Seeking the help of professionals
If you have tried all the methods mentioned above, and they all don’t work for you, there is no need to worry.
You can always have the cleaning done professionally.
It can also be a perfect option for you if you don’t want to spend your time on it. With professional help, you will be sure that all the places inside your car are cleaned properly and that there is no chance for the odor to come up.
How to clean coffee spills?
Unfortunately, in most cases, the smell isn’t the only problem that we can face after knocking the coffee cup over. We also have to clean coffee stains that can be found everywhere, including the car seats and floor mats.
To clean up coffee spills, you need to follow easy car cleaning steps. All you need is a napkin or paper towel, as well as the cleaning mix. Let’s start!
Firstly, to remove coffee stains, you need a dry cloth to get rid of as much liquid as possible. After that, apply some water to the places where you see a coffee stain and absorb it with a paper towel.
In the case of cloth car seats, apply the mix of white vinegar (or dish soap) and water using a stiff-bristled brush. Adding club soda is also possible. If you have leather car seats, we recommend applying a special cleaner.
In some cases, you can try to use a glass cleaner, as it functions perfectly when dealing with hard-to-remove stains. We recommend testing it before using it. Apply it to a small and relatively hidden area of the seat to see the result.
After that, wait for at least half an hour or more for the cleaning mix to do its work. Then use paper towels or any clean cloth to gently blot the stains.
You can cleanse your car carpets in the same way, applying the cleaning mix and then blotting them with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Repeat the process if necessary. Then let the seats and car mats air-dry. The coffee stain must disappear.
In addition to the steps mentioned above, there is one more aspect we shouldn’t forget.
In the case of dealing with leather car seats, we recommend applying a special leather conditioner at the end of the cleaning process.
After using cleaning solutions and wiping the leather, there are high risks that it will all lead to cracks. Therefore, we need to apply the conditioner to the leather as the finishing step.
Coffee smell and stains can be prevented: how can you do it?
Now, we know some useful information about getting the smell of coffee out of your vehicle. However, this situation may happen again if you don’t consider the causes.
To prevent a possible coffee spill in the future, we recommend reading the main reasons for it, so you will be fully aware of the steps you can take before buying that wonderful drink.
If you have an unreliable cup holder…
One of the main reasons your coffee gets spilled is your cup holder. Maybe it’s smaller than the cup itself?
Before buying the next cup of coffee, make sure that the holder for it is the same size as the cup.
What about fast driving?
Many of us like to drive fast, but we sometimes forget that we have our drinks in the car. If you suddenly decide to stop or to turn left or right, there are high risks that your coffee will be knocked over.
Moreover, when driving very fast, there are few chances that we will notice some pits and bumps on the road.
Therefore, your car can easily jump, making the cup leak.
We recommend driving slower and more cautiously if you don’t want to spend an hour or two cleaning your vehicle.
Is your cup lid tight?
One more reason for your coffee to leak is that you don’t always check the cup lid. Is it tight enough not to open suddenly?
Make sure to double-check it before getting inside your car with a cup of coffee.
Do you like active gestures?
Sometimes we may be so active in discussing some things with others that we use a lot of gestures. It can lead to a situation where your elbow or palm may suddenly bump into the coffee cup.
Be careful driving, making sure that you control your body so as not to knock it over.
READ ALSO: Engine shakes when starting – common causes and solutions
FAQ
In this part of our article, we have summarized the most common questions about getting coffee odor out of the car.
Let’s look at them together and find out the answers to them. They include the following:
Does coffee smell go away in car?
In the case of the spilled coffee, it seems that leaving the car’s windows open is not enough. However, the odor can be eliminated by other methods.
You can get rid of the smell of coffee beans by using cleaning solutions or baking soda. However, if you don’t want to spend your time on it, the perfect option for you is going to the car wash, so professionals could take matters into their own hands.
How do you neutralize coffee smell?
There are two main ways to neutralize it. Firstly, you can use baking soda (leave the open container full of it inside your car for some time). Secondly, you can make a cleaning solution (using warm water and white vinegar) and spray it.
Don’t forget to remove a coffee stain if you notice it as well. Car cleaning can take some time, but it is not as difficult and time-consuming as it can seem.
What happens if you spill coffee in your car?
In this case, you have a smell of stale coffee and stains on the car upholstery and your leather seats that need special methods to be removed.
As for the latter, you need to mix water and dish soap and apply it to the stains. Use a clean cloth for wiping.
Final words
To conclude, we hope that now you have found out how to get rid of the smell of spilled coffee inside your car and how to clean coffee spills correctly.
Make sure to be careful when driving. Thus, you can prevent future spilled coffee accidents from happening.
