Funk Fighters - Tips and Tricks to Remove Annoying Smells from Your Vehicle

We’ve talked about how scent affects mood. We’ve also spoken on the intensity of your air fresheners. While we are still the new kids on the block, we want you to know we aren’t really new to making things smell good. Check out our Lyft history. We’re masters of a clean car, no professional detailing experience required.

But in all things, one scent doesn’t fit all. And after retiring from a life being a rideshare driver, we realize there are some things you cannot avoid. Stuff happens. Spills, farts, chemicals, pets have boo-boos, there’s a thousand things that could happen in your ride when taking someone from point A to B.

So where going to help you. Here’s some recommendations to keep your car clean, dignity intact, and take some stress off that next ride. These funk fixes will not only give you the perfect solution to clean the stain made, they will pair you with a perfect air freshener scent. Even if it’s not one of ours. Knowledge is free, and we’re not gonna guard our secrets on keeping your car pristine any longer. You ready?

Dark carpets cannot hide stench. Check out these common household solutions below to get your car smelling great again.

The Burnt Rubber Smell:

You remember that time you felt like you were in traffic and you could smell something rubbing your fender wall? Or had a rubber hose from under the hood disintegrate unexpectedly? Or have you ever helped a friend fix a flat and that old tire carcass smell wouldn’t leave your trunk? Yea, we get it. Burned rubber is unattractive. If it’s date night, you never want to offend the lady friend with burnt rubber funk.

So here’s what we recommend to get that fried rubber smell gone for good: Baking soda and a leather scented air freshener.

How much baking soda do you need to remove the burnt rubber smell? Simple. Enough to lightly coat the complete affected surface, but not so much it’s not evenly distributed on the affected area. Once the baking soda is applied, let it sit for at least 30 mins. Maybe a couple hours for deeper stink release. Ok. Now that the baking soda has taken effect, vacuum the affected area thoroughly. Finally, to neutralize those burnt rubber smells, leather scented air fresheners from Chemical Guys do the trick. When we drove Lyft, we used their leather scented spray solution, did wonders for trunk spaces and back seats. No, this is not an ad, nor affiliate marketing. Like we said earlier, no gatekeeping on great scent control solutions. Neither will we gate keep price. Chemical Guys leather air fresheners in 2026 are priced around $6.99 wherever found.

The Wet Dog Smell:

This was our greatest fear as a rideshare driver. When you work for Lyft, and I’ll include Uber people too in this discussion, by company regulations you must be open to passengers who have dogs. If you aren’t, cool. Just know you are missing out on some extra change. The only caveat they don’t tell you when driving Lyft, those couple of bucks aren’t nearly enough for when the rider’s dog gets in and it’s unfortunately raining outside. That’s a stinky situation all around and no one’s fault. So what do you do when the rider’s dog gets is over and you need an immediate detail of your back seats? You already know you’re not making other customers ride with that wet dog stench. That’s not cool.

Here’s what we recommend: Baking soda and a vanilla scented air freshener. How much baking soda do you need? Well, you can apply the baking soda two ways: wet or dry. If you wish to follow the dry methodology, please see the steps mentioned above for the burnt rubber baking soda application. If you’re more interested in the wet application, mix baking soda with a quarter cup warm water and a few drops of vinegar. Move the combination to a spray bottle and apply to your seats or the area where poochie was making a puddle. Allow the application to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to a few hours before vacuuming any residue away. The final step in ensuring wet dog smell is gone, hang a vanilla air freshener under the seat or from a seatbelt buckle. Thankfully, Moonlight Mango has just the vanilla scented air freshener available. The MCLEEZY air freshener by Moonlight Mango 3-pack is now $5.89.

The MCLEEZY 3 Pack of Vanilla Scented Air Fresheners

The Old Sticky Soda Smell:

We were all kids once. We all dropped a juice box or our icy cold Sprite from our McDonald’s Happy Meal when our parents passed it to us. These spills happen. What we sometimes we forget as adults, the longer those dried up sugars sit on your car’s interior surfaces, the more they yield an unpleasant stench. As a Lyft driver, this was another one of our favorite fears. We didn’t want to ban anyone from having food and drink in the car, but we definitely asked politely if they could refrain from consuming while in the ride, especially if it’s under 10 minutes of a journey. Well, I’ll tell you this my friends. It takes 10 seconds to spill that 7-Eleven Big Gulp, especially if it’s double cupped.

Here’s are solution to those fermented soda stinkies: vinegar, baking soda and a lime scented air freshener.

Now, the application of vinegar is done in a solution of three parts water, one part vinegar. Mix in a bit of dish soap and combine all three elements into a spray bottle. Spray the affected area liberally and allow the solution to sit for 15 minutes. While the vinegar solution is working, find a soft bristle brush. Scrub the sticky soda area in circular motions to lift the stain. With a moist cloth, wipe the scrubbed area to remove any remaining solution.

The application of baking soda after cleaning the soda stains is necessary to help deep treat the stench, thus apply dry baking soda to the area for a minimum of 30 minutes. Vacuum the baking soda, and boom! Your car is back to smelling better, however the odor is almost fully neutralized. The final product needed is the lime air freshener. Why lime scented air freshener? The essential oils from the lime scented hanging air freshener blend well with the acidic vinegar solution. While baking soda does the job to break down the funk, unless you’re interested in carrying a box of baking soda in your car like our parents used to carry in their fridge, then you will need the lime scented hanging air fresher. The lime and vinegar scents mesh well, providing a smell that feels vibrant, clean and luminary to your passengers. The Godfather of all hanging air freshener makers, Little Trees offers a very cool lime scented solution. However, these air fresheners are more on the higher end of pricing at $9.99 per air freshener wherever sold.

Stay tuned for more Funk Fighters car care solutions from your favorite retired whistle-blowing Lyft Driver.

Until then, smell you later!