Weekend Athlete: You Stink, But Your Car Doesn't Have To

Whether you hike, race or camp, there's a good chance you work up a sweat. That's good for you, but bad for your car — especially if you think you’ll sell it for a new one any time soon.

Here are some tips to keep your car from smelling like a used triathlete, or worse:

• Clean yourself: For goodness sake, take a shower if possible. If not, bring a washcloth, use some water and rinse off. Witch Hazel can also help soak up the odor. Do your best and change into clean clothes. Shaving your legs also makes it easier to clean off mud and gunk … I'm just sayin’.
• Bag it: Whatever smells bad or is wet goes in a bag. I use plastic ones, but that’s only good if it’s a short ride home — otherwise the clothes may mildew. A duffel bag works better, but you’ll still want to get your gear cleaned right away.
• Buy it: Several cars offer stain-resistant seats. Dodge, Honda and Nissan are just a few, and the cloth is sold under a variety of names. Seat covers can work if you wash, clean or replace them regularly. If you don't keep the covers clean, I swear the covers' odor seems to transfer to the seat.
• Air out: If you've already gone and stunk up the joint but still face a long ride home, the best thing to do is crack the windows. Even if it’s 20 below, just a small crack will help the air flow out. As a bonus, it'll probably keep your eyes from watering too much while you drive.
• A word about equipment: It's a good idea to bring a couple extra trash bags for your cooking and trash. Depending on where you are, you may have to pack your garbage out with you. In that case, make sure it's all sealed tight. If you're only racing, I'd still bring a bag as things can turn out worse — much worse — than you expected.

Comments

[Barry]

If you get a used car with cigarette smell, toss a couple of dryer sheets under each seat. These seem to soak up some of the odor.

[MrRidden]

A quick search of the net will turn up Automotive Air Ionizers. they plug into the cigarette lighter and work far better than the little green trees!

[MrRidden]

A quick search of the net will turn up Automotive Air Ionizers. they plug into the cigarette lighter and work far better than the little green trees!

[MrRidden]

A quick search of the net will turn up Automotive Air Ionizers. they plug into the cigarette lighter and work far better than the little green trees!

[MrRidden]

A quick search of the net will turn up Automotive Air Ionizers. they plug into the cigarette lighter and work far better than the little green trees!

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[Shredders]

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