My simple AC hack will get rid of nasty car smells – and clean out bacteria in the system, it only costs a few dollars
A CLEVER car owner has demonstrated his affordable trick for ridding cars of nasty air conditioning odors.
Best of all, the hack is simple and only costs a few dollars.
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YouTuber BStride DIY (@BStride) filmed a short video in an Acura to show how easy the process was.
The text on the screen read: “Eliminate bad air conditioning smells.”
He started by pointing the camera at the air conditioning controls in his center console and walked viewers through the process step by step.
He pressed the AC button in the car and asked spectators to turn the fan speed all the way up.
“You’ll want to turn it up and use outside air,” he instructed.
“You won’t want to rotate the indoor air.”
The clip then shows him holding a can of citrus-scented Lysol disinfectant spray as he got out of the car and headed toward the bottom of the windshield.
He thoroughly sprayed the outside of the car below the windshield with the yellow can.
“I’ll just coat it pretty well and soak it in the air conditioning for at least 10 minutes,” he said.
More text flashed on the screen saying, “Don’t try.” [to] Spray all over the camera,” referring to the camera sensor on the windshield typically used for automatic emergency braking systems.
He then advised, “I wouldn’t sit in the car while it was going on. It’s going to be a pretty strong smell.”
“But what this does is kill all the bacteria in the air conditioner,” he concluded.
Several other car owners rushed to the comments section to share their thoughts.
Someone wrote a helpful explanation for the moldy smell that some car air conditioning units give off.
“Mold is forming on the evaporator core due to moisture condensing from the air conditioning system,” one person wrote.
“The moisture mixed with heat and the dark location where your HVAC system is located can cause that moldy/musty smell. It is literally mold. It’s also quite… common.”
The YouTuber replied: “Hello, yes indeed. It seems to happen when you use the air conditioner a lot and then leave it for a while without using it. Good explanation.”
Another asked for clarification on exactly where to spray on the outside of the car.
BStride helpfully replied: “I spray it in the outside air intake, on the outside of the car, under the base of the windshield wipers while the air conditioning is on. This may need to be done from time to time.” [you] Often don’t use air conditioning.
A third also confirmed that the Lysol spray worked wonders.
“I tried the Morning Meadow scent from Lysol a few weeks ago and it smells much better,” they wrote.
“One thing I learned is to leave the fresh air setting on (turn off recirculated air) when you park your car for a long time. This can cause the air conditioning condenser to dry out.”
Other content creators have used their platform to share more clever tips and tricks to help car owners get rid of bad smells in their cars.
One influencer said that just a spritz of a concentrated room spray from a well-known company can keep a car’s interior smelling fresh for an hour.
Another revealed that owners of certain luxury vehicles may not realize that there is a secret button that instantly makes the interior smell fresh.
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