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Does your car smell like new? That new car smell comes from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like cleaning solvents, rubber and plastic materials whose molecules haven't had the time
to settle. A recent study in Australia found 30 to 40 organic compounds floating in new car air, some of them toxic.
If you know a little chemistry, the VOCs are primarily alkanes and substituted benzenes along with a few aldehydes and ketones. To be safe, especially if you have a chemical sensitivity,
you can drive with a window open for the first six months you own a new car, especially in hot weather.
One of the most powerful BMW scents is the smell of leather. Ironically, that scent doesn't come from the leather itself, but from the chemicals used to process it. This scent has such an
appeal among consumers that many car manufacturers are looking to replace the organic compounds with the smell of leather. And some makers of air fresheners have "new car smell" products.
Your vehicle is a haven for airborne contaminants, exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke and bacteria. Here are some tips to keep it smelling fresh and clean.
 How to Remove Offensive Odors
This is an article about odor not health, but if you do smoke, do yourself, your occupants and your car a favor and always open a window or the sunroof when you smoke in the
car.
Tobacco smoke is one of the most difficult smells to remove from a car. The smoke gets into everything, including the headliner and seat cushions. Some people like the smell
of tobacco, but if you don't like it, here's what you can do:
Since tobacco smoke adheres to glass, you should first clean all interior glass with a glass
cleaner. You may need to go over the glass 2 or 3 times to clean it thoroughly.
Next, shampoo the carpets, mats and cloth upholstery (not leather) with a commercial odor remover
product. We have had success with products designed for pet odors, like Kids & Pets Brand Stain & Odor Remover.
After shampooing, wipe down all other interior surfaces with a sponge and the stain & odor
remover. Clean the headliner with the stain & odor remover, too.
After the carpet has dried for 24 hours, sprinkle baking soda on the carpet, rub it in with your
hands, and leave it for a week. After a week, vacuum your carpets. The baking soda will absorb the remaining odor in the carpet.
Leather upholstery should be cleaned with a high-quality, leather cleaning or restorer product. More on cleaning leather...
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