Replacing Carpet Underlay, Q's....

[richter]

Okay, the seats, carpet all that stuff is out... not a fun process. I bought some new underlay and a new headliner in hopes to make my truck smell cleaner. I am thinking about renting a shampooer and then doing the carpet itself and and seats (out of a '98, they should smell good still, my truck is an '88 though). What else can I do to ensure a nice, permanent clean smell like my brother's ;97???

[Pete-FWA]

In order to keep a nice smell, the source of odors has to be permanently removed. Was your carpet and padding wet or full of some other odor or does the truck just smell like old material?

Since you are down to bare metal floor pan, I'd suggest going over that surface with a disinfectant cleaner to remove residual dirt and odors.

Follow your nose: wherever there is a stink, you have to clean and deodorize. Replacing the padding is a big start toward your goal. Getting rid of the old headliner is just as helpful, since many odors go up and in there, never to be removed.

Do the new seats smell OK, or do those have an odor you dislike?

An important and often overlooked source of lingering odor is the ventilation system. Turn on your blower fan and see what kind of funk rolls out the vents.

[richter]

Thanks for the tips man. I just shampooed the carptet and seats (seats still smelled good) and I will be putting it in tomorrow. I hope this works. Is there a way to clean the vents without physically going in (obviously we cant get behind the dash to get those ones, how to clean those?? Thanks!!

[Pete-FWA]

Lysol or some other spay disinfectant can be effective, depending on the odor and how strong it is. I use a Dakota Products aerosol called Non-Smoke.

Odors can be tough to get rid of, but you're replacing the main places they stay trapped, so your truck should fare well in that regard.