Help! I spilled a (very full)latte in my car on Wednesday morning...I cleaned it up as best I could, but this morning my car smelled like sickly sweet sour milk! The latte spilled all down the side of the passenger seat in front and I suspect it traveled to the carpet in front of the back seat.
Do any of you know a way to get it cleaned up and hopefully get rid of this stink? It smells like one of those stinky diaper pails someone mentioned the other day! I did use a bucket of water and soap to try to sop it up--but since it had traveled to under the carpet, I doubt it did much good. Someone I work with said steam cleaning, but I have no idea what that would entail. I am willing to try anything! I even considered contacting the car dealer about having the seats removed and the carpet replaced.
I'm also 9 weeks pregnant, and the only big symptom (aside from the constant peeing all night long!) I've been having is extra-sensitivity to smells--so this is just the worst thing that could happen right now.
My daughter got in the car this morning and said, "ca-ca Mama"...so it's gotta be bad if a toddler notices!
Thank you so much mamas for your expertise! On Saturday, I went to my lovely therapeutic massage in Magnolia. I noticed a pet store next door and went in and discussed the issue with the co-owner. She suggested Pure Ayre--which is a food-grade, enzyme based odor killer! Also to mention, it's also owned by a Mamasource mama and her husband (and that was a funny coincidence!) It's totally safe to use around my pregnant self and all else who travel in the car (part of my concern with store bought "cleaners" is all the nasty fragrance chemicals). I sprayed, and sprayed, and sprayed, left the windows open during the Saturday windstorm (great timing!) and later that day there was a remarkable difference in smell!
It did still have a little bit of a "pickle" smell--so I sprayed again, and this time made sure to really soak it in. Happy to report that this morning, it was almost completely gone with a natural mint smell prevailing over the "pickle"-like smell. I suspect once it's all dried up it will all be gone.
I think I'm still going to rent a steam cleaner--only to make sure I clean extra-well and avoid the possiblity of mold developing. A neighbor has a blower/fan that he said I could borrow to dry it out well too, since it looks like the nice dry, sunny days of summer are over!
Thanks again for your advice and suggestionss!
This solution works great, especially for getting rid of vomit odor, so it should work on the latte stink!
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. mild dishwashing liquid
I've had similar problems, try OXY Clean dilluted with hot water... in a spray bottle is best. Good luck
If you have or can get a green machine or wet dry vac, completely soak the carpet with hot soapy water then suck up the dirty water. I have a green machine that I use for stuff like that. I fill up a bucket or pan, dump it on let it sit to loosen anything then suck it up. It has worked every time.
Oh my goodness! I so know your pain!
I spilled a half gallon of milk in the back seat (don't ask how) and it went all behind and underneath the seat! I cleaned it best I could but it just kept smelling worse and worse until I didn't even want to drive anywhere. About five days after it happened I went to Ace hardware and told the guy about my problem and if he had any suggestions. He popped the seat right out and I was able to scrub it clean! now it smells as good as new! Good luck. :)
Nature's Miracle. Works on anything organic. Smells pretty good by itself too, not all harsh and cemically. Safe to use when pregnant.
Happy Cleaning!
If you didn't get all the milk try a scented vinegar (add essential oil to white vinegar) then mop up with a towel.
plain baking soda will absorb some odors but if you want a nice smell on any carpet I've heard a scented baking soda (add 5-10 drops of essential oil- peppermint or lavendar work well) let sit as long as overnight and then vacuum. I'm going to try it on the pee spots on the carpet. THis same scented baking soda works well as a litter box deoderizer.
Vinegar, vinegar, vinegar. Works great for all things stinky. I usually use 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts water in a little bowl. Then use a rag to scrub all stinky areas. For a little while the vinegar smell will linger, but it goes away and so does the stench. And is a heck of a lot cheaper than a professional cleaning.
This happened in my car a few years ago...I ended up taking it to a carpet cleaner in town and had it steam cleaned for aroud $60. Well Worth it....
Pet Smart and Pet-Co both sell enzyme cleaners that work on any oder. I spilled pickle juice in my van. I sprayed it daily for 3-4 days and within a week the smell was gone. It takes awhile for the enzymes to work. I use this on my laundry too. It is great for removing stains anywhere. The brand I prefer is Nature's Miricle.
B.
oh, dear - yes smells are so good or so bad - . Try a nice inexpensive 'fix' first --- go to a pet store and get a small container of an enzymatic odor remedy for ''puppy accidents'' - cant' hurt- designed to be used on carpets - and it might do the trick.
love,
J.
retired special ed preschool teacher, mom, grandmom and now preschool teacher -
I did the same thing...I cried knowing what milk would smell like. I am 5 months pregnant now and can imagine how you feel with the smell. When our daughter was about 8 months old, who is 2 year old now, had spilled her bottle on the seat in the car and I feaked out...that was my fear of her having milk in the care but what do you do on long road trips. So both times, I cleaned area with hot soapy water and then sprayed it with Lysol. A few days later I sprayed the area again with Lysol...if you can, leave the window cracked just a bit too. I hope that helps...good luck.
I had spilled olive oil (a whole 32 oz bottle) on the floor and under my front passenger seat. The smell wasn't as bad as yours I am sure, but as you can imagine, it was greasy!! I took my car to my body and detail shop (Collision Rebuilders on NW 20th and NW Marshall) and they steamed it clean for under $100. It was well worth it, and did not have to hassle with it at all in the process. There's a Starbucks on 21st and Lovejoy (2 blocks away). :)
Since you asked...my husband and I own a company that manufactures the best and safest odor elminator around. It's called PureAyre and it eliminates odors like milk, smoke, urine, etc... It's made with organic fruit and veggie enzymes, water and a few drops of peppermint oil. Nothing else. We have various labels for different markets (including one for baby) but it's all the same product. Go to www.pureayre.com for more info.
Take your car in to be detailed. They can pull the seat out and steam clean both the seat and the carpet. Explain it's a milk spill they have special stuff they use to also eliminate remaining smell. I had smoke damage and took it in to a place on S. Hill called Van Cours. I had smoke damage from a fire work catching my seat on fire about 2 yrs ago. They did a GREAT job.
M.,
You can rent a Rug Doctor that has an upholstery attachment and/or car attachment I think. I'd have your husband do all the lifting though, those things are HEAVY. Then just vacuum out your car with the Rug Doctor.
Melissa
You can rent a steam cleaner from any grocery store with an apholstery attachment and carpet cleaner with Oxyclean. In my experience Oxyclean is fairly good at getting not only stains, but smells out.
I had a similar thing happen when the kids spilled their horizon vanilla milks. The smell lasted for about three days and then suddenly was gone. I think you have to let the area you cleaned dry really good and the smell should disapate. If not, try having your car detailed and see if they can get rid of the smell. good luck!
I had a similiar problem and at Target found these wet wipes in the automotive section that I scrubbed the spot with and it helped considerably. If you could get your hands on one of those little hand held steam cleaners for pet stains that would really do the trick...or the more expensive route would to bring it to get detailed.
Get an odor-eating enzyme. The stuff in regular stores is garbage and overpriced. When I spilled fish fertilizer in my house (basically liquified dead rotten fish). I found an enzyme at a commercial janitorial supply place in beaverton. It was cheap and works really well on anything human or animal (since milk is animal, it should work on that. I've since used it for urine, milk, vomit). Here's the place I got my stuff (called ViaFresh, I think)
Coastwide Laboratories‎
4245 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, OR - ###-###-####‎
good luck!
I think some car dealerships will detail your car. I would call them and see what they can do. I am also pregnant so I sympathize with the smell sensitivity. I know my son has sometimes thrown his sippy cup, and they all seem to leak. I end up taking it to a car wash that has a vacuum and self serve wash and it helps somewhat. Sorry.
I did the same thing one time and the only thing that got it out was taking it to an auto detailer and letting them use their equipment on it. It will cost more, but save you lots of time and stress. Good luck!
My friend's son spilled milk in the car and she had the same smelly result. She had her car "detailed" She took it to a professional who cleaned the inside of her car. It looked and smelled like almost new.
I think that option would be less expensive than taking it to the dealer.
I had a simular situation with apple juice in my car. It was unbearable. I was very close to paying professionals $100 to detail it for me, but that is advoidable. Go to an auto supply store - like Shukks or Auto Zone, or something like that. There is a spray foam cleaner that you can get there. You spray it on the stain, rub it in, let it dry and vacuum it out. I would let your husband do it for you (if he is willing) due to the fumes. I also went to the gas station to use their vacuum so mine didn't smell like the cleaner or the stain forever. Just ask the guys at the store - they will point you to the right stuff. Good luck.
Try baking soda and white vinegar. Make sure that the carpet area, any fabric gets air dried or it can mold.
If you want a pick-me-up instead of coffee, try Red Ginseng. It doesn't spill and it is better for you.
I had a friend who spilled a lot of orange juice on the floor of her car. She tried to soak it up but never had it cleaned. It turned to mold under the carpet and the smell of it stayed there forever! Don't delay.
I'd try vinegar first because it's easier. If the latte did soak into the carpet, the carpet needs to be cleaned. Perhaps using a vinegar solution soaked rag on the carpet would be sufficient.
If that doesn't work, you can clean the carpet and upholstery yourself with a rug and upholstery cleaner in an aerosol can from the grocery store. You spray it on and then vacuum it up. There is one brand that you don't need to vacuum up.
If the latte went into the carpet under the seat, you can remove the seat to get to it easier. However removing the seat isn't easy.
Another idea to try is to spray the carpet with Fabreeze.
A simple carpet/upholstery cleaner should do the trick.(Oxy Clean is what I use) I would ask your husband if he can help you! You'll have to get in some weird positions to get it clean under the seat! But I had dried milk I found on my living room carpet that had been there for a few days, and the carpet cleaner did a great job! Good luck!
Hi M.,
I rep for a manufacturing company and we've got great green products that really work. It's easy to get that stain out. email me or call me if you would like learn more.
N. B.
____@____.com
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If you have access to a wet/dry shop vac, then the best thing to do would be to pour a bunch of HOT water with vinegar on the carpet and after allowing it to sit a few minutes, scrub gently then vacuum up with the shop vac. Also, it is very important to get it 100% dry, so a blow dryer, or park it in the garage with a bunch of fans blowing in it.
Good luck. Luckily the smell you are smelling is because it did not dry completely, and not because you have mold, or some other difficult problem.
Hi - I had something similar happen with an Odawalla juice exploding under the seat (it fell, got hot, fermented, boom, and STINKY!). I got my car detailed and they steam cleaned the carpets. It really really helped. It aint cheap, but I am assuming that would be cheaper than replacing the carpets. The detail guy also suggested putting a box of baking soda under my seat for awhile to absorb any lingering odors -- just like you do in the fridge. Hope that helps. T. C
Hi M. -
You've gotten lots of advice, and I'm sure many of these are great suggestions, but if I were you I'd call a local car *detailer* in my area and ask them what they recommend (that you can do yourself). They may even have a specific product available for this kind of thing. Remember, many of the things recommended here have been used indoors, and your situation is pretty specific. Besides, I'm sure your local detailer has dealt with more than one spilled latte (and probably much grosser stuff...)
Good luck!
a car detailer may be able to get it pretty clean... it might be less expensive than having the carpet replaced. Though I'd do it very soon!
Soo Sorry! I spilled a latte in my husband's porsche many years ago and I went and got it detailed! He never knew why I got it detailed but knew it was clean. There are some good detailing places out there so call around.
S.
If the smell is in the rugs, you can pull them up and wash them in your washer. You will want to air dry them though. If it has saturated the underneath carpet, blot up as much as possible, then clean the rest with a mixture of vinegar and water. Open all your windows and allow the car to air out fully until the carpets are dry.
a white vinegar and water solution. (50/50) Dab the solution on the stinky area. Then go back over it with any type of regular cleaning solution (to get rid of the vinegar smell.
Vinegar neutralizes any smell - even cat urine. It's the greatest stuff ever.
I would go to a full-service car wash (like Pink Elephant) and talk to them. Hopefully it won't take a full detail of the car. I would think they could quickly take care of it. :-)
Oh no! I'm so sorry, I don't know what to use to clean it. Congrats on your pregnancy, I hope you feel better soon and are able to clean up the smell.
D.
All those chemicals around really scare me. (Especially with you being pregnant). Melaleuca makes a product called sol u mel that is wonderful. By just adding a capful in some water it gets out everything. Since you need to find someone (like me) who can get you signed up you can try another option I used when my dog would pee on my carpet. Put a 1:3 ratio of white vinegar and water on the stain and let it sit a bit then soak it up. Vinegar helps the smells too since it evaporates..
I've done this a million times. There's a cleaner that works wonderfully but unfortunately I can't remember the name of it. It's based on orange oil and is all natural--I'm sure you could find something equivalent at a natural foods store or coop.
J.
Kids 'n Pets!
I get it at Safeway. Easy to use and can be used around kids and pets.
