# Food odors



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

Two months ago I picked up passengers who had just eaten at a restaurant. They picked up the smell of the restaurant and transferred it to my car. I can still smell the odor from time to time. It can be strong and I don't want everyone getting in my car to notice it. Any ideas on how to get rid of it? I have a late-model Nissan Sentra with "leather" seats. I have had the seats wiped down and the interior cleaned more than once since they were in my vehicle, and the odor still lingers.

I have not discussed the type of restaurant or what the odor is because I'm not trying to be insensitive to a certain type of food or specific culture. It does not matter what the odor is. What matters is that it exists and I can't get rid of it.

Any advice would be appreciated. I don't want to use anything to mask the odor, I want to get rid of it.


----------



## OCBob (Jan 20, 2015)

It is an Indian or Korean restaurant. Correct?


----------



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

OCBob said:


> It is an Indian or Korean restaurant. Correct?


It's not from a McDonald's.


----------



## Sacto Burbs (Dec 28, 2014)

Hints from Heloise only works if we know exactly what the smell is. Different spices or oils have different remedies

This is a chemistry problem, not some culture/race issue.


----------



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

Sacto Burbs said:


> Hints from Heloise only works if we know exactly what the smell is. Different spices or oils have different remedies


It's curry. I have not had an issue before, but for some reason I have it now. They passengers were not unclean. They were very clean. The issue was the odors in the restaurant were just industrial strength and they picked them up on their clothes.


----------



## No-tippers-suck (Oct 20, 2014)

I once in a while spray some Febreeze, it usually helps.

I hated that too. when I was a passenger in a Taxi (more often back in the years for business travel) I did my best to make the guy feel comfortable.
always asked friendly whatever it was, didn't eat, smoke or **** in the cab.
It's a sign of being respectful to another person.

My experience with Uber was that the people often didn't even use their brains to think about how I felt..
Touching my radio without asking for permission, rolling windows up and down, food drinks vapors and alcohol in my car.
And I'm sure some did even secretly do some drugs.
Screw them !


----------



## Sacto Burbs (Dec 28, 2014)

You may want to go to a Curry restaurant and ask to help identify the exact curry (e.g. Is it saffron) and what they advise?


----------



## fargonaz (Oct 30, 2014)

If the smell is lingering they must have spilled something. Rip the rear seat out and start to disassemble until offending spill is found, goes for the carpet too.


----------



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

fargonaz said:


> If the smell is lingering they must have spilled something. Rip the rear seat out and start to disassemble until offending spill is found.


They didn't bring in any food or drink. And I have checked the seats for stains or spills. Thanks though.


----------



## fargonaz (Oct 30, 2014)

Your car.


----------



## grams777 (Jun 13, 2014)

Can try Ozium. Spray it with windows up and let it set overnight.


----------



## OCBob (Jan 20, 2015)

roadrunner70 said:


> It's curry. I have not had an issue before, but for some reason I have it now. They passengers were not unclean. They were very clean. The issue was the odors in the restaurant were just industrial strength and they picked them up on their clothes.


So I was correct! Curry =Indian food


----------



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

OK. I will try Ozium. I think the smell transferred to the foam that the seats are made of and that's why it won't go away even though the seats have been wiped down several times. I will try Ozium first. If that does not work, I will buy an ionizer. Thanks for the advice.


----------



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

OCBob said:


> So I was correct! Curry =Indian food


Yea, but I thought if I mentioned Curry I would get insta-flamed for being insensitive. It's not my fault that spice is so strong.


----------



## OCBob (Jan 20, 2015)

roadrunner70 said:


> Yea, but I thought if I mentioned Curry I would get insta-flamed for being insensitive. It's not my fault that spice is so strong.


I used to go into Korean businesses to drop items off. I would always hold my breath before entering as the garlic seeps through their skin. If you eat enough curry or garlic then you are going to start stinking up a storm. Worse is being next to one that is sweating...OH GAWD!


----------



## nicoj36 (Dec 14, 2014)

It probably went inside your AC vents/consoles and stuck there. I would spray a tiny bit of lysol onto your AC/Cabin filter, then turn up your AC, open windows, and drive around with the windows down for a couple mins.


----------



## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

Try Several bags of Gonzo Lava rocks on the seat. Put them on paper towels, because they are dusty.


----------



## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

No-tippers-suck said:


> I once in a while spray some Febreeze, it usually helps.
> 
> I hated that too. when I was a passenger in a Taxi (more often back in the years for business travel) I did my best to make the guy feel comfortable.
> always asked friendly whatever it was, didn't eat, smoke or **** in the cab.
> ...


It's their car they pay you 5 bucks for that service.


----------



## Uberdawg (Oct 23, 2014)

Febreze vent clips. Clean Linen. They do work, the taxi cab commercials are no bullshit.

Ozium is excellent too.


----------



## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

Febreeze Vent clips...


----------



## ElectroFuzz (Jun 10, 2014)

All of the above.
The Lysol AC intake trick is used by many car dealers.
Also if you have a garage make it habit of rolling down all the windows when not driving.

Chemical free solution: (real odor eater, don't expect miracles but I am a big fan)
http://amzn.com/B004BOH6BM


----------



## nicoj36 (Dec 14, 2014)

Uberdawg said:


> Febreze vent clips. Clean Linen. They do work, the taxi cab commercials are no bullshit.
> 
> Ozium is excellent too.


Your advice are pretty good except for the vent clips because they simply 'mask' the odors and does not eliminate to the source, unlike the lysol ac trick..


----------



## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

I suspect the odor has been absorbed by the headlining.

I use Febreeze in Aerosol form.

Works effectively.


----------



## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

OCBob said:


> So I was correct! Curry =Indian food


It exudes from their pores, mixed with an individual's particular body odour.

When NASA needed to test its space/survival suits in the harshest most caustic atmospheric conditions they could find, they synthetically duplicated the smell found emanating off the skin and around the crotch of a New Delhi cabbie on a summer day! 

Apologies to those who thought this forum was politically correct.


----------



## UberDC (Jul 12, 2014)

I would also recommend Febreeze vet clips.


----------



## Long time Nyc cab driver (Dec 12, 2014)

roadrunner70 said:


> Two months ago I picked up passengers who had just eaten at a restaurant. They picked up the smell of the restaurant and transferred it to my car. I can still smell the odor from time to time. It can be strong and I don't want everyone getting in my car to notice it. Any ideas on how to get rid of it? I have a late-model Nissan Sentra with "leather" seats. I have had the seats wiped down and the interior cleaned more than once since they were in my vehicle, and the odor still lingers.
> 
> I have not discussed the type of restaurant or what the odor is because I'm not trying to be insensitive to a certain type of food or specific culture. It does not matter what the odor is. What matters is that it exists and I can't get rid of it.
> 
> Any advice would be appreciated. I don't want to use anything to mask the odor, I want to get rid of it.












Your car smelled before I got in !!


----------



## Large (Dec 19, 2014)

Go to rental store, rent ozone machine. Will remove the odor


----------



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

Thanks for all of the advice. The odor is in the vents. Now I know where it is I can get rid of it.


----------



## Uber-Doober (Dec 16, 2014)

Maybe just break up a urinal cake and drop the chips into the air intake in front of the windshield?
No need to buy a pack of six... just find a lightly used one someplace.


----------



## roadrunner70 (Nov 19, 2014)

Uber-Doober said:


> Maybe just break up a urinal cake and drop the chips into the air intake in front of the windshield?
> No need to buy a pack of six... just find a lightly used one someplace.


I appreciate the advice. Creative solutions are best.
I think I will save this trick for a taxi, since it's much closer to being an actual toilet than my personal car, although if you read some stories from Uber drivers, their riders did not agree.


----------

