Wednesday, March 17, 2010

What's That Smell?

Yesterday my car went into the shop to get the dent fixed, which will take four days (????), and so I'm now zipping around town in a peppy little Corolla, a rental covered by our insurance. The rental company met me at the auto body shop with the car (love that), I signed some papers, inspected the car and hopped in to head home.

That's when the smell hit me.

The car, a 2010 model with 650 miles (650!!!!) reeked of cigarette smoke. Someone obviously ignored the no smoking stickers all over the car (we're suspecting the rental employee). I have a strong sense of smell and unfortunately, cigarette smoke just doesn't agree with me. After about an hour, my stomach gets upset, the headache starts... Not fun. Not wanting to make a huge fuss--and it would have been huge--I decided to try and air the car out on my own.

I started with a unwrapped cinnamon tart in a plastic baggie (the candle kind of tart--not a real one). The warmth of the car releases the scent. After an hour, I had cinnamon tinged cigarette scent. Then I Febrezed the heck out of the car. So-so. Then I Febrezed again and left the windows down all night.

Success! There's still a hint of cigarette smoke in the car, but barely noticeable. Luckily the temps have been wonderful, and I've been driving with the windows down a lot.

Is there a scent you just can't stand?


  1. I can't tolerate cigarette smoke and like you I get wicked headaches and don't let the smell get on me, it drives me crazy.

    Strong scents bother me as well.

    Have a good Wednesday.

  2. Growing up I was around cigarette smoke and it never bother me. After my mother quit smoking and I wasn't around it much, it started bothering me to be around it. Now my sinus go crazy. I have a sign that I got from a cousin that I love:
    "If you're smoking in here, you'd better be on fire."

    Happy St. Patrick's Day.

  3. Those bodies in my basement are starting to get a little rancid.

  4. I grew up with cigarette smoke, too, and it never bothered me until I was away from it for a while. Funny how that works.

    Also, while pregnant, I couldn't *stand* the smell of coffee or bleach. LOL--just realized the bleach factor may be when my husband started doing all the laundry...

  5. when I was pregnant, I couldn't handle the smell of Parmesan cheese.

  6. I can't stand the smell of the cafeteria food, left in the garbage cans an hour after lunch in the room that I have to work in with the afterschool program. The custodian empties the trash, but leaves the SAME TRASH BAG in the container. Today I told him it makes me want to throw up. He said it would be changed soon. Soon was at 6 p.m. when the night janitor emptied the garbage. day custodian? a jerk.

  7. I had to rent a car a few years back and it smelled like cat pee! Talk about nasty!

  8. I can't stand patchouli. It reeks! Also, diapers. I don't have kids and I certainly don't want to smell other people's!!!

  9. Cat pee and diapers. Can't top that--not even with cigarette smoke! Blech.