Help- my car smells like fish

I like the smell but it seems to bother other passengers such as my GF.  My car always smells like fish and old french fries and I don't know how to get rid of it.  I have tried airing it out and saturating it in febreeze.  Nothing seems to work.  I think the smell is in the carpet.

I had that problem too.  Leaving the windows down during a hot sunny day seemed to help a lot.  I think it dried out any damp areas that harbored odor causing bacteria.

If that's not enough, use one of those foaming rug cleaners in a spray can and then try it again.

I'd 2nd the whole "sunny day" thing.  Also, try a heavy dose of Nature's Miracle -- used for getting pet urine out of stuff.  It eats a lot of the things that cause smell in carpet.

Travis-Mission accomplished!  Don't do anything and enjoy the sweet smell of success!

Ah man ... see what  you started?  I just drove somewhere and now I too smell that fishy smell.  I never really noticed it before.  

-Allen

a mooch observation: "you know your having a good day when your steering wheel is covered with scales and smells like fish"  

Travis-Mission accomplished!  Don't do anything and enjoy the sweet smell of success!

HAHA!  I guess if anyone complains I can tell them that is the smell of the man putting meat on the table.

Reminds me of the time I left a bag of dead squid in the trunk of my BMW.  I went on a business trip for a week and when I got back the car was ripe.

I used the sunny day/open trunk lid technique for about a week or so. Didn't work too well for the lingering STANK.

The ultimate fix?  I sold the car to my brother.

Allen

Travis that's a problem I wish I had.

I leave the windows or doors open all the time but it doesn't do anything.

I have had that old dead fish smell three times now.  Each time, when more general means did nothing, careful examination lead me to find a spot of fish "ick".  Once that spot was cleaned (removing the squid bit in two cases and thorough washing/rinsing/drying of the area in the third case, we suspect a bit of fish gut) there was zero smell.  I like the rug cleaner stuff, Resolve.

Pat

This might work...but be careful cause it COULD kill you.  Put a little dish with a tiny bit of lemon scented bleach in the car.  Close the car overnight.  Then air the heck out of it before you get in or you might kill yourself.  Never tried it with a car but I do this with my fishing ice chests and even when they have tuna funk (the funkiest of funks) they smell great a few days later.

Yeah, Sean

The new product, Clorox cleanup is THE way we now clean our ice chests.  Works perfect first time, every time.

I think part of its effectiveness is that it cleans up the goo as well as kills any odor adding small living things.

Pat

This might work...but be careful cause it COULD kill you.  Put a little dish with a tiny bit of lemon scented bleach in the car.  Close the car overnight.  Then air the heck out of it before you get in or you might kill yourself.  Never tried it with a car but I do this with my fishing ice chests and even when they have tuna funk (the funkiest of funks) they smell great a few days later.

I like it, sounds like a funky idea.  How does that eliminate the bacteria in the carpet causing odor?

Bleach is chlorine.  Chlorine is a great disinfectant.  As it evaporates it turns into chlorine gas.  Chlorine gas is DEADLY (including you and/or bacteria).  Air it out BIG TIME!