They might call the durian the “King of Fruits”, but the fruit is one that can be polarizing when it comes to the smells it generates and leaves behind.

Some people are absolutely in love with that smell, while others are completely repulsed by it. On top of that, the smell is well known to stick around long after the actual fruit has been consumed and its remains disposed of. For this exact reason, some hotels, car rental companies and even some forms of public transportation explicitly forbid people from bringing durians with them.

Even if you love durians, the smell of the fruit is one that you don’t want to have lingering in your car for days or weeks. So here’s a few steps to reduce and remove that smell!

Ventilation

As with any kind of odour in an enclosed space, ventilation is key. Depending on how and where your car is parked, leaving your car windows completely rolled down for extended periods might not be a good idea but if it’s feasible, it’ll help greatly.

Rolling down the windows while driving is also a great way to air out the cabin, as air will be able to flow freely through the car to carry out much of the odour lingering inside. If it gets too hot, try to switch the air conditioner mode to draw in air from the outside of the vehicle instead of recirculating the same air from the inside.

Household Items

Common ‘life hacks’ that people offer to remove odours of any kind include the use of everyday household items. While these are easy enough to try out, it should be noted that people tend to have mixed results when using them; some people swear by these methods, while others say that they don’t work too well.

With that in mind, this is one of those situations where its best to see how well it works for yourself. As they say, “YMMV” or “Your Mileage May Vary”.

Two common solutions are to leave charcoal or half a loaf of bread inside of your car while it’s parked with doors and windows closed. Supposedly, these items will slowly absorb all of the odour that’s in the car and help the air return to the way it was before.

Try it out and see how it works for you!

Odour Eliminator

Another option would be to head over to a nearby convenience store or supermarket and picking yourself up a spray can of odour eliminator. These are the products that you spray inside of your car and on the upholstery to remove unwanted odours and introduce fresh smells into the enclosed space.

Here’s something to take note of before you decide what to buy: ensure that whatever spray you buy is actually an odour eliminator and not just a simple air freshener because there is a significant difference. You see, an air freshener simply masks/covers the odour by introducing a strong, fresh scent that ‘distracts’ you from the odours. The problem is that durian odours tend to be exceptionally strong, and simply masking over it may not do much to help you.

A product containing odour eliminators on the other hand does the same thing but also contains ingredients which actively work to remove the bad odours. In other words, odour eliminators work at curing the problem rather than just masking the symptoms!

Professional Cleaning

If for whatever reason you feel like the solutions above are simply not good enough for your car, then the most thorough solution would be to take your car in for professional cleaning. This is probably the most expensive option but one that truly provides the most value. Professional cleaners are trained, experienced, and equipped to remove even the most intense of smells from any car using the latest technologies and using solutions that probably can’t be bought in retail outlets.

Consider the seriousness of the odour and the resources you’re willing to use to solve the issue, and try out all these options for yourself!