10 Reasons Why Your Car Smells Horrible

This is like meth: not even once. You may not smoke but let a friend light up just once and you'll end up regretting it for the foreseeable future. Cigarette stink lingers like that last friend at the end of a party, and if one ash happens to fall inside, your seat or floor is going to look trashy for the rest of its life.

If you start smelling gas while driving, you need to stop what you're doing and troubleshoot. Immediately. It could be a gas leak, which is mad dangerous. In case you forgot, that stuff is flammable. Don't dick around.

We'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that mold isn't growing in plain sight. It could, however, be thriving inside your vents—away from your eyes but certainly not your nose.

Hopefully you know that cars don't just suck in air from outside and pump it directly into your vehicle. That air goes through a filter just like the HVAC in your house, trying to purify the air you're breathing as much as possible. However, with how often it's working, it's easy for that thing to suck in a lot of pollen, dirt, and moisture, making it a breeding ground for a funky and musty smell. Make sure you're changing your filter at least once a year.

They say that your sense of smell has a strong connection with your memory. No kidding. I'll never forget the awful stentch that invaded my mom's car as a kid. At some point she spilt her coffee and the smell never went away. How can something that smells so good brewing end up tortruing your nose later?

This isn't as farfetched as you might think. Mice are some sneaky motherfuckers. Dumb, but sneaky. They can easily make it inside your car, just to get trapped and die... and then decompose. Door panels, the trunk, or under the seats are prime spots.

Just as a rule of thum: The more foreign the food, the less time you can leave it in your car. A to-go container of curry will foul up your ride in the time it takes to get home from the restaurant. Imagine the damage an over-nighter could do.

It's convenient to leave your gym bag in your car, but beware. Getting your swole on can lead to some funky clothes. And if you leave them in your car, you might open the door and be reminded instantly of a high school locker room. Don't use the ride as a locker.

Who are we to judge? If you want to turn your car into an accessory for second-hand highs, then go ahead. But don't be surprised when that skunky smell lingers. And definitely don't be surprised when a cop notices and has their probable cause quicker than you can say, "munchies."