There's no substitute for making an excellent first impression when showing a vehicle to a potential buyer. While cleanliness is critical, it's hard to deny that unpleasant odors are going to be a turn-off for the vast majority of people looking for their next car. Using a reliable odor elimination product is essential, but you need to ensure you're doing so correctly to get a long-lasting result.
If you're struggling to keep the vehicles on your dealership's lot smelling fresh, these three tips will help you get the most out of your odor elimination products so that you can leave your customers with a perfect first impression.
1. Clean Thoroughly
Effectively eliminating odors requires you to remove any ongoing sources that may be creating them. If your lot takes trade-ins or buys from auctions, there's a good chance that the previous owner didn't thoroughly clean the interior. Even a car that looks clean may have numerous potential issues lurking under the surface.
A thorough cleaning is necessary to eliminate moist areas creating mold growth, food trapped in hard-to-reach places, or other odor sources. Your odor elimination efforts will ultimately fail if you leave anything in the car that can continue to create foul smells. A thorough cleaning should always be the first step before using any products that target odors specifically.
2. Get to the Source
Effective odor elimination is often more like a surgical strike than blind carpet bombing. The best way to permanently treat odors in the cars on your lot is to identify and locate the source of those smells. While some odors (such as smoke) may permeate the vehicle, others (such as mold or old food) are highly localized.
Determining the source allows you to apply your odor elimination products correctly and adjust the strength and application as needed. You'll also be able to more easily confirm that you've permanently resolved the problem once you've finished treating it.
3. Choose Products That Eliminate Odors
Masking sprays and similar products that cover up odors are never a good long-term solution, and they can leave your customers with a vehicle that will smell increasingly foul over time. Even worse, covering up bad smells can ultimately make the situation even worse. Since you aren't eliminating the odor, you can end up with an unpleasant combination of the original smell and the masking scent.
Choosing products that chemically eliminate odors is always the best bet for a permanent fix. Once you've thoroughly cleaned and detailed a vehicle's interior, these products will ensure that any lingering odors are gone for good.
If you are looking for odor elimination products, contact a supplier such as NuVinAir.
