Car Talk

February 1990

Dear Tom and Ray:
A half-gallon of milk rolled out of my grocery sack and under the seat of my car. I thought I left the milk at the store. The car soon began to smell awful. I took it to the dealer to have the smell checked. They found the empty bottle with all the milk drained out. I have tried everything I know of, but the odor persists. Can you help?
Helen

TOM: No, we can't. As you've discovered, there is almost nothing worse than the smell of rotten milk in a car carpet. I would sleep in my brother's gym bag before I drove around in your car, Helen.

RAY: This is a test of how much you love your car. If you're really attached to it, you can have the seats removed, the carpet and padding torn out, and have the car re-carpeted. Even then, there's no guarantee that the smell hasn't permeated the seats, the headliner and even the transmission fluid.

TOM: The only way to be rid of this smell forever is to sell the car to an unsuspecting dairy farmer and get a new one. And whatever you do, don't carry milk in your new car. If ever there was a reason to bring back the neighborhood milkman, this is it. Beat up old car

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