A POPULAR TikTok hack to make your car smell better could actually be leaving it riddles with damp, an expert has warned.
The quick trick is no substitute for proper maintenance, with a 10-minute DIY job being a much better solution.
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Some social media users have been sharing an air freshener dupe that they claim can rid your motor of bad smells.
This involves removing the vehicle’s cabin air filter and spraying it with some perfume before putting it back in place.
The logic of this does make some sense, with the idea being that the air coming into the cockpit will be filtered through a pleasant-smelling layer of scent.
However, Graham Conway from Select Car Leasing revealed how, in the long run, it could actually make foul odours worse.
He explained: “Your car’s air cabin filter is there to do a very important job and by messing with it you risk inhibiting it from functioning correctly.
“I’d proceed with caution when it comes to this particular TikTok hack as it could have an adverse affect on your health if you get it wrong.
“Air cabin filters might look like a relatively simple car part but there’s actually some clever science underpinning them.
“Lots of those filters are unlikely to respond well to getting wet should you soak them in your favourite perfume or air freshener.
“And a damp air cabin filter could actually end up throwing harmful mould spores into your car’s interior.”
Since all air coming into the car passes through the filter, you don’t want it picking up extra moisture as it enters, especially in an already damp country like the UK.
Not only does this make your motor smell musty and even cause visible mould, it can also knock hundreds off its value when the time comes to sell it.
Nobody wants to buy a mouldy car so trying to cover up any nasty smells could just make the problem more severe.
And it’s even worse for hayfever sufferers as the air filter is what prevents pollen from entering the vehicle.
Get it damp and pollen will clump together, meaning all the air you breathe has come through a coating of the stuff.
Time for a change
Instead, the best way to keep your car smelling fresh is to regularly change the filter.
This can be done yourself with some basic tools for free and takes about ten minutes.
Or, if you aren’t confident with your own work, you can always get it done professionally for a small fee.
The filter should be changed at least every 15,000 miles but once a year is probably best.
Change it just as the weather starts to warm when there is little risk of rain to get rid of all the damp and debris it picked up during the winter.
That being said, if you are desperate to add a bit of fragrance to your car, there are specialist filter sprays which cost about £10 and do the job without damaging the material.
Or you could simply pick up a standard air freshener tab for a couple of quid at any garage or motoring shop.
It comes after Brits were warned that they could face a £2,500 fine for swapping drivers on long trips.
