The smell of a new car fades over time, leaving at best a blank canvas for your smelling needs and at worst the stench of old milk. If you fall into the latter category, an odour eliminator may be in order to reset your car's interior, but if you're one of the lucky ones, a good air freshener can make sure that your car smells as good as it looks.
A smell is more than just a pleasant thing when you're sat in a traffic jam, the right scent can evoke memories of a holiday abroad or help make even the most bog-standard city car feel decadent and luxurious. Join us in counting down the best air fresheners for your car, all of which will have your car smelling that little bit nicer.
Best air fresheners
Little Trees Air Freshener Tree Black Ice
An icon of the air freshener world, Little Trees may not be as fancy as more expensive options, but they work, are cheap to buy and last a decent time. There are over 30 scents to choose from ranging from the classic Black Ice to exotic flavours like the Mai Tai, Sherbet Lemon and even Leather.
Carfume Black Opium Car Air Freshener
Carfume make a selection of fancy-looking but good value air fresheners that will liven up the inside of any car. You select the colour and scent you want and enjoy up to six weeks of freshness. Refills are available too, meaning this is quite the environmental choice. We like the black opium scent because it smells like coffee and vanilla with hints of flowers too.
Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags
A great natural car air freshener, this purifying bag is made from bamboo charcoal that absorbs impurities in the air and works by harnessing the power of the sun, making it reusable. It also works as a dehumidifier and deodoriser making it an even better addition to your car.
California Scents - Colorado Cherry
An environmentally friendly air freshener, this product is both recyclable and uses organic cherry oil for its scent. Designed to last 60 days once opened, this is a nice choice for a simple air freshener. Made in the US, it will clock up a fair few miles before landing in your car so it's not as green as it could be.
Diptyque Car Diffuser
A luxurious air freshener, this diffuser clips on to your car's air vent and fills your interior with a scent called 34 Boulevard Satin Germain, whatever that means. It's said to have an Oriental scent with elements of vanilla and sandalwood, very fancy sounding. Perfect for a Range Rover, less so for a Nissan Juke.
Jelly Belly Air Freshener
Sometimes you can't beat the originals. A dangling air freshener with a sweet fruity smell may well be up some peoples street. We're particularly taken with the lemon flavoured offering here. Expect it to last for around five weeks.
Autoglym Odour Eliminator
Simply remove horrid odours with this spray. Autoglym has outdone themselves with this odour eliminator spray. Perfect for stubborn smells, simply spray this over the offending area and your nose should be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Yankee Candle Air Freshener
Make your car smell like a new with a Yankee Car Jar. Yankee candles can be found in upmarket gift shops or branches of Clintons and can be quite expensive but offer some very nice scents. The same can be said of their Car Jars, they're more expensive than other dangling air fresheners but smell a lot nicer.
Meguiar's Whole Car Air Re-Fresher Odor Eliminator
The ultimate interior blast, the Merguiar's scent bomb will remove any embedded smell from your interior, including cigarettes and wet dog. Simply follow the instructions for a one time blast that will leave your car smelling like new.