Why Does My Car Smell Musty Every Monsoon? I'm Allergic to Strong Air Fresheners. What Can I Do?

FnAQ - My car smells odd during the rains every time I sit in it. I don't know what can be done to make the odd smell go without using strong car fresheners as I am severely allergic to them.

Short answer: The most common cause of a musty smell during the rainy season is trapped moisture. Keeping the inside of your car as dry as possible is the best long term solution. If you're looking for a gentle alternative to artificial air fresheners, you could try a natural option such as Bhimseni camphor, provided you're comfortable with its fragrance.

Long answer: The first step is to reduce the amount of moisture that stays inside your car. Whenever possible, remove wet items like umbrellas, raincoats, shoes, floor mats, or towels after each journey. Even small amounts of trapped moisture can encourage mold and mildew, which are often responsible for that damp, musty smell.

During the rainy season, it also helps to clean and vacuum the interior a little more frequently than usual, especially the carpets and floor mats, as they tend to hold moisture. If the smell persists even after keeping the car dry, it's worth getting the cabin air filter and air conditioning system checked. A damp cabin filter or moisture inside the AC vents can also cause unpleasant odors during humid weather.

Since I'm severely allergic to artificial fragrances myself, I completely understand wanting to avoid strong air fresheners. Personally, I've found Bhimseni camphor to be a gentle alternative in my own car. It absorbs mild odors while leaving behind a natural fragrance that I tolerate well. Of course, everyone's sensitivities are different, so it's worth trying only if you're comfortable with its scent.

The goal isn't to mask the smell. It's to remove the moisture that's causing it in the first place.
 

Hope this helps!

Lots of love!

Don't let your children drench in your storm!

 

As parents, we are supposed to share our calm with our children when they are in an overwhelming chaos, not add to their chaos! Very often children are punished for simply being little versions of human beings. How quickly a child gets dismissed for having a meltdown and criticised for expressing what they feel, breaks my heart every single time I see a child go through it. "Shut up! Keep your voice down! That's nothing! Why are you behaving like a baby? You are creating a scene!"... It might sound outrageous when you read these sentences in a post, but you will be shocked how often children are shut down with such phrases, some are downright bad things to say even to an adult! What is worse, the tone, the attitude and the shaming that goes along with this is so bad, that you know for real, it can only have a bad impact on the kids at the receiving end. There is no version of this where the children would come on top of this as good people. What is certain though is that, emotionally damaged people groom emotionally damaged children into another generation of emotionally damaged parents, and this vicious cycle continues! 

Any parent who doesn't do that, is by all means a parent who's doing the basics of parenting right! I am so proud of you for being different! I wish, your kind of parents were in majority! But unfortunately, it is not so! For those of you, who tend to do this, on behalf of your little ones, let me tell you, your children need you to listen to them with the intention of understanding and not disciplining! Just like when you see someone drowning, you save them from drowning, not teach them to swim! In that moment of complete meltdown, your children need you to share your calm with them and not reprimand them for having a meltdown. I promise you, they aren't doing anything on purpose. For all I know, the history behind their supposed bad behaviour will only break your heart. And if you do this because your parents did this to you, then my dear parent, it is high time you break this cycle, because clearly, its not working! The more you try to discipline your children to behave in this way, the more they misbehave, right? Right! (Sorry, but you know I am right!)

Children mirror what they see! So, when you find them being insufferable, they've seen someone closely (probably you) being insufferable! Very often you'll realise your complaints about your children are nothing but your behaviours that they are mirroring! It starts with you! You want meltdowns to disappear? Get a magic wand! Be realistic and deploy common sense! That's not happening, even you as adults have meltdowns. You want your children to regulate their meltdowns in better ways? Show them how it is done! Catch yourself when you have a meltdown and allow your kids to point out when you are having a meltdown. You'll be shocked how quickly your children will learn to regulate themselves and even you in constructive ways. Don't forget to thank your children later!