If Your Car's Air Freshener Gives You A Headache, This Is A Great Alternative

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Anyone who has ever owned a car long enough has come across a variety of unexpected issues. But one surprising concern that always seems to catch people off guard is smell. In general, there are many reasons why your car smells weird, with some not even being within your control. Thankfully, there are also several ways you can resolve them. In some cases, you'll need to deep clean your vehicle's carpet, while in others, you're going to want to unclog your air filters or even replace your seat covers. If the cause isn't obvious, you'll need to play a game of trial and error to get to the real root of the problem. 

Unfortunately, many of us can't just stop using our cars even when they're smelling funky, since our need to get from point A to point B remains. We also don't always have the time or budget to get it professionally cleaned. That said, this doesn't necessarily mean that you have to suffer or be embarrassed by a smelly car interior when friends, family, or dates hitch a ride. Instead, you can invest in halfway solutions that can help address the problem, at least temporarily, like air fresheners. However, air fresheners are known for causing issues ranging from hormonal imbalances to annoying headaches. Thankfully, there are other practical and affordable ways that you can avoid the unnecessary discomfort while still keeping your vehicle odor-free, like gel odor eliminators.

On the surface, it may seem like scented cleaning materials are necessary for getting your car squeaky clean and comfortable. After all, who wouldn't want a relaxing, lavender-scented car interior after a long, hard day? Unfortunately, it's not always ideal, especially for certain people who are sensitive to scents. While most of us can manage inhaling low dosages of artificial scents, they could cause problems for people with allergies, asthma, or other similar health conditions. Apart from headaches, they can trigger all sorts of health issues that range from mild irritation to breathing issues.

There are recent studies linking synthetic fragrances to long-term, serious health concerns, including potential endocrine disruption (basically, hormonal imbalances). So, what can you do? If you're an experimental kind of person, it might be a cool weekend project to make your own car air fresheners from scratch. That way, you can control the ingredients and choose more natural options. But, if you're a busy person who just wants to let money solve the problem, you can invest in fragrance-free gel odor eliminators for your car, which you can use in other parts of your home as well.

If you want a way to keep your car smelling fresh while avoiding migraines, unscented odor eliminators could be your saving grace. Depending on your budget, there are plenty of options to choose from, like Amazon Basics' affordable Activated Charcoal Gel Odor Eliminator. The fragrance-free 17-ounce container retails for $6.77, but it's also available in a bundle of two for $10.78 (about $5.39 each).  Either way, it has an average 4-star rating from more than 4,300 people, with more than half of users giving it a perfect score.

However, if you want something a little more reliable, the popular odor eliminator brand Arm & Hammer offers a Fragrance Free Moisture Absorber and Odor Eliminator. While it is priced at $26.49, you do get three 14-oz. tubs that collectively amount to about 42 oz. Given that Arm & Hammer claims that it's meant to last up to two months each, this purchase could last half a year. Since this product was designed for indoor use, it may not last as long in a car. These odor eliminators are an easy way to keep your car odor-free while avoiding the headaches and other health-related issues air fresheners can cause.