Hey All, I just got a really nice van for 50 bucks,problem is a body died in it any ideas how to get odor out?
Question:My husband really needs to use this van, Please any help on how to remove odors of a decomposing body, left in 104 heat for a least 2 days.the van is beautiful. the brother of victim cant stand to see it any more and wants it gone.cant say i blame him bt he says it was his bros. fav. vehicle and he wants someone to have and clean it and use. he has not had many offers, actually none excepy us, but we need to know what products are best for this. we believe the air ducts are ok, but rest of van reeks. PLEASE any help will be appreciated as I said my husband needs this, wlive in yuma, az. he is going to phoenix for a year to 13 months to go to school for massage therapy to better our future and he needs this to travel in and possibly short term of course, he may have to live in it. Please HeLp. Will be anxiously waiting for replies. Sincerele, Theresa
Answers:
When my male cat started spraying all over the house, my vet recommended a product called Anti-Icky-Poo.
The product claims it also takes away the smell of cadavers ~ of course I have never used it for this purpose, but it *did* take away the cat smell & my cat no longer sprays in the house.
It can be expensive, but it totally works. I know some contracters & landlords who swear by it when cleaning up a home from a previous tenent.
Call the number listed on the website, they can give you the name of local distributers so you don't have to pay for shipping/handling.
http://www.antiickypoo.com/
Good luck!!
EDIT: I just checked the website, it states that it will remove smell caused by "organic decaying materials" ~ the bottle I have at home does specifically state cadavers on it ~ creepy, but someone has to clean up the smell somehow =(
after washing the van with whatever you hav e used, rinse the van with water mix with vinegar. The odor will disappear and also disenfect the van. Vinegar absorbs odor and disenfects as well.
i would sprinkle EVERYTHING with baking soda then vaccuum it up, let it set for a bit,,,do it again.then fabreeze it like crazy
I would try going to Sams Club, and wandering their professional cleaning products Isle and looking for the one that makes the best claim.
I would take out the seats, and any carpet, I would cover all the wiring with plastic sheeting, I would throw in a toilet cake.
I blast that puppy with a heavy concentration of stink removing chemicals. I would leave it open and empty prefereably for days, then put the seats back, (better yet, replace them). Then put about four fans pointing inside, for a few days.
Good luck with stinky truck.
Send it to the car wash. Buy air fresherners.
Theresa, every porous part of that vehicle will have absorbed the smell of decay, and will have to be removed and burned. That's why it was so cheap. All the fabrics, cloth or plastic, door liners, seats, floor coverings, glove box interior, even the roof lining, everything will need to be replaced. There is no product on the market which will remove the smell. Get the seats out first, and replace them with used ones from a wrecker. While they're out, get everything porous out of the vehicle, and use disposable gloves while you do. Then try to clean it down to the metal. Relining it with bits from the wrecker should only be done after you're SURE that the smell has gone. And if you have any hint of the previous owner, perhaps someone who can clear that out might be of use, too.
I wish you well with yopur task. I would not like to take it on myself.
lemons and ozium
you can also have the car ozonated
check with a car dealer or detailer to see if they have an ozone machine and would blast it for you. Guaranteed- this will work- and they shouldn't even charge you for the ozone. Check local funeral homes- they may have an ozonator.
Try the web site Zero Oder.com. The product actually bonds with oder, completely eliminating it. To me, this would be the easiest and best way to kill the stink for good.
Why don't you ask your local funeral home if they have any ideas? Im sure they would know what to do! Or, if that's too embarrassing, we have a product here that we get at Southern Agriculture called "Odor Mute" that will work on just about anything. You might try that - it's an enzyme based product so it doesnt cover the odors, it destroys the bacteria that causes them.
If a body was in the van for that long, in that type of heat, there was bound to be some liquids from the body decomposition that have soaked into the surrounding area. The stink may be the least of your troubles. I would contact a company that cleans up at crime scenes to ask them about it. I would also look into any regulations for your city/state about the situation. I don't know that you can just sell a van when it has been soaked with human decomp -- it is a potential health risk.
You are probably going to have to remove all the carpet and upholstery, and replace. I would also call an auto detailer and ask them if they have any ideas on the subject. Frebreze does wonders, but I don't know about this. You also live in Yuma, so the heat and humidity will also add to the smell, and Phoenix is no better. Good Luck
Check the yellow pages or police dept. for names of companies that clean up crime scene's.
beware of ghosts in that van,you may be by this guy.haunted
Theresa, Besides taking account of the other advice, go to the professionals: the undertakers, they deal with this problem on a daily basis.
There is nothing you will be able to do to remove the dead odors. Don't spend alot of money trying to clean it up. Best idea would be to check with some EMTs or the police as to how long a body can stay at that temp. and days before it starts breaking down and the area starts to smell. If the body was left for the two days in freezing weather or a real cold temperate, you might be able to remove some of the smell, but at 104 temp. the body was breaking down. If you can get someone to give you $50.00 that you spent, take it. The van as it stands is only good for parts, no matter how good it might look, the smell will always be there. I have heard of people such as what you have, that have taken everything out of the cars/trucks and sanded down to the metal, still wasn't able to get rid of the dead smell. Good luck with whatever you do.
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