Eat the odour with these four DIY air freshener car hacks

Today the human–car relationship is less about pride-and-joy and more about “Get me to work ASAP, machine! I’m running late!” Under our car seats lurk an ever-growing gathering of nasties, the windows become caked in layers of grime and our interiors take on the smell of old socks or last weekend's takeaway dinner.

Once your upholstery is soiled to the point that you don’t remember what colour it's supposed to be, you might be too far gone. However, if you’ve kept your car clean-ish, these DIY air fresheners will help keep things smelling fresh. While there are plenty of air freshener options to purchase from the shops, nothing beats a bit of DIY car hack fun. These are our favourite and easiest ways to make your own DIY car air freshener on the cheap.

Thread wool felt balls together and tie them to your car’s air vents. Add your favourite scented essential oils to the felt balls—just a few drops will do. Enjoy the fragrance dancing around your nostrils as you drive. Once it starts to lose its smell, just pop a few more drops of the essential oil on and you're good to go.

Get a mason jar and punch some holes in the lid or an empty spice shaker. Add wax scents or even scented candles to the jar and place it in one of your cup holders. That’s it! As your car warms up, the scent will waft around making your car smell less like the bottom of a bin and more like the ground-floor perfume section at David Jones. An equally effective version of this hack is by using that do-it-all trusty old friend, baking soda, and adding a few drops of your favourite essential oils.

This one is simple yet elegant. All you need is a piece of fabric, a drop of your favourite scented essential oil and a wooden clothes peg. You can make it fancy and crafty like in the photo or you can have a nice piece of fabric billowing in the breeze. Or you can even drip some oil directly on the peg for a more pragmatic, no-frills approach. Just clip it to your air vent and you're good to go.

Make an all-natural air freshener using many things that you probably already have at home: dried herbs, spices, teas, incense and essential oils. Package it all up in a bandana, a light brown paper bag or a mini hessian sack, and hang it anywhere you like in your car. Mmm fresh.

Related: Eight easy DIY cleaning hacks for your car's upholstery and interior

Related: Six easy car window cleaning hacks to try

Related: We tried the car hack of cleaning headlights with toothpaste to see if it worked