How to Make Car Air Freshener Last Longer
When you’re ready to refresh your car’s scent, it’s important to choose a long-lasting car air freshener. UK drivers know there’s nothing more frustrating than having a new fragrance disappear after only a few days.
Besides creating a lot of unnecessary waste, replacing your car air freshener regularly can be expensive – and inconvenient. So, before you resign yourself to buying a new one, is there any way to extend its lifespan?
In this guide, we’ll share our favourite tried-and-true methods to make a car air freshener last longer. We’ll also explain how to choose the best car air freshener that lasts for months on end.
How Long Do Car Air Fresheners Last?
Before learning how to make car air freshener last longer, it’s important to understand what you’re working with. So, how long does a car air freshener last, on average?
- Card-style air fresheners typically exude their aroma for around 1-4 weeks. However, being inexpensive, they are the best air freshener for a car owner on a budget
- Car diffusers are the best car air freshener in terms of longevity – they may last anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months
The highest quality, strongest smelling car air fresheners often come with superior longevity. For the best car air fresheners that last long periods of time, this is often reflected in the price.
A well-made, luxury car air freshener may be more expensive – however, you won’t need to replace it as often. (We’ll discuss this in more detail later!)
How to Make Your Car Air Freshener Last Longer
Whether you prefer hanging card air fresheners or car diffusers, there are many methods you can use to keep them going for longer. Here are some of our top tips for extending the life of your car freshener fragrance.
Clean Your Car More Often
Car perfumes and colognes can seem to lose their scent faster when they are forced to compete with other odours. If your car smells like dogs, for example, it may be more difficult to distinguish the scent of your air freshener.
With fragrance oil diffusers, a smelly car poses yet another problem. The more unwelcome aromas are present, the more often you'll want to ‘refresh’ the diffuser to try and cover them up. And the more often you do this, the faster the fragrance oil will run out.
So, one of the best ways to make your car air freshener last longer is to keep your car clean. Lay down mats for animals, deodorise your car seats regularly, and remove rubbish and leftover food daily. It’s also a good idea to routinely disinfect your AC system with an air con bomb.
Unwrap Your Card Air Freshener Gradually
Card air fresheners consist of a piece of thick card soaked in fragrance oil. They usually come in a thin plastic sleeve or case, which traps the scent inside. A sealed car air freshener can last more than two years on the shelf.
When you remove the air freshener from its packaging, the fragrance oil starts to evaporate all at once. The more surface area is exposed, the faster it will evaporate, and the quicker the scent will disappear.
So, you can help your card freshener last longer by leaving it partially covered, instead of taking it fully out of the wrapper. Pull it out a little further whenever you notice the fragrance weakening.
Don’t Invert Your Car Oil Diffuser Too Often
Car diffusers are made of small glass or plastic bottles filled with fragrance oil. The wooden lid acts as a reed diffuser, soaking up the fragrance oil and allowing it to evaporate slowly over time.
As the lid begins to dry out, the scent will become more subtle. When this happens, you can intensify the fragrance by inverting the bottle for a few seconds.
However, soaking the wood too often will make the fragrance oil evaporate faster, shortening the lifespan of your diffuser. To make it last longer, try to invert the bottle as infrequently as possible – ideally, no more than once per week.
Top Up the Scent with Car Spray
If you can’t smell your car diffuser or air freshener anymore, you can always ‘top up’ the scent with car mist. This is a type of liquid car air freshener which comes in a small spray bottle. Simply spritz it into the air inside your vehicle whenever you’re in need of an intense burst of fragrance.
Car Cologne’s car mist is available in all of our best luxury car air freshener scents to coordinate with our diffusers and card fresheners. The compact bottle can be stored in your car door or glove compartment and used as often as required. This way, you’re in charge of exactly how long it lasts.
Choose a Luxury Car Air Freshener (UK)
Many of the mass-manufactured car air freshener brands you’ll find in your local auto store are made with poor quality materials. While they may be cheap, their weak fragrance may fade after only a week or two. The best way to guarantee a long lifespan is to invest in a quality product.
At Car Cologne, we are proud to offer the number one luxury car air freshener (UK) inspired by designer fragrances. Our card fresheners and oil diffusers are made from ultra-concentrated fragrance oils, designed to last up to five times as long as other brands.
So, if you’re looking for a long-lasting air freshener for car enthusiasts, head to Car Cologne today. Or, for any questions about our products or range, feel free to contact us.