Cat Tip of the Day: Getting the Smell Out

The gunnels of my boat are carpeted and have a tendency to pick up an odor if you spill something on them and don’t get it cleaned up right away. About 3 weeks ago I tipped over my cut bait container and I didn’t put much effort into cleaning it up. Well, after this run of hot weather, that area on my boat had a very distinct aroma and the EPA would have probably declared it toxic and made me vaporize my boat to decontaminate it.

It was a little late in the game to try your garden variety cleaners like Mr. Clean and some of the usual carpet cleaners. I tried them but the odor just ate them up and kept on ticking. Cruising the aisles at Target I found a product called “Kids ‘N’ Pets” that was claiming to be a stain and odor remover. It is one of those liquid enzyme cleaners that claim to be non-toxic, non-flammable and non-irritating. You just pour it on until the area is soaked and let it dry up.

I have to tell you the stuff completely eliminated the odors from that spot on my boat carpeting. I set the boat in the driveway in the sun and soaked the area and came back a couple of hours later and presto no more odors. This stuff is some kind of miracle concoction. I thought I would pass it along for any of you that end up in the same pickle I did.

Thanks for the info Steve.. I’ll have to try that stuff out.

I dont have the problem in my boat… but my van is another story.. after a couple bait incidents I no longer have problems with people tail-gating me. I could literally smell the contents of my vehicle a couple times from the outside, even now that its cleaned out of all funkyness.. there is still a mild aroma(maybe I am used to it) floating around.

Good tip, Steve. Is this stuff safe for fishing partners?

I don’t want to change/hijack this post, but I find that ‘Kaboom’ takes the river scum off the side of my boat pretty well. Just spray it on, and wipe it off.

HB

Thanks for that tip on getting the scum off, HB. I need to attack the scum line on my boat – I haven’t given that much attention either.