How do you get a bad smell out of the trunk of a car?

That is often a difficult question. First it depends on what the smell is from. If it is from dairy foods, you have to use a combination of baking soda and vinegar. If the dairy was just splashed on and wiped right up sprinkle baking soda on it, let it set for 30 minutes, and vacuum it up. If the fibers soaked it up, then apply some white vinegar to the area of the spill. Allow the fibers of the carpet to soak it up. Sprinkle baking soda on top of that. Use a wet scrubber sponge to scour the affected carpet. Use warm clean water to rinse the area. Allow to dry, and vacuum up any remaining baking soda. This works with other food odors as well. Vinegar breaks down the enzymes, and organisms that cause the smells.as with any cleaning product, test the combination of products on a small unnoticeable area first. There are a wide variety of cleaning products that also work very well. Resolve High Traffic carpet cleaner, Blue Coral Dry Cleaning Carpet/ Upholstery Cleaner, and a product called Great Stuff Carpet Foam ( the latter two of which can be found at any popular chain autoparts store). Just be sure to treat a test area and allow to dry to see if they will affect your vehicle's interior. If no color change has occurred, and no fiber damage is apparent, then clean away. If that does not work, then you can always bring your vehicle to a detailer for a steam cleaning. They usually offer piece meal prices for just cleaning your trunk. Just be sure to find a reputable place to take it, or do it yourself steam cleaners can be rented at Lowes, Home Depot, grocery stores like Price Chopper and Food Lion, as well as Wal- Mart.