As the UberXmobiles go through more and more of what taxicabs have gone through for years, more and more users are complaining about smells, stains, dirty cars and hoopties. I had thought that it would take three years; it is happening much more quickly. What makes it harder on the UberXmobiles is that they have cloth seats and carpeted floors, for the most part.

 

I had that same thought a couple of years ago and commented about it here:

http://phantomcabdriverphites.blogspot.com/2013/02/undercover-at-lyft-and-sidecar-100000.html

Already we see the fist-bumping and bottled water culture has fallen by the wayside. Many pax, taxi and uber alike, feel superior to their drivers and have no respect whatsoever for the vehicles they ride in.

 

I've taken to throwing citrus essential oils into my steam cleaner water and homemade febreeze. I keep getting remarks on how good the car smells

 

Can you post a picture of your steam cleaner or give me the exact name please I've been looking at them. In a matter of weeks or months my car is going to smell like gym shoes. I already kind of notice it but it may be my smelly feet since I'm the only one around when I notice it.

I think it's the feet shoes and of course body sweat and body oils that's causing the odors. These things would fall under ordinary wear. Puke vomit throw up spit up is not ordinary and is usually caused by special situation that's his illness and alcohol alcohol poisoning.

But yeah I need I need a steam cleaner I need to know the one you use customer recommendations hold water wit me

 

I have this one.http://www.bissell.com/little-green...0arX70wSJADK6iDDTQF-1auohtBJSVWt-YWWHUNSdjaS2lP4DmnVeRvKWxoC-yvw_wcB&kpid=1400B

Mine is an older model though and pretty gross after years of use. Clean it well after every use or the nasty crud hardens in the dirty tank. I've used it on mud and puke successfully with water and vinegar instead of cleaner. I like to throw in citrus essential oils and shake it frequently while cleaning to help mask those odors that just don't come out.

 

You have to be careful with some odors because if its from puke, urine or even food spills, the bacteria can culture and you have the worse smell ever. Use a detail service or make sure to use those enzyme removers to get rid of bacteria

 

This is absolutely the best enzyme solution I know of (I have foster cats). But you soak the area BEFORE cleaning (after removing what you can). You could probably put it in a small carpet cleaner but if you suck up everything with water and then spray a good amount to soak in and let it sit it works really well. There is a way to inject it into problem spots too but I've never needed to do that.

 

For puke, use baking soda. lots of it and quickly! Store some in your vehicle. My car usually smells like a mix of booze and cologne after ubering for three days. Between trips open the windows and crank the fan. Whenever I have a rider telling me a story of some smelly uber car I tell them don't assume it's of the drivers making. I've had some pretty intense smells left by passengers that lingered the rest of the night.

 

Don't do it yourself. Puke is difficult to get rid of. Use a service like Spotless First. They are an in-demand service that comes to you, clean, sterilize and remove all puke. Can have your car clean and costs drivers nothing. They even do the incident report for you.

 

How do you get rid of old people smell? That's what my car smells like after my last drop off

 

New car detail $120 - $150. Pictures & receipts are your friends.

 

Now that is an argument we can take to court, "the Uber smells like a taxi."

 

I had a pax with boxed food who asked if he could eat it in the car, which i promptly declined. The toxic smell of whatever was in that box lingered for the 30 miles trip and way beyond. Got a ping right after I dropped him and guess what I get. A ding in my rating. So yes be careful of you see a pax coming towards your car with boxed food in their hands.

It took loads of fabreeze later to mask that curry smell.

Thanks for the thought poured into the avatar image. Nobody has commented on it yet let alone in such a philosophical way.
I liked it because it it seemed to signify the underdog when the odds are against him. Must have been when hunters always returned victorious. I think all of us are following what this says by trying to make our voices, our version of the story heard. Peace

 

There is one chineese place on St. Charles Street in New Orleans,the customers get in with NO FOOD.

YET THEIR CLOTHES REEK OF FRIED FOOD.

Had one of those too. He got out of McDonald's and my car kept smelling like big Mac and fries. Super sized

 

Funny thread.
I was a taxi driver, had my own car, licences etc. People often told me that my car is clean and nice, not like other cabs.

Well, yeah, it´s MY car, so I refused drunks, all opened containers, even kicked out moms with kids when they ate bisquit or chocolate. When people baught fast food or something, I insisted that they put bags in front seat, get it back when they get out.

When I worked for a taxi company, with their car, I didn´t care much, just needed the money, so ofc the cab was ... like a cab.

Big news for complaining passangers: it´s acctually the passangers who make your car dirty and smelly. It doesn´t matter if it´s a taxi, Uber, Lyft or what ever, driving many people around will damage your car in every possible way.

 

Big news for complaining passangers: it´s acctually the passangers who make your car dirty and smelly. It doesn´t matter if it´s a taxi, Uber, Lyft or what ever, driving many people around will damage your car in every possible way.

When UberX first appeared in late 2013/early 2014, my cab passengers used to tell me about the nicer UberX cars that were nice and clean and did not smell. I told them to hold that thought and come back to me in three years about it. At times, a customer then would ask me why I would make such a statement. My reply usually was something such as: "Spend three years having twenty people getting in and out of your car every day in varying weather. These twenty people have varying hygenic habits. Some of them smoke and bring that odor into the car with them. Some of them have leaky bags of carryout of various smells and kinds. Drunks ralph in some of them.

Drive that same car over these crummy streets in horrid conditions and then come back and tell me what kind of a nice car it is in which you are riding. I will pass over, for now, the princely sums that the TNCs pay their drivers which renders them unable to afford basic maintenance on their vehicles, never mind repairs caused by these crummy streets and horrid traffic conditions."

It appears that my three year estimate was "optimistic". I started hearing the first complaints in late 2014. I saw the first few Uberhoopties in early 2015. The complaints became legion by the end of Spring, 2015.

The cab, at least, has vinyl covered seats and rubber floors. This makes clean-up simple. Rubber floors and seat covering both cost money. Cab rates are what they are for a reason.

 

If you take care of your car well, none of this will happen. I vacuum my carpet everyday and armor all my leather seats daily. Of course if you have fabric interior your screwed. Smells stick on all fabrics for life. Shampooing will only help so much.