New Car Smell - Explaining The Science
What is the first thing that you do when you get a brand new car? Obviously you smell it. You stick your head inside and deeply inhale through your nose. Then you turn around to your friend, smile, and say "I love the smell of a new car". We have all done and we all know exactly what it smells like. Regardless of what new car you have, they all seem to smell the same. Of course, it doesn't last forever and it is quite a sad moment when we realise that we can no longer smell it. In fact, we tend to be drawn and happy with the smell of anything new. Opening a new laptop or reading a new book, they all seem to have a distinct smell of newness about them.
But what exactly is the new car smell and what is the science behind it? Let us take a look without being too scientific and boring!
The Smell
We typically associate the smell with new leather, plastic, and maybe even wood from the interior of the car.
The actual scientific term to describe the new car smell is "off-gassing". Not quite a romantic choice of words, but it describes the source of the smell. In Lehman's Terms, the scent that we can smell is chemical compounds from the new materials and adhesives seeping out. It is not really known why we find the off-gassing of chemicals so attractive. Much like it is confusing as to why we find the smell of petrol so attractive. As mentioned above, one explanation is that we associate it with new things and therefore a sense of achievement. Off-gassing is the release of chemicals as chemical vapour, hence why we can't see it and can only smell it. Many of the chemicals that we are actually smelling a cocktail of are too hard to spell, let alone pronounce, so we have spared you on the details. But what you may be interested to know is that they are, in fact, carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals. Don't be alarm, they are typically not in high enough doses to cause you any long term issues, but many manufacturers do recommend driving with the windows down for a while.
Some people have reported feeling sickness, nausea, dizziness and even shortness of breath when inside a new car. This can, in large, be attributed to the chemicals being released.
The reason that the new car smell eventually fades away, apart from our own influence such as smoking or eating in the car, is that the chemical vapours start to off-gas in smaller amounts over time until they have all escaped.
Removing the smell yourself
If you are someone that does not like the new car smell, or you are conscious of the possible risks associated with the chemical off-gassing, you can speed up the process by "baking out" the car. The chemical release can be sped up by increasing the internal temperature of the car and cleaning it. One recommendation is to park the car in the sun with the windows down to allow the chemicals to exit as the car is heated up. Ventilation is the key here.
