This simple (and cheap) fix can increase your ratings!

Whether you are a new driver or old driver, if there is one thing we can all agree on, having a clean car is key to having good ratings. Often overlooked though are cabin air filters, like this one made by Febreze and sold by Amazon.

(Don’t be confused with engine air filters, which are just as important and as easy to fix, but has nothing to do with how clean your car smells).

Similar to your house air filter, cabin air filters remove contaminants in the air that not only carry odors but allergens as well. If you find your allergies messing up, a new cabin air filter will help. Sure you can try air fresheners, but they do not work as well, nor last as long. Furthermore, some riders may not like the smell that comes out of it. The Febreze air filters are pretty odor neutral, I mean, you honestly can’t beat that cleaned air smell (or lack of smell). I used to use air fresheners to, until I learned about cabin filters. I received more compliments about my car smelling good in the first few weeks of having a new one installed, then I did in thousands of rides.

Most people change these every six months or so, but I usually change mine about every 20,000 miles. Being part time this works out to 3-4 months on my end. Full timers may need to replace a little bit more. You maybe able to get away with it a little longer, but if you start noticing foul odors that are not going away, or maybe your a/c is not blowing air as much, this really could be a reason.

I like to buy them from Amazon since Walmart seems to not have the type I need in stock. (be sure you buy the right one for your car). Autozone will have them, but Autozone is also puts a premium price on nearly all items. Amazon and Walmart are your best bet. Why pay more for the exact same item? Most cars will be in the $10-$20 range. Skip a couple fast food meals for a nice smelling car? Sign me up!

Of course, like anything else, if you have to pay someone to do it, it will cost you more and won’t be as appealing, money wise as air fresheners. Remember, these actually remove up to 98% of dust, pollen, and other contaminants. Air fresheners just mask the smell. Your problem is still there

My advice? Try it yourself – A dollar saved is a dollar earned!

1) Head on over to YouTube.
2) Type in the search bar, something like “2014 chevy suburban cabin air filter replacement” (just be sure to change the car year make/model to yours)
3) Watch the video.

(Pro Tip: this method can be done with any part you need to replace)

You will see on most cars that the cabin air filter replacement requires very minimal work, often with no tools required, similar to your homes filter!

Now go buy your cabin air filter!