Lubegard 96030 Kool-It Evaporator and Heater Foam Cleaner

My Experience I bought my Tesla Model Y pre-owned, and from day one the HVAC blasted out that dreaded “dirty socks/vinegar” odor. Every drive started great and ended gross. When I finally pulled the long-overdue cabin filters, I used Lubegard Evapo before installing the new filters so it could flush the system fully. The difference was immediate, the foul smell was gone, and for the first time I could run the climate system without cringing. Weeks later, the freshness has held steady. This isn’t perfume. It actually eliminates the source. Why Teslas (and many cars) smell Moisture, debris, and bacteria build up in the A/C evaporator. Tesla’s Cabin Overheat Protection can make it worse by running the A/C while parked, leaving the coils damp, the perfect breeding ground for odor. The result is the infamous “dirty socks” smell many owners complain about. What I Tried Before I’d tried sprays and air fresheners. At best, they masked the stink for a day. None of them worked long-term. This was the first product that actually solved it. Tips & Best Practices Timing is everything: Use this cleaner right before swapping in new filters. That way the system is flushed and dry before the clean filters go in. Run both modes: Cycle the A/C cold and heater hot so the cleaner reaches the evaporator core. Dry it out: After heavy A/C use, run the heater for a couple of minutes, it keeps the coils dry and mold-free. Repeat: Plan on doing this with every filter change (12–18 months). Pros & Cons Pros Actually removes odors at the source, no perfume or cover-up Easy process if paired with a filter change Noticeable improvement immediately Works for Teslas and any car with HVAC stink Cons Not a one-time miracle, it’s maintenance you’ll need to repeat Requires pulling cabin filters for best results Bottom Line If your Tesla HVAC smells like a gym bag every time you turn it on, this is the fix. Used before installing new filters, Lubegard Evapo eliminates the odor at its source and keeps the system fresh. For me, it turned climate control from the worst part of driving into something I actually enjoy again. This is now a must-do at every filter change. I’ll never skip it. 💡 Insider Hint: Always spray and circulate before installing fresh filters. Pair with HEPA cabin filters for maximum long-term results. Tesla owners: in humid weather, disabling Cabin Overheat Protection can help prevent odor from coming back.

I’ve tried a few products for cleaning my car’s AC and heater system, and the Lubegard Kool-It Foam Cleaner is by far the easiest and most effective. The spray foam expands nicely and gets into all the vents, evaporator, and ducting, leaving everything fresh and free of odors. I followed the instructions carefully, and it didn’t require disassembly—just spray, wait, and let it work. After using it, the AC airflow feels cleaner, and the smell is much improved. For anyone looking to keep their car’s HVAC system fresh and hygienic, this product works really well and is worth it.

I used this and installed a cabin filter kit in my 2011 Silverado, which had a terrible, old, musty, moldy odor. This was very easy to use and quite effective. I recommend it. On the other hand, I wasted $45 on ChloBomb first which did absolutely nothing. Try this first since it adds a pleasant odor and makes your a/c more efficient, even if it doesn't kill all of the oder (it killed all of mine and left my truck smelling clean and pleasant). If you still have odor clean your interior and use a carpet cleaner on your carpet. If that doesn't fix it, after it dries out, put baking soda in a powdered sugar shaker and cover your carpet with baking soda and brush it in and then after several days, vacuum it. If that doesn't fix it, use Febreze to spray all of your carpet. If that doesn't work, maybe consider ChloBomb, but it may still be a total waste of money.

You get less product for your money; however, of some of the others (such as an evaporator cleaner from Home Depot or Nextzett purchased here on Amazon) this one worked the best. I read and followed the directions each time and up to this point the smell comes back right away. Well, with this one I sprayed the entire can again (took 15 seconds) and thought: "That's it?" Well, continued with the directions. It was humid for Father's Day and used the A/C the whole day. The next day it was not and I didn't get a hint of the musty/moldy smell that used to come from the vents. The next day was the same. It has been three days now since I used it and no smell. We'll see about it long term but if the results are the same over the next couple days, then I'll be purchasing this again for my Camry.

The moldy, damp smell indeed went away after I applied the cleaner to my car's evaporator, but the tube isn't quite long enough so I had to find a tutorial (luckily, one exists for my exact model) showing me how to access the condensate drain tube closest to the AC evaporator. I'd recommend doing this after you find a tutorial or at least a good access point to snake the hose into the AC. Once you discharge the whole bottle, which doesn't take long, let it sit for 15 minutes, then run the AC hard for 5, I would also recommend that you take the time to properly air out the cabin because the chemical smell is rather pungent.

I bought both the nextzett Klima-Cleaner and the Lubegard Kool-It. The spray nozzles nozzles are actually interchangeable. The Kool-it just has a straight nozzle, whereas the Klima-Cleaner has a tri-pattern nozzle that spreads its out. I would say the spread nozzle would work if you went through the drain tube, but I preferred the straight nozzle for going through the blower fan area. You could just cut the spread nozzle, and crimp it a bit for the same results. For sure, the Klima is a better value. It says 6 oz vs 10 oz, but that is clearly not true. The Kool-it shot for like 6 seconds and the can was empty. The Klima just kept going and going. I must have filled the evaporator chamber like 4-5 times. One caveat, make sure the spray tube is ALL THE WAY inserted into the white cap. ALL THE WAY. Otherwise, it has the habit of blowing off randomly. After using both and draining, I ran the fan with the windows open for a few minutes, then the AC. It was blowing clean, cold air. No more faint mildew smells. The rest of this is vehicle specific. Kia Sportage 2018. 1. Open the glove compartment. There is a clip on the outside, right side. Squeeze the clip and slid off. There are 2 knobs inside, left and right. Rotate CCW and remove. The glove compartment should drop. 2. There are still two pins holding the glove compartment. Squeeze the end of the pin to free and pull out. You will need to support the glove compartment to make it easier to pull the pin. 3. The cabin air filter has a cover. Squeeze the clip on the left side and slide out. Remove the cabin air filter. 4. There is an undercover for the blower fan. Two recessed clips near the front you can carefully feel. Pull them toward you and you can pry down the cover. Requires a bit of strong fingers for these clips. After you free the front of the cover, there are two foam covered tabs in the back you can wiggle out. 5. You can remove the blower fan with 3 philips screws. The fan plug will require pliers to squeeze the tab for removal as it is very tight. 6. The blower fan was blocked by a plastic housing in the front. I removed a screw in the front, and the housing loosened enough to free the blower. 7. I taped an endoscope to the spray tube, placed down a flashlight inside the blower housing facing left, and with a laptop, I was able to see inside clearly. If I was to redo, I would 3D print a holder to make the tube+endoscope more rigid so I could see deeper in and easier. Possibly also make it a right angle spray to hit the coils directly. I was able to liberally coat everything I could see, and thoroughly fill that compartment. Then wait for the foam to liquidize and repeat. I did not worry about the blower resistor as from what I can see with the endoscope, it was well protected with its position.

Like it says in the title, the product in the bottle is good, but I emptied about 1/2 the stuff on seat cushions, my windshield, and one of my eyes, due to a faulty delivery system. Smells ok. Worked great removing the odors from the feces of the wide array of species who have taken up residence in my car at different times. I chose to take apart half the dash, shoot it on the fan, vents etc...the tube popped off a couple times, and so did the press button...repeatedly attempted to hold it together, as i fed it through different areas, but half the applications ended with me using my remaining good eye (explain that later) to watch the product spray my ceiling, or end up on my carpet. While the delivery system was total TRASH, the end result was perfect. My eye stopped burning, and I could see again, after some of the product ended up there. The bad odor was gone. Roach and mice turds have a coat of sanitization over them. I gave a good review, because the actual product inside the bottle is superior and cheap.

The good: It has a straw that helps get it to the coil. The bad: 1) I purchased two cans of the Lubegard Kool-It Evaporator & Heater Foam cleaner. 2) The can contains only 6 ounces of 'foaming' cleaner. 3) It didn't help. (The first time:) I purchased this product on Amazon and I followed the packaging directions and online videos by the manufacturer and put the provided straw up the A/C drain of my vehicle. I shook the can well and dispensed it all into the tube. I used a borescope inspection camera with a light and I removed the blower motor from my vehicle and put the borescope through that hole to monitor the foam hitting the coil. The camera verified that it covered the coil, then I let it sit for about 30 minutes and ran the A/C as instructed to "self-rinse" the product off with the AC system. I do feel like the can was more liquid than foam, though. I did shake the can well before using. I feel as if the smell got worse. (The second time:) I bought another can of this same product through a local retailer that sold the same product, thinking, maybe I just needed to do it again. This was about 3 weeks later. This time, I used the borescope camera to apply the foam on the coil from above and not through the drain hose. I followed all the directions provided and let the vehicle sit for about 30 minutes, then ran it to self-rinse the product off with the AC system. I still feel that the coil smells as bad, if not worse. I wish there was a better way to access these coils rather than having to tear apart the entire dashboard. I have checked the entire dash with the camera, and it is clear. Anyhow, for $16-20/each for 6 oz. of cleaning product, I don't feel like it contains enough cleaner for the price. I should have shopped around more. Good luck with your A/C systems. Hopefully you have a better experience than I have.