Whoever coined the phrase about crying over spilt milk being of no use should have taken a trip in my car a couple of days ago.

I guarantee they would have been weeping buckets within seconds.

There had, you see, been a milk spillage ? of sizeable proportions ? on the back seat: all the result of giving a lift to someone carrying a canister with a loose top. And I can hardly begin to describe the resulting smell.

I had, of course, acted as soon as the spillage happened. I soaked up as much as I could with kitchen towel and then attempted to clean the area with detergent. And for the next 24 hours I thought I had got away with it.

But then the smell hit ? and I’m not talking entirely metaphorically. This smell was so vicious that opening the car door was akin to being smacked in the face by something so evil it needed locking up for life with no chance of parole.

After taking to the internet for advice I tried more cleaning, this time with grated laundry soap and bicarbonate of soda; and, when that failed, anti-bacterial washing-up liquid and spray. I was getting so desperate I even considered placing a ripe banana in the car for a week, as someone on one forum suggested.

But all to no avail. Car journeys were becoming impossible unless all four windows were wound right down. The prospect ? and cost ? of a professional valeting company was looking harder to avoid. I scouted around for quotes, which generally came in at £45 upwards ? with no guarantee of success. There had to be another, cheaper, way.

And then I had an idea. What about getting a “new” seat from a scrapyard? I hastily phoned my nearest car recycling facility, as they’re called these days, and explained the problem. Was it possible to replace the seat? Did they have one that would fit? Yes it was and yes they did. Oh, and it would cost just £15.

I wound down the windows again and drove straight over. Within 20 minutes the “new” seat was in ? fitted for me at no extra cost. Who cares it’s a slightly different colour to the original? At least I can drive again without having to hold my breath.

Email Sheena or tweet, using #ThriftyLiving.