Alcohol/"hairspray" smell in car

[denniegst]

This first occurred on a hot day in the summer but it eventually went away. Then today it came back. Its very overpowering too. I'm thinking freon leak but from where? Does freon smell like that?

 

[squirley8888]

When I purged my a/c the freon had an odor nothing like alcohol or hairspray but it stunk like hell.

 

[Defiant]

If your AC is still cooling, it wasn't leaking. However, you may have fungus growing in there, for which they sell disinfectants for AC systems for too much money. Turn the car on ACC, open the outside vent, turn the blower on high and send a can of Ozium, Lysol, or whatever fruity air-stink spray you prefer down through the cowl vent from outside. Don't go wild with it.