My mom's car's sunroof was left open a couple nights ago and it poured overnight. All the interior got soaking wet, I shop vacced everything but now there is a musty smell in the car. Any tips on getting it out?

 

Sprinkle baking soda on the fabric , wait an hour or so , then vac again.

 

That musty smell is probably mildew/mold. You need to let it air dry, take out the seats, let them sit in the sun, and make sure you got ALL the water and dampness. Also, kindly remind your mother to close the sunroof at night :) As far as the baking soda idea goes, that will help absorb the odor, but make sure that everything is completely dry before you do it, or else it will stick to the seats/carpet, wherever your putting it and be a PITA to clean up.

 

strip the interior. carpet, seats, headliner. pull the covers off the seats, wash them in a bucket with laundry detergent and some lysol (assuming they are cloth). was the foam as well. let them air dry until fully dry. may take a day or two. do the same with the carpet. pull the padding and replace it. scrub the inside of the car with the lysol as well. close the car up after it's dry and see if it still smells.

we do this a lot at the shop for flood cars, cars that have animal urine, or milk, etc. works great.

 

take newspaper and open it up, put charcoal ( the kind that doesn't have lighter fluid added) piled up on it. close the doors, leave it for 8 hours.... All smells will be gone ( this trick works for most chemical spills as well, just not the carburator parts cleaner I spilled in the trunk of my sisters car 15 years ago - nothing took that smell out...) The newspaper removes any moisture left in it, the charcoal removes the smell...

 

mmmmmm bbq who doesnt love that smell

 

Thanks for the tips. The car has been air drying all day with the windows down. Gonna try the baking soda on the floors. The car has leather and im no leather expert but can mold/ mildew grow on leather?

 

It kind of sets in to almost anything. So yes, just takes time... If you don't get all the moisture out it will get worse...The floor and under sides of the seats will keep the mildew / mold smells... . Charcoal will absorb better than the baking soda, and its easier to clean up... But its still worth a try.

 

i wouldn't worry about the seats... but the carpet is where it's going to grow... pull the floor mat out and hang it to dry, preferably in the sun

 

it can and will grow on the leather if the foam is wet. i have seen more moldy leather than cloth.

 

I can eliminate most ALL odors no matter the severity or length they have been there. I have a system that kills bacteria and germs (Like A Flu Shot For Your Truck) and the Side Effects are: it removes odors and smells for good! Smoke, mold, etc. As long as the reason for the smell is gone. (i.e. There is no more smoking in the vehicle, the moisture that caused the mold is gone) I can guarantee it for 6 months to keep killing germs and bacteria as long as it can get sunlight from time to time!

 

i'm curious...

 

I charge $69.95 to a fellow Ranger Forum brother and guarantee process for 6 months, even in non Ranger vehicle! Normal cost starts at $99.95

 

how does it work?

 

I use a "fog" machine with a liquid chemical to atomize the chemical while running the ac. I then do the same with two other chemicals in succession, about 30-45 min. The final chemical contains titanium dioxide that adheres to all the textiles and after application can be re-activated with sunlight to kill germs again if you get a small spill or something.

 

hmmm... is it still safe to eat in the truck afterward? like, if i touch the seat, and then grab a handful of fritos out of a bag, will it hurt me? and do you travel?