Getting rid of smell from interior getting wet

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csx452

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Title says it all. The car got wet inside before I bought it. The smell is terrible. Any ideas on getting rid of the smell? It's a rubber mat car and had a couple of holes in the floor, so that will go and be replaced by carpet, but I'm sure the seats smell too. The smell inside is too strong to be sure though.
Thanks,
Frank
 
You have to ensure its dried out 100% before you can get rid of the odor... The obvious is removing the interior and let the fresh air at it...A good washing and sun dry will help bigtime.... The important thing is to solve the leaks in the car if any. The smell can be mold or dead mice too...

Code: 
http://www.autogeek.net/so2pure-air-purifier.html

The above product is awesome...

Updating the carpet might be of interest too..
 
Sounds like bad mildue and mold. Like said before I would check all your cloth and foam, rubber matting. x2 on the new foam and head liner. You might try a detail shop see what they think.
 
Take your seats, carpet and padding out of the car and make sure they dry out 100%. While this is going on take a 10lb bag of charcoal slit it long ways and put it in the car with the windows up the doors & trunk closed tightly. This will absorb the odor, while drawing any other moisture out of the rest of the car. Use a good mold and mildew killer on any that you see. After a week or two, everything should be close to normal again.

Bill S.

PS,
DO NOT use the charcoal, dispose of it.

B.
 
Lots of good advice here. The interior is dry. I think the car got wet from the holes in the floor and over time it just kept getting worse. The interior will come out, including the rubber mat. I'm gonna wet everything down with a mixture of 50/50 clorox and water to kill any mold. I plan on using zero rust on the floors as soon as I replace the bad patches with proper repairs. Mold will grow through paint. I think some charcoal is a great idea. Never thought of it before. I'm also gonna check out the links on the products posted and see how they perform.
Thanks,
Frank
 
If the mildew isn't killed the odor will probably return. I pulled the seats , carpet , just about everything and washed it all down with Lysol and a garden hose. After everything was sun dried and reinstalled the car was closed up tight with 5 lbs. of charcoal and a large box of baking soda inside.
A few weeks later the odor returned. I found it coming from the headliner insulation. Dropped the headliner by just releasing the bows. Replaced that insulation. Odor gone.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
Look up Ozone Generators. We use them in rentals. That is what the car dealers use.
My wife's work also uses them in storage rooms with furniture to eliminate odors.

http://www.jenesco.com/ozone-machine.html
Click to expand...


Ozone Generator for the win!!!

I ran it in the car for about 6 hours. It gives off a kinda bleach smell, but a bit different when running and the car still has some of that bleach like smell in it 3 days later, but it has been closed in the garage. I'm gonna park it in the sun tomorrow and leave the windows open to air it out. There is no trace of mold or mildew smell anymore no matter how close to the fabric or foam you get. I bought the FM-14. It's a bit pricy, but Made In The USA and it's something I'll use in those musty areas of my house. I had some flooding from a broken pipe and just couldn't get rid of the smell left behind completely. I'm confident this will do the job nicely.
Thanks for the tip Oklacarcollecto!!!
 
The rubber mat, or carpet has to be removed, any carpet padding replaced with new, and carpet washed / scrubed with ammonia per directions on bottle than air dried in sun.

If you have a rubber mat, it has to come out, and back side washed and dried. The bare floor has to be washed down with diluted bleach, than dried completely. Repair any holes in floor sealing water out, than coat with POR-15 following directions on can to stop rust migration.

Anything less and the stink will come back once humid weather returns.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
Look up Ozone Generators. We use them in rentals. That is what the car dealers use.
My wife's work also uses them in storage rooms with furniture to eliminate odors.

http://www.jenesco.com/ozone-machine.html
Click to expand...

I have the same machine. Now put it to work for you. I get $75 a treatment.
Set in the car, turn it on and comeback in 8hrs. :D Its my favorite employee.
 
My PU truck has mold from leaving the windowws open. I like the idea of the ozine machine and may have to get one. Thx FABO!
 
Put some paper bags filled with fresh charcoal briquets under the seats. They suck up moisture and smells. Sprinkling baking soda and vaccuuming later helps also.
 
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