Hi all,

Freak thing happened today -- I must have hit my key fob in exactly the sequence needed to roll down the windows/open the sunroof (I never open the sunroof, plus it was raining). Unfortunately, I didn't notice for about 3 hours, and it was pretty soaked on the inside when I did. I vacuumed and toweled as much I could, but the rear floors are still drenched (water pools around my hands when I push down on the carpet). I've read that I will need to remove the seats/carpet so that I can dry out the foam layer underneath the carpet. Can anyone share some insight on how to tackle this?

Thanks!
C

 

Not sure how to do it exactly, but I would work on it asap since mold will start to form. And you really need to get the seats and carpets out to really dry it. Not sure how bad humidity is where you live, but I would also look into a small dehumidifier to leave in the car until all dry.
Good luck.

 

Have not experienced this myself, but I would get to the carpet from below the front seats. The seats are fairly easy enough to remove or at least tilt forward by removing the 4 mounting bolts located toward the corners of each seat. Then I'd rent a carpet blower/dryer and try to place near a part of the carpet you're able to lift up. Key is to get air flowing underneath the carpet. And then afterward maybe use some desiccant packs for any remaining moisture residual.

 

Plus keep a fan on it
Getting wet isn't so much the issue although it sucks not ventilating it so it can dry is the kicker.

 

YouTube has videos that may help you

 

Lots of DampRid too.

 

I would also disconnect the battery before doing anything with the seats. This will alleviate any airbag issues.

 

I had a Cadillac DTS many years ago that had a similar issue due a kink in some drain pipes that somehow formed according to the dealer I took it to. Came out from work one day with standing water in my floorboard, and it was still raining heavily!

That being said my suggestion is to get a carpet cleaner (if you can take the seats out all the better) and suck as much of the water out of the carpet with the carpet cleaner as you possibly can.

That's what I did until the carpet clear stopped sucking up water. Thankfully it was in the summer time and in the following days it was very hot and I just left my car with the sunroof cover slid back and the windows up in my driveway to let the hot sun dry out carpet.

I owned the car for a couple years after that and never noticed any problems with it but I also sucked the water out the same day.

 

Some quality time with a wet/dry shop vac would be my second volley. The first volley would be to remove the seats.

 

Agree about the fan. Get as dry as possible with wet vac, rags, etc. but keep a fan or fans on it until it's completely dry.

 

Rent a dehumidifier. After sucking the water out with carpet machine or shop vac, close car, place dehumidifier for 24-48 hours. Rear seat bottom should be lifted up for circulation.

 

Your situation is more common. We had all sorts of wet issues while living in our RV on the Oregon coast. Then I used the dehumidifier and was surprised to see how dry my items were without the musty smell. Here is a link (https://cardehumidifiers.com/rv-dehu...ty-for-your-rv) sent to me by a friend that explains there are other ways to dehumidify your car besides using a dehumidifier (which is the fastest way of course). That should be worth watching.

 

I think it should be dry by now.

 

Disabled that feature on mine.

 

Small pet peeve of mine is when people don't follow up so huge apologies for letting this thread hang. Thank you all so much for the responses and suggestions.

For unavoidable reasons, i didn't get to work on mold prevention (sanitization by that point) until 2-3 weeks after the incident. The moldy smell was quite prominent by the time i got to it, so i wasn't very optimistic. I did a lot of research, and this is what worked for me, just in case anybody else runs into the same issue.

1. Remove front seats. Definitely not difficult, and there are videos on YouTube that show you how. I suggest asking another person to help lift the seats out. I didn't and ended up scratching the interior just a tiny bit (still hurt).

2. Thoroughly vacuum with a strong vac.

3. Pre-treat the carpet with an enzyme cleaner. I used a multipurpose enzyme cleaner from Amazon liberally and evenly. Used a drill brush extension to agitate the carpet. Left it soaking for about 10 mins.

4. Used a rented heated water extractor with ~120 inches of lift to do a first pass.

5. Added a meguairs multipurpose cleaner at 1:10 water ratio to the extractor for the second pass.

6. Liberally and evenly sprayed hydrogen peroxide onto the carpet. Left it soaking for about 10 mins.

7. Did another extractor pass with meguairs cleaner.

8. Last extractor pass with just water.

9. Left a fan on inside the car with the doors opened overnight to help dry the carpet.

I happened to have a friend with a (reportedly) severe allergy to mold spores sit in my car 2 weeks after, and he didn't react, which i take as a good sign. I don't guarantee that this is 100% effective, but it's been fine for months. Remember to wear a mask, if not for the spores then for the assaulting smells of the cleaning chemicals. Seriously though, please wear a mask. Also, i sprayed a LOT of lysol through the intake with my air running for about 5 mins on high temp and 5 mins on low temp.

I tried to be detailed, but let me know if i can help clarify anything. Again, sorry for ghosting the thread!

Edit: try to use an auto kit for the carpet extractor. I thought i could save money by using the standard kit, but the attachment was too big to efficiently maneuver around the cabin of the car. Ended up renting the auto kit to make the job much much easier.