How do you get mildew smell out of a flooded car? My daughter's new (used) car smell of mildrew. We are afraid it was a flooded car. How can we get this odor out? It didn't smell when we bought it. It has been about two months now and the odor is very strong. They must have used something to hide the odor at the time of the sale.
You may be a LONG time in getting that smell out. Six of us piled into my Chevy Blazer soaking wet after sitting in and walking through a torrential downpour and the mildew smell showed up within 48 hours.
Fabreeze will provide a temporary solution and at least make the car driveable but it will be back. Repeated treatments and airings (every chance you get on a nice day, leave all the windows open) finally got it to disapate but it was the better part of a year before it really went away.
The enzyme cleaner sounds like a better bet than fabreeze. There are several kinds, Nature's Miracle, Petzyme, etc. Check with your local pet supply store.
If it's totally unbearable, take it to an upholstry shop and see if they can clean it. They may not be able to get everything out but you'll be further along that timeline I was on.
If you smell mildew. chances are there is still moisture in the car. Use DampRid to suck up any moisture and it will also remove some of the odor. You can buy DampRid just about anywhere, like Walmart in the house cleaning products isle. Bleach is the most effective way to remove mildew but I dont think you want to use that on your interior carpet. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet then spray it with vinegar and water and watch it fizz and eat the mildew away.The vinegar smell will disapate after it dries.
Remember, if you smell mildew, there is probably mold in the car as well. The spores can get into your daughters lungs and cause upper respitory problems like stuffy nose, conjestion, mucus build-up, headache, and a general ill feeling. The safest way is to have the interior carpet replaced. I just went through a similar problem with my car after all of the hurricanes. Best of luck to you:)
A few years back, I purchased a used car that had a mildew smell. We didn't smell it when we test drove, but once we had it at home. I tried shampooing the carpets, Febreze, etc. Finally, I went on line and found a product called X-Stinkt (I may have spelled that wrong) it is a powder that you sprinkle, let sit and then vacuum up.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Does anyone know how to get the mildew smell out of a car? I accidentally left all my windows in the car open and it ended up storming really badly. Well, needless to say my car was filled with water. It has been about 6 months and it still stinks. I've tried fresheners of all sorts. Nothing is working. Help!
By chicky
Try spraying it with some What Odor? It completely got rid of the fish smell in my car after someone poured fish oil in my a/c vents. Really works great. had me saying What Odor?
Buy a box of Pet Fresh at your local grocery/dept store. Sprinkle it all over your vehicle's carpet; let it sit for 10 minutes, then vacuum it up. Can also put a air freshener in your car.
Tim
I was wondering where I can purchase an item called "What Odor" that is listed under removal of the mold smell from your car? Thanks.
I see a few of these sold online. It looks to me that it is freely available. It also seems like it would be found at Ace Hardware and places like that.
www.amazon.com/
www.mountaingreen.biz/
www.mountaingreen.biz/
I found it online at Amazon: www.amazon.com/
Nok-Out also provides a very effective product for removing odor.
I own a 2003 Ford Thunderbird. For several months I have noticed a strong mildew smell coming from the vents, especially when air inside is on. However, I even noticed the odor in the garage when car was sitting in there. I started smelling all around my car and noticed the odor was very strong in the front right grill.
I thought I found the solution/problem when someone told me to change the air cabin filter. I changed it, but am still smelling mildew, coming from front right grill. I have sprayed bleach water solution in the grill, on the cloth hood cover, and in vents to no avail. Please help. Thanks.By Cindy
Sorry to hear that Bonnie.
I've had similar experiences in the past, and I was able to get rid of the Mildew, and odor. I cleaned the car with something called Mildew Armor, you can get it at your local home depot store. I purchased the vehicle through JunkCarBuyerGA.com , and they had told me that it had mildew, and that the owners didn't want to risk driving the car.
Shut your AC off about 10 minutes before you shut your car off.
My truck had mold and mildew on the seat and under the seat. I have pulled the seat out and cleaned it wilh mixture of ammonia and water. The Mold and mildew is gone but the smell is still in the foam rubber under the seat. How do I get rid of this smell?
I'd try putting some charcoal briquettes in a plastic bag (leaving the top of the bag open) under the seat. After several days, I'd replace the briquettes with new ones if the odor wasn't gone.
There is a product on the market called ODO-Ban. Spray the area with the mold or mildew with a full concentration of this. It has a pleasant fragrance, but may be a little overpowering for a while. However, it will cure your problem. We had a pick-up truck that developed a leak around the windshield and mold formed on the carpet. This took care of it. Good luck!
I had a leak from the sunroof of my car and the car mat and the carpet in the front seat got soaking wet. I used a wet vac to get the water out and now I have a terrible mildew smell. How can I get the smell out?
By Freyda P.
Try cleaning the mat & carpet with a solutuion of Orange Glow & warm water.
