by Quirky Jessi
Member since:
January 5, 2007

Getting the smell out....

August 12, 2008 04:07 PM EDT
views: 71 | rating: 10/10 (24 votes) | comments: 30
Long story short:

My passenger window apparently wasn't rolled up quite all the way the last time it rained. I vacuumed out the water, but it was still damp. A couple days later, I let someone use my car and they left a bag of ice in there....which obviously melted and left more water. I didn't have the ability to leave camp grounds for a few days, so even though I soaked up what water I could, it was left damp again in the hot sun for a couple days.

Obviously, my car smells now. A lovely mixture of musky mildew smell. I'm equipped with baking soda and carpet fresh stuff in an attempt to soak up any more dampness and get rid of the smell before my long car trip home in the upcoming days.

Any other suggestions to help speed up the recovery of my carpets?
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Comments: 30

Joseph H. Aug 12, 2008, 4:10pm EDT
when your car is sitting, put a dish of vinegar in the car. it helps kill that nasty smell.
Beth - Doing God's work Daily J. Aug 12, 2008, 4:10pm EDT
I don't know.what to do
Janet "Jax" B. Aug 12, 2008, 4:12pm EDT
I'd say blow dry the carpet as best as you can to kill the mildew...once the carpet is all the way dry, it shouldn't smell nearly as bad.
Doyle ( IS SOOO 7 for 7 soon... ) C. Aug 12, 2008, 4:13pm EDT
Buy a new car always seems to work. :P
Anne W. Aug 12, 2008, 4:18pm EDT
Ew. That's gross, although Doyle's advice is a sure fire problem solver, you might just want to try to dry the interior, if it isn't rainng, I would leave all the windows open for a while...
Anne W. Aug 12, 2008, 4:18pm EDT
Thank you for posting to Point Whore! Wishing everyone many, many points!
Anne W. Aug 12, 2008, 4:18pm EDT
Good luck!
Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount Aug 12, 2008, 4:24pm EDT
Maybe Fabreeze once it dries out real good. Good Luck.
Thanks for posting this to
http://pointaddicts.gather.com/
Febreze might do the trick once it is dry~
Tory H. Aug 12, 2008, 4:58pm EDT
I don't have any suggestions that haven't already been said, but good luck with it!
Stacey (Jesus is coming soon! ) U. Aug 12, 2008, 5:04pm EDT
Baking Soda, Febreeze...haven't heard the vineagar one...
sheila ~the hapless housewife~ j. Aug 12, 2008, 5:13pm EDT
Good luck!
Vivian P. Aug 12, 2008, 5:16pm EDT
vinegar always works for me
Holli G. Aug 12, 2008, 5:36pm EDT
ewww I dunno, yucky! two votes for vinegar..i would try that
CyberGwen ! Aug 12, 2008, 6:12pm EDT
If your weather is good up there, let it air the heck out! Then go for the vinegar and such.

If you try and mask the smell with fabrezze and such, it will never really leave, so try your best to let dry out.
Connie C. Aug 12, 2008, 6:27pm EDT
Have you tried putting some charcoal in it overnight? It usually works
Diana B. Aug 12, 2008, 6:32pm EDT
My husband had that problem too and he ended up thoroughly scrubbing it, getting rid of as much moisture as possible and used one of those sprays that gets rid of odors. Most of the musky mildrew smell is gone, but it took a lot of work. Just try soaking up as much of the moisture as you can, air it out and see if one of those Febreeze sprays work to mask the smell somewhat. Best of luck to you!
Patty H. Aug 12, 2008, 6:40pm EDT
Masking the smell is only going to make it smell more. A nice mildew/flowery scent is never good. I would give the vinager a try or leave the windows open as much as you can.You need to let the moisture out of the car. So leaving the windows up, is going to keep the moisture in and the smell. So open up the car. Good luck I hope something works.
Joyce S. Aug 12, 2008, 7:11pm EDT
an open bottle of vinegar overnight with the windows up, then open box of baking soda overnight with windows up. then air out for a couple days. Spray with lysol. Put windows up for oernight. then use febreeze and let air out with windows down for a couple days. That is not an easy one to get rid of, if it can be done at all. Good Luck
Kim M. Aug 12, 2008, 7:35pm EDT
I"ve heard a bowl of vanilla exrtact can also work as well, kinda like the vinegar.
Larry H. Aug 12, 2008, 8:15pm EDT
don't know.
Quirky Jessi Aug 12, 2008, 9:48pm EDT
Thanks guys. I used baking soda, vacuumed it, and then put some more down to help soak up anything else. I didn't realize that it'd gotten all the way underneath my seat as well, so it's really tough to get that water out. I can't get back down to town to vacuum again for a few more days, so hopefully I'll be able to roll down my windows and let it air out tomorrow.
Apryl Just Apryl Aug 12, 2008, 10:24pm EDT
This happened to me. Clorox II color safe was the only thing that worked for me. Good Luck!
Apryl Just Apryl Aug 12, 2008, 10:24pm EDT
Use liquid
Steph-in-NE ..... Aug 12, 2008, 11:22pm EDT
spray a towel with vinger,, not soaking wet yet spary well, then place it over the spot of where water was at. or in seat. the sun and heat witll dry up vinger and leave the vinger smell, then febreezz febrezz with all your might... then let dry
Dagmara H. Aug 13, 2008, 8:21am EDT
I would try to use febreezz powder, to put on the seats and then vacuum
Alex In Wonderland Aug 13, 2008, 11:33am EDT
I would have said baking soda. I like the vinegar idea!! I never thought of that. I love using natural stuff over chemicals.
Austin Cushing Aug 13, 2008, 7:08pm EDT
This comment is to let you know that this content has reached at least ten comments, and as such has been removed from Comment Speedway! Congratulations, and check out this week's Help These Articles!
L. H. Aug 13, 2008, 7:15pm EDT
We have that same horrible mildew smell on a part of the carpet, due to a leak, we had fixed after about 5 days, so ya know- it's smelled. I cleaned it twice with the rug shampooed and orange cleaner(to help get up the wet-part) and sprayed it with Lysol< kills mildew, so other than somewhat of a kitty smell over where they litter pan is it's gone.
Rebecca [Future Teacher] Aug 15, 2008, 4:24pm EDT
Yikes, I've done the same thing myself. If its still drying, I'd recommend using lysol on the spot to kill the germs and mildew.

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