# HowTo dry out VERY wet car insides? (oh yes I did)



## meanwhile

Oh yes indeed = I left open all four car windows and forgot about it. Then, yesterday morning it poured rain and poured rain. We found the car mid-day and it is soaked. 

This is what we did already or are doing: 
-soaked up as much as possible, 
-toweled off everything, 
-opened it up this morning 
-have the car setting in the sun 
-have two fans blowing in the car 
-Doors all wide open 
- took everything out of the car
- opened up the way back doors (it is a suburban) 
- took out all the floor mats

Anyone else ever do something like this? What else should I do? Thank you.


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## ninny

It would be best if you could take the carpet out. If that's not an option, I'd find a couple of fans, open all the doors and have the fans blow across the carpet as best as you can. If you have a wet/dry vac, you might also vacuum up as much of the water as you can. 
Oh yeah, next time, be sure to close the windows. : )

.


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## Silvercreek Farmer

Sounds like you are already doing just about everything you can. The only other thing I could think of is to put a dehumifier in the back end and close it all up. Don't know if this would be better than what you are already doing though. When you have to take it out, run the AC at full throttle, it'll help pull out moisture. Don't worry, car interiors are pretty much 100% synthetic and should dry out pretty quickly with no long lasting effects. I have left my windows cracked during a rainstorm on several occasions and had to deal with some moisture (but never all four all the way down!).


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## Bret

I admit that I have had a wet seat before. That's all I'm saying.

Maybe this will help. A few weeks ago, I dropped my cell phone from my shirt picket into a bucket of soapy water.

To try to save my data and pictures, the cell phone shop told me to put my phone into a bag of rice over the weekend to attempt to dry it out enough to restore the screen. It worked. 

Could you fill your car full of rice?


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## KaiserW

i work at a car dealer and we see this often, the only way to truly get it dry is to remove the carpet, otherwise in a few weeks it will get moldy. the padding under the carpet is the biggest problem, it holds moisture very well.

some cars even have control units under the carpet/under the seats that can get damaged as well.

best thing to do is take out the seats, pull the carpet, lay the carpet in the sun for a few days until it and the padding are 100% dry.


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## Darren

If you start to get mold get or rent an ozone generator. That will kill the mold. Don't use it too long because it can damage rubber.


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## meanwhile

How would I pull out the carpet? And....more important: how would I get it back in!

We have the car in the hot sun and two fans blowing on it. We move the fans about once an hour. 

What is an ozone generator? Would it fit in a car??


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## HermitJohn

Drive west to the drought areas. Believe me, it would dry out in an afternoon. Supposed to be 106 here today!


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## KaiserW

In order to remove the carpet you need to first remove the seats and center console of you have one. Then you need to remove/ loosen the trim around the carpet(where the carpet meets the walls/side of car). Remove anything that seems to cover the carpet in any way, the lift it out.

It's not the Easiest job but it's not too hard in most vehicles.

Ozone generators are often called air purifiers, they work well in low odor applications but if the carpet padding is soaked it will be too much, we often use them after we pull the carpet after the car is all back together and still smells a little like mildew.


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## Darren

Ozone generators come in different sizes. Hotels use them, some car dealers and companies that do cleanup. The ozone kills the mold and the spores. Call a rental place or a company that does fire and flood cleanup. Theirs are usually much larger machines. Maybe they'll have a small one.

If your nights are cool, I'd roll up the windows to keep the heat in and then wipe the condensation off the inside of the windows later. You'd be using the temperature differential on the two sides of the windows as a dehumidifier.


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## Woodpecker

Maybe try a wet/dry vacuum?


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## idonutn0

Since this hasn't been suggested yet, maybe see how much you can get out with a wet/dry vac?


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## KaiserW

The best wet vac won't pull the water out of the padding. It will get the majority out but there will be enough left to fog the windows and get mildewy.

Is mildewy even a word?


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## jd4020

I'd gladly sacrifice my vehicle for more rain.  Seriously.
Sounds like you're doing what you can. How new is it? My old pickup doesn't even have carpeting and I can just air hose it out and then hose it down if I want to. It does have a full floor removable mat. Since we buy our vehicles used and run them into the ground, I have taken the carpeting out and don't have to deal with it. I do use floor mats; it makes cleaning much easier. 
Hope you get it dried out quickly.
God bless,
jd


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## fishhead

I left all my windows open in a 2 1/2" rain. I just left the windows down when I drove it.


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## whiterock

You have done all you can I think, if it was here in my yard it would be dried out by now.

Just checked the thermometer by the back door. In shade it reads 108 at 5:25 pm.
Ed


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## Ozarks Tom

BTDT. Thought I had the seat dry, took the plastic bag off. 1/2 mile later I realized they weren't quite dry. Got depressed. Realized other guys were concerned with macho things like jock itch, athelete's foot, and I was worried about diaper rash.


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## frankva

AC when moving.

I have a leaky door. So I deal with this.

Another trick is to park in sun, close windows, doors. Open in 10 minutes repeat.

Leave windows 1/8" gap down while parked in sun.

My car has removeable carpet in the trunk, and yes the padding does hold water. Some panels remove to expose the foam back of the rear seat.


Unless you are clever, carpet won't go back in quite as nice as it came out.

Last ditch- An upholstery cleaner might rent you parking space in a dehumidified garage.

Good luck.


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## lemonthyme7

Had our sun roof leak in a bad rain storm several times (since repaired). When I opened the door there was actually a puddle on the floor. Like you, I soaked up what I could. Opened windows for ventilation when I could and it dried out after several days. The last time it was really bad and we took it to the carwash and used the vac on it (or if you have a shop vac use that). That got most of it out. We never had any mold or mildew. This was on a 97' Jeep. On a side note - we found out the sun roofs on these were prone to leaking but ours was out of warrenty. We caulked the sunroof shut with silicone caulking and no more leaks! I hope your car dries out soon. I think you are doing everything you can.


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## meanwhile

Thank you everyone - the car actually dried out most of the way today. We moved it several times and made sure the sun was shining right on the wetter areas. The seats seem to be OK now but the carpet - like many of you said - is still wet in spots. 

The car is an older suburban (2002) but I like it, it is paid for and so I will keep drying it out. So far it does not stink so maybe if I keep drying it this week then it won't mold. 

A friend with de-humidyfyer says I can borrow it but I am going to just try drying it in the sun and see how that does another day.

What a mess........thank you everyone.


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## fantasymaker

I often wash the insides of vehicals out with the high pressure hose at the carwash.
A wet dry vac and then windows open while not driving and AC while driving till its dry...wouldnt take long here this year.


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## blooba

Woodpecker said:


> Maybe try a wet/dry vacuum?


Better than a wet/dry vac would be a carpet shampoo'er with hand wand those things are made to suck water out of carpet, although not quite that wet...lol


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## unregistered65598

Oh good lord. just let the thing dry out! It doesn't need to be so complicated.


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## mozarkian

After you get it dry, you can use a couple jars with vinegar in them to freshen it up and control any mildew smells. Just keep a couple jars of vinegar in tightly lidded jars under the seat or in the glovebox and when you park it at work or at home for the night just open the jars and set them in the floorboards and roll the windows up tight. Really helps freshen it up.


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## fordson major

i have had that problem in other years (this year is exceedingly dry) as the owner of a Mustang rag top that don't like to put the top up. i just wet/dry vac it, sprinkle some bicarb around and then vac again. even on very wet days it drys out quick!


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## frankva

Merks said:


> Oh good lord. just let the thing dry out! It doesn't need to be so complicated.


Things dry out different in CO. I haven't really had a dry towel to dry off with in awhile. Didn't always use a towel when I lived in CO.


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## danielsumner

The Vacuum at the Gas Station will really pull the water out of the carpet. Not that I would do that to the Gas Station Vacuum.


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## meanwhile

We opened the car up again today and it seems to be OK. Every morning we have just opened up all four doors and the "way back" and we leave the car setting in the sun. When the sun moves, we move the car. Today it is dry and does not smell any worse than it did to begin with.

So - I must have gotten lucky and got it dried out before the mold set in. I might put some herbs in there to freshen it up some but for the most part seems to be fine.

Thank you for all the ideas and tips. Appreciate it. 

Now.....everyone go and double check to be sure the car and truck windows are all rolled up for the night!


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