Eliminating a musty smell...

C

Corey Bit Spank

Active member
Well it's finally warming up here in Buffalo and well, my car has a musty smell inside. I don't know what it is. I cleaned the carpets and mats, left them out of the car for a few days and just drove it without (it was dry out) and it still has a musty smell. I don't think it's any of the vents or anything because I smell it before I trun the car on.



Anybody have any ideas? :)
 
I was a smoker years ago and when I quit I wanted to get rid of the smell in the car....so I sprinkled some baking soda in the carpet and carried a box or Arm and Hammer baking soda open wedged in between the seats...in a few weeks the smell was almost undetectable...try it and don't laugh...:cool:
 
There is a new product (new in the last year or two) called Febreeze (or something like that), made by Procter and Gamble, that is sprayed on fabric (clothes) to remove odors.



I have used it on the car seats in a used vehicle that seems to have been smoked in, and I have used it on some tweed luggage that had a musty smell.



This product (I think there are some others as well) is sold in the section with the laundry products; I get it at large grocery stores, and it should work well for the problems described here, and is superior to baking soda or to just airing out, even after cleaning with conventional cleaning products.
 
One thing I should have mentioned is that if there is mold under the carpets, the best thingis to peel them back and use some type cleaner cleaner like in the aerosol kind, lysol comes to mind and also Febreeze like the above response works...but that is only to cover the smell.



Mildew is a fungus.....kill it.... :)
 
Quote: Eliminating a musty smell...



~One man’s opinion / observations ~



Think about using one of the stain/odour removers for pets. They sell a product called Nature's Miracle at pet stores and it has natural enzymes that remove smells.





Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/

justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
 
I took my front mats out today after class and noticed it was damp around the edges of where the mat was on the carpet. I think I may take a hair dryer and get them dry. It's been dry for a few days so it shouldn't have been wet, i left the sunroof open and put baking soda on where it was damp and rubbed it in with a nylon brush. We'll see. Next step is to peal back the carpet and spray lysol. :)
 
Rent an ozone machine from your local janitorial supply store if you can. To start make sure your car is as clean as you can get it and the carpets and fabric totally dry. Then place the machine in the car and turn your key to to the run position and set your climate control setting to defrost and floor (if you have a cabin air filter, it is a good idea to replace it before yout do this).Set it at 50% saturation and leave the climate control running for about 20 mins. Then turn off the key and let them machine sit in there for about 4-5 hours with the car totally sealed up. DO NOT SIT IN THE VEHICLE WHILE THE OZONE GENERATOR IS RUNNING. After it's done, open the car up for about 30 mins. to breathe. It should smell like nothing except a smell that reminds me of before a thunderstorm in the spring when its humid and lightning out.



If that doesn't help you probably have some type of spot of micro-organisms that will need an enzyme injection.
 
What exactly does the ozone machine do and how much does it typically cost to rent?



Is this similar to the "Ionizer" devices that plug into the lighter?
 
At my local janitorial store it costs $45.00 a day, much better than $300.00 to buy and use a few times. What it does is it pulls all the air molecules out of the car and ionizes them. Similar to one you plug in to the lighter, but on a much thourough scale. I smoke and in my last car before I sold it I used this method and could not smell any odors afterward. There is more information on these machines at Rightlook.com.
 
If I remember correctly, it's hard to kill spores. I know bleach will work, but I'd think that bleachwater would be a last resort. You need to kill whatever nasties were growing under your mat.



Fabreese reminds me of cat pee and vomit. I can't stand it.



Clean it up and then do a search here for air fresheners. I think many here are fond of the Yankee Candle brand. I've got one of those Maqic Tree New Car ones in my office (Tacky? Yes, have one.). They're too strong at first, so chuck it under the mat.
 
I have very good success with oder removal in my shop.



ValuGard's Oder Terminator (an enzymatic solution, similar to Fabreeze) contaminates the 'food' that the oder causing bacteria eat.



Contact on all affected surfaces is required. I use it in my extractor .



Spray the headliner, under dash, under seats (foam) and in the fresh air ducts.



Very predictable, consistant results.



Jim
 
CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION: Ozone rots rubber. That includes foam seat cushions and worst of all the drive belts on stereo equipment.

I had a "professional" remove odor from my Honda and he didn't tell me he was using ozone or I would have stopped him. I had to replace my interior at condiderable expense.

This is high school chemistry.
 
Smoky14



Great point !!!!!!!!! Thats one of detailing field biggest ripoff [IMO]



Corey bit Spank

What kind of vehicle and make and year THEN WE WILL GO FROM THERE
 
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