Help with car water damage?
I flipped my 2001 dodge neon into a swampy ditch and the seats and carpeting, headliner, etc. were all covered with water and silt. I have removed everything from the car (seats, carpet, headliner, trunk carpet, all trim) and I was wondering what would be a good way to get the smell and stains out of the seats. Also, I know that professional water damage repair shops use a disinfecting steam on the interior after it is stripped and I was wondering if there is any way to do something like that at home? Thanks for your help!
2 Responses
john r
02 Feb 2010
UCANTCME
02 Feb 2010
For the stains just get yourself a couple of cans of "Tuff Stuff" cleaner and work it in all the stains and then just vacuum it out.
For the smell try this….
Tip 1: Buy a carton of baking soda & pour half of it into a small container – a travel mug works well. Anything that won’t tip or spill will do the job. Leave it open in your car for a few weeks as you drive around, then throw it away.
Tip 2: Vinegar removes a wide variety of odors. Soak a rag or piece of bread in vinegar, or just put vinegar into a container that won’t spill and leave it open in the car until the smell dissipates. You can accelerate the process:
1. Put vinegar into an open container and place on the front passenger side floor
2. Close the car windows and turn the car on with heat full blast, floor vents only
3. Leave the car/heat running for 30 minutes to 1 hour
If you leave an open container in your car with windows up on a hot summer’s day, you may achieve the same effect.
Brian, there is a simple solution for your problem. First, get some CALGON water softiner, its a powder, get some VIVID bleach, this will clean out any discoloration from the water, with out fading the fabric. Mix the two together. Put 2 cups of VIVId, in to a pale of WARM water, and a 1/2 cup of CALGON. mix it together, take a small fingernail brush ,and LIITELY scrubb the fabric. You will notice that the CALGON has a nice fresh scent. Rinse the fabric off with a clean dry cloth, dampped in warm water, and let AIR dry.
To get any other oders out, Place a bowel of applecider viniger, in the car, and let it set for a few days. When you reinstall the rugs, GET some pipe tobacco, lay it out on a cooky sheet, over night, and sprinkle it on top of the metal floor boards, and then lay down your new rugs, and all the orders should be gone in no time at all. In the collison body shops, they use these the products all the time. GOOD LUCK SON!!!!