had a problem with my a/c in a lexus suv, condensate drain was clogged so all the water was ending up on my drivers side rug, had it fixed but still have that damp musty smell, any product suggestions? or have someone steam clean the carpet the only fix? thanks

 

Mildew / Mould

Without identifying and eliminating the source of the mould you can't get rid of it, there are many products that mask odours; what you need to do is remove and clean and thoroughly dry the whole area; carpets, upholstery (inc foam and etc) that is affected, including the headliner and metal floor pan (don’t forget to clean/replace the cabin air filter).


Mould uses enzymes to digest nutrients from organic materials, the mould forms on top of the material and also down into its fibres leaving circular or black spots in an irregular pattern Dirt and moisture are essential to mildew propagation, suggest you wear appropriate safety glasses, respirators; etc inhalation of mould could be very detrimental to your health. Remove the seats and thoroughly clean the carpet with a carpet cleaner and a disinfectant. Then let it air dry, or use a heater to ensure that they are completely dry.



To neutralize mould use 10:1 Distiller water / (non-chlorine) bleach solution, use a syringe to inject solution into seating foam, you may need to remove and replace the carpet padding. Test the solution on an inconspicuous area first to ensure it will not remove the dye. Some carpet cleaning solutions also contain a fungicide Bactoshield- is an all in one safe antimicrobial dry cleaner, stain blocker and deodoriser for carpets - http://www.4-c.co.uk/carpet-cleaning.html

 

Valuguard Odor Terminator is good at removing organic odors. It is odorless, so it does not mask odors, it removes them. Mold may be a different story though.

 

find a business in your area that uses drive pur this stuff is amazing!

Cheers,
greg

 

When I bought my first car it smelled horrid. It was a wet dog smell, that only was told tolerable when my windows were open. My mom tried everything, but nothing worked. Until my father went to Wal-Mart and purchased some new Febreze products. A vacuum filter to clean my carpet and trunk, and I gotta say I could finally enjoy my car with the windows closed with the heat/air conditioner on. and what's great is that my dad went to www.febrezecarpetcare.com and got a coupon, to save a little money. Febreze worked for me, im sure it will work for you. Good Luck!!!

 

A follow up and edit.

I used the drive pur system, it worked great until it was no longer in the sunlight. The TiO2 in the product NEEDS sunlight to activate, the car I used it in was in a garaged system most of its time.........the smells came back (smoke).

I wonder if the system was used, kept in sunlight for a few days, and then stored in the parking garage IF the smoke smell would come back, or did the system neutralize everything??? This is a question I cannot ask, as I don't have control of the car anymore.

I'm trying out another system called Auto Vaccine (TiCl2 based), says no sunlight needed to activate. My first trial with it (for wet dog smell) was unsuccessful going to try again later this week.

Cheers,
GREG

 

Thanks for the update. Keep testing professor....we all would like a solution for this problem.

 

[I wonder if the system was used, kept in sunlight for a few days, and then stored in the parking garage IF the smoke smell would come back, or did the system neutralize everything??? This is a question I cannot ask, as I don't have control of the car anymore.]

Ultra violet radiation acts as a catalyst to activate this type of chemical, once activated it eliminates the odour. They should not return just because no longer subjected to UV radiation.

Titanium chloride (TiCl2) traditionally, chlorine dioxide (CI02) is used for disinfection applications (water purification) and is also used as a bleaching agent