Saving a Smelly Interior?

After fixing a sun roof drain I thought was causing some problems with water in the trunk of my Integra I found out that my issue had not been solved. It turns out the tail light seals made of a rubber-foam had perished. I've had the car for a few months but once I realized what the problem was the bottom of the back seat and the carpet had been sitting soaked with water. I hadn't noticed because the temperatures were below freezing for quite a while.

Can the seats and carpet be saved? The seats have worn leather covers and not cloth so I don't think running a carpet cleaner will help the seats or foam. The carpet maybe. I am weary of picking up interior parts from a junkyard car that will probably be water damaged too, but where should I be looking? The craigslist scene isn't too active for imports out my way.

Pull the seats and carpet out of the car. Pressure wash the carpet in your driveway, and let it totally dry out in the sun. You might be able to pressure wash the seats, too. Get some saddle soap and leather conditioner and some brushes to work both into the seats after you've cleaned them. Reinstall all and enjoy.

If your seat covers weren't worn, I'd say just pull them, clean the foam, and reinstall. I've done that several times, but the big issue is getting the foam completely dry before putting it back in. I made the mistake of not being entirely thorough once, and I never got those seats to not smell again.

Check for mold and mildew. My guess is it's been too cold there for it to be an issue, but it may be there from before. I'd do that before trying anything.

Go to a RV dealer talk with guy in service ask if they have a Ozone Generator. Most have them to remove the water leak moldie smell.

44

Ozone generator and a full interior pressure wash is the way to deal with it.

If the weather is not cooperating for a fully washed interior, an ozone generator will be a good start.

I borrowed one from a friend who does duct cleaning. Its good for a 2500 sqft house, so just slightly undersized for a crew cab pickup.

I had blocked sunroof drains that completely soaked my back seat for a couple weeks before I realized it. I didn't actually take the carpet out, but I did remove the rear seat panels.

I propped them up in the basement with the foam side toward my furnace (it was February) for a couple weeks. Between the frequent radiant heat from the unit, and the ozone from the blower motor, they dried out fine and never ever smelled.

44Dwarf wrote: Go to a RV dealer talk with guy in service ask if they have a Ozone Generator. Most have them to remove the water leak moldie smell. 44

I'd say save this as a last resort because it can degrade your interior materials.

Javelin wrote: Pull the seats and carpet out of the car. Pressure wash the carpet in your driveway, and let it *totally* dry out in the sun. You might be able to pressure wash the seats, too. Get some saddle soap and leather conditioner and some brushes to work both into the seats after you've cleaned them. Reinstall all and enjoy.

This. Plus, on the bright side, your interior will be squeaky clean!

If you're going to pull the carpet out anyway, why put the same smelly carpet back in? Carpet kits are surprisingly cheap, and don't smell.

jg

The company I work for makes a spray cleaner called OdoBan that works great on musty, moldy smells. I'd still recommend pulling it all out and pressure washing. Use the OdoBan as part of the cleaning process, the dry thoroughly as the other guys mentioned.

OdoBan is available in the home cleaning section at WalMart, Home Depot, and Sams Club.

BTW, this is NOT a canoe. I help make the stuff, but it really does work great.

I had a Corvette with an overwhelming pipe tobacco smell and leather seats that I had professionally steam cleaned. Cost about $100, but it completely got rid of the smell.

JG Pasterjak wrote: If you're going to pull the carpet out anyway, why put the same smelly carpet back in? Carpet kits are surprisingly cheap, and don't smell. jg

I looked into replacement carpet for my E30 and decided against it. First off, none of that stuff ever fits as well as OEM, second, I didn't find them to be that cheap, and third, however much they cost, it's still more than free. I did the "remove and pressure wash" thing. Blasted 27 years of stains and stank out of that thing, dried it in the sun for a few days, and it was good to go. The only reason I can see not to do it that way would be if the carpet was badly worn or ripped.

Before you put the carpet back in sprinkle a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda on the floor boards. Helps absorb any odors.