What To Do If Your Car Carpet Gets Wet

Even if it s only water a funny odor can accumulate over time.

What to do if your car carpet gets wet. As a result even a little bit of water on the carpet can lead to mildew and other problems if left alone. Ideally the carpet and the padding need to be completely dry within forty eight hours to protect your home from mold growth. The easiest way to get the moisture or water out of your carpet is by removing it with a wet vacuum. By design water can get into the inside of your car s doors either from rain or from splashing by passing cars on wet roads.

If your home has recently flooded this is most likely the reason for the unpleasant odor. Follow these steps for drying your carpet properly and preventing the spread of moisture and mildew. Towel up the excess water underneath the. Even if the carpet feels dry the padding underneath may still be wet and that is where mold and mildew grows.

Go over the damp carpeting multiple times in slow straight lines. Cars are enclosed spaces with poor air circulation when the car is not running. Normally any water that gets into the door will drain out onto the road but the door s drain holes can become clogged too. When car carpet gets wet the water seeps down underneath it to the foam backing which can grow mildew on it if it stays wet.

Cold damp weather can make it even harder to get your car dry. So the quicker you get started on this the better. The padding holds water like a sponge and will not dry unless it is removed from the vehicle. Make sure your hands are dry and plug in the wet dry vacuum.

Use a tool such as a screwdriver to create leverage under the sill to prop it up. The most important part is first stopping water from flowing into the problem area. Causes of a wet passenger side floor mat 3. In fact the steps to dry a car carpet are not different than drying the carpet in your home after a water leak or sewer backup.

When a carpet smells musty or smells like mildew it can be a result of humidity or spills that fell onto the carpet. It takes time for the carpet to dry. This can force water into the. The environmental protection agency advises us that it is necessary to act immediately when your carpet gets wet.

Your first order of business is to get as much water out of your car as possible as quickly as you can. Use something firm like a brick or wooden plank to hold it open and create an air pocket. Fortunately a little heat and air circulation will do the trick. Whether you ve got wet car carpet due to a heater core leak plugged ac drain plugged sunroof drain or a leaking windshield the drying and deodorizing steps are the same.

When moisture gets underneath the carpet a musty odor will form. Steps to take to dry wet car carpet. If your floorboards have an inch or more of standing water you ll want to use a wet dry vac to suck it out taking particular care to get into the nooks and crannies between the seats center console and armrests.