Getting rid of mold in car. pls help.

[Kasino]

Theres mold everywhere in my car, I'm talking about seats, dashboard, doors, sets belts, carpets, etc.

does anybody know the best place to get rid of the mold and will they come back after time? I plan to start parking my car indoors to avoid any future molds.

[68style]

That shit is dangerous especially if it's black mold, I hope you're not in the car without some sort of breathing mask if it's gotten that bad.

I'm not sure there's much you can do if it's really bad, but I do know from some cars at work with minor mold issues that many detailing companies offer mold removal packages and will also ozone the car afterwards.... Maybe start by asking some questions of people in that industry.

Parking indoors helps but it doesn't solve the problem. You've got a serious leak somewhere.

[evlee]

what car is it? are you capable of removing interior panels?

try to find the source of the problem. it looks like you have a water leak problem. if you have a sunroof it may leak from up top (clogged drain tubes, dirty run channels). check for damaged weather seals around doors, taill lights, sunroof, trunk, engine fire wall gromets.

if your car has been in an accident. if the damage was for example the right side quarter panel. start at the back. check the trunk lid alignment to the body if the lid is not sitting even the rubber seal has inadequate contact so water will get in, that can also apply for doors. check tail light housing rubber seal for damage, if rubber seal is in good condition reinstall and make sure the nuts are screwed in tight but dont over do it.

if you are capable of stripping your interior (this could take a while) take off front and rear seats, carpet, centre console, trunk carpet. have a friend with a water hose spraying between door jams, trunk, taillights, sunroof. while you are inside with a flashlight inspecting sections of the interior for signs of water flow. once you have found the source of the water leak fix it or replace worn gaskets.

this is going to take awhile and patience is a verchu. water leak sucks balls. once you are sure that the water leak is fixed, steam clean interior panels, seats, wipe down anything affected by the mold.

if you are not comfortable with the required steps bring it to a reputable shop to get it done, BUT prepare to pay $$$ and dont expect the problem to be fix at all. thats why i would do it yourself if its worth your time.

[GS8]

Originally Posted by evlee

this is going to take awhile and patience is a verchu.

verchu

OP: Prolonged exposure to mold can mess you up bad. Keeping the car at this point seems detrimental to your health.

You should also worry about cross-contamination between your vehicle and anywhere you set foot in (your home / job / school etc.)

[Timpo]

bleach?

[Gerbs]

How does this happen in the first place?

[flagella]

verchu.... wow. Never seen that one before.

[tegra7]

Originally Posted by Gerbs

How does this happen in the first place?

Water leak.

[fliptuner]

Originally Posted by Gerbs

How does this happen in the first place?

Old bread

verchu.....

[Retrac]

Lol, phonetics. At least everyone understood 'virtue'.

[BoostedBB6]

Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) - this was a big one! - Professional Detailer's Studio - Detailing Bliss powered by Detailer's Domain

If you have real leather or any surface that is poris you are going to have a hard time. Above is a thread about mold removal from an old Mercedes. I've done a few but nothing that bad before.
Key things are mold cleaners. They actually make specific cleaner for interior of cars for this exact problem. I also used my steam cleaner A LOT to kill off the mold. It is VERY time consuming to properly rid it from the car and if its as bad as you say, its basically on ever surface of the car which means you need to treat every surface.

Without a steam cleaner I would not even bother trying to do such a job. I use a Dupray Hill Injection system but you can find far more reasonable home use ones.

If you can justify the $120 on a cheap unit that will do the job and great for around the home to, its well worth the while.
SteamFast Canister Steam Cleaner-SF-275 - The Home Depot

[Lomac]

I had a car sit over winter one year that ended up leaking and moulding the entire interior. Was actually cheaper and faster to simply tear out everything, disinfect the wiring and metal, and swap in a new interior. I don't like playing with mould, so I felt that was the safest route to go.

[Kasino]

I guess I have a much bigger problem than I think…

I have a 2007 RDX. Parked the car outdoor for 4 months and found out today that it has tons of hold on it. car had never been in an accident.

not sure what I should do at this point, I will be taking my new born baby around town with it too...

[westopher]

Did you buy the car new? I don't think a case as serious as you are talking about could be anything other than you buying a car thats been in a flood.

[CCA-Dave]

Meh, Grandpa worked with asbestos...painted with lead paint...lived to be 90. I've cleaned and restored 4 cars with mould in them. Green, white and even the dreaded black mould.

Steam cleaner, spray nine, various mould cleaners (always checked on a non-visible spot) and only soap and HOT water and/or steam cleaner on the seat belts. Everything has to be removed from the car to do it properly. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

-Dave

[VR6GTI]

Originally Posted by Kasino

I guess I have a much bigger problem than I think…

I have a 2007 RDX. Parked the car outdoor for 4 months and found out today that it has tons of hold on it. car had never been in an accident.

not sure what I should do at this point, I will be taking my new born baby around town with it too...

Pics?
If possible you should not be taking a new baby around in a vehicle with mold.
People would be surprised but this more common than you think. A lot people don't know they have a water leak and or mold in there vehicle.

[CCA-Dave]

Originally Posted by westopher

Did you buy the car new? I don't think a case as serious as you are talking about could be anything other than you buying a car thats been in a flood.

BC weather is MORE than enough to cause mould in a perfect vehicle without any issues. The constant damp, temperature fluctuations and stale are inside a car not being used is enough. Every time the temp drops and goes back up, you've introduced condensation and moisture in your car...even just a tiny/tiny amount. The moulds THRIVE in the every-so-slightly-damp condition it creates.

Seriously, you don't need to even have a leak in the vehicle (though that does help it happen faster).

-Dave

[fliptuner]

Which is why I have moisture absorbers in all my cars. Not only that but it also keeps you from having to defog your windows.

[westopher]

What is a good way to deal with moisture in a car to prevent such issues? My car smells fresh as a daisy, but I know there is too much moisture inside it by how foggy it gets fast.

[CCA-Dave]

Long drive's, get it good and hot inside to dry it out. Park it inside an insulated garage, windows down and heat up the garage to 15C or better over night. Last resort, moisture absorbing products. I don't like a lot of the 'vehicle' or RV ones as they are salts-based. I much prefer the Silca type that's poisonous and harder to obtain.

-Dave

[fliptuner]

What's wrong with the salt based ones?

[entrax]

i park my mr2 outside over the winter (not by choice) and bc weather is definitely enough to cause mold (white/green) to develop by simply not driving it.

last winter:
- parked in a shaded area, never got sun
- started to grow mold around steering wheel and seatbelt. it also started on portions of the leather seat where there were creases.
- damaged leather, gained a LOT of creases. i think the mold eats into it?
- upholstery cleaner = nope, not good enough imo.
- had to get the entire interior steam cleaned, i was too scared of mold so i steam cleaned it again after a week then had the ttops/doors all open and let it bake in the sun all week
- car was fine after

so far this winter i've avoided it:
- parked where the winter sun is directly pointing at the windshield
- once a week: blasting heat WITH a/c on (dries up the interior air 10min), blasting heat without a/c (dries out the evaporator 5min), blasting medium temp without a/c (5min), blasting air, no heat without a/c (this brings the outside air into the car).

so far, no funny smells, no sign of mold anywhere (also confirms that i killed off all mold from previous winter...)

rule of thumb: if the inside of your windshield has condensation due to temp fluctuations going from day/night, it's enough to create mold. if the condensation disappears when the sun hits it during the day, you might buy yourself about 2 weeks before it develops, but if it's outside, take care of it by airing it out weekly if not more

[dared3vil0]

Small but important thing, be sure to keep all the seals moisturized with silicon lubricant to prevent cracking and shrinking- I do this every oil change and as a result my car never has ANY condensation or fogging on the interior (knock on wood...)

[Kasino]

do you guys know where I can get my car steam cleaned???
I need some place where they will do a thorough job in cleaning out mold.

I don't want buy a new car

ill be keeping a moisture absorber in all my cars from now on...

[CCA-Dave]

Originally Posted by fliptuner

What's wrong with the salt based ones?

I drive classic cars, I'm not introducing salts into their environments if at all possible. Having said that, I have used them for very short periods and haven't seen any issues...I'm just not comfortable tossing them into a classic all winter and hoping it comes out okay on the other-side. One of those "haven't tested it, not going to risk it" cases where I could simply be ignorant to their safety.

-Dave