How to get rid of mold smell?


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Old 08-25-05, 10:08 AM
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How to get rid of mold smell?

98 Plymouth Breeze, 50k miles
The car was flooded last summer. With replaced engine it has been running fine. But the mold smell is still the same. I heard that the only way to remove the smell is to get rid of the carpet and put in a new one. I would like to hear from pros/experienced owners before spending $100+ for a new molded carpet. I am going to do it myself. Thank you.
 
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Old 08-25-05, 10:11 AM
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The only way to get rid of it is to use strong disinfectants that won't take the color out of the carpet. soke the carpets hard and wet/dry vac them dry. you may need to do it a few times, most people just replace the carpet because it is quick and easy
 
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Old 08-25-05, 10:58 AM
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You may be able to salvage the carpets, but it's the under-the-carpet stuff that is loaded and needs to be removed

First you must remove all the carpet, you'll have to do that anyway to try and save the carpet
Next you must remove all the underlayment, sound deadener etc...
These are shot and contaminated, you may need to wear a mask, I hope they are not too bad
You will then want to soak the floor with a mildecide
Lysol spray works just fine in this case

After it's dry, you'll need new sound deadener
New stock-type or (non-musty) used would work
You may want to consider upgrading and purchasing some good stuff
This can be purchased in sheets at most auto parts stores

To salvage the rug:
Simple Green, an upholstery brush, and a power washer
Lots of scrubbing
Be careful with the power washing, it's easy to go overboard and take the mold (the good kind, as in molded carpet) out
Yeah you want to take the mold out but not take the mold out lol
Usually Simple Green will not bleach out you carpet, and hopefully most of the smell is in the liners

The only other thing is there is a chance the mildew did not get to the liners and is just in the carpet
I doubt it, but there are points in this project that you can stop and make that determination
If the carpet is out and stinks, and the underlayment shows no signs of mildew, musty smells, odd grey/black/reddish/yellowish/whitish dust, then maybe, just maybe it didn't get to it
I think I would replace it anyway at that point, but it may not be "needed" so to speak
 
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Old 08-25-05, 03:00 PM
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This is 20/20 hindsight, but for the benefit of others, if you could have have talked an auto body shop into sticking it in their paint-baking booth for a couple of hours you may have headed off the mold/smell. Of course, there were so many soggy vehicles down here last year, that might have been tough to do.
 
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Old 08-25-05, 04:05 PM
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Thanks for the replies. The car was driven into a deep puddle and the engine got flooded and engine block cracked. The car was not submerged under water. The liner was not wetted at all. Just the carpet. Replacement engine and labor cost $1000.

Thanks for the idea of drying a wet car in a paint booth. At that time, even though I had known it, I probably would not have done it since I was debating whether or not to spend money on it. But the info might come handy in the future. Thanks.
 
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Old 08-26-05, 05:06 AM
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If you're up in the panhandle, you might get a chance in a couple of days.

Could be worse, of course; you could be this guy:

http://www.mastertowing.com/pics001.htm
 
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Old 08-26-05, 05:28 AM
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Originally Posted by the_tow_guy

Could be worse, of course; you could be this guy:

http://www.mastertowing.com/pics001.htm
Ooops
I'll bet you've seen some good ones huh Tow Guy?

From the wording of the first post, I assumed this was in fact the case
Though it was only spirited puddle jumping I still have my doubts about the underlayment
But as I mentioned the carpet must come out to be salvaged anyway, so that's the time to check it
 
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Old 09-04-05, 06:47 PM
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Just want to thank slickshift. As coached, I removed the carpet. Discarded padding. Soaked the molded moldy carpet with lysol/water/soap solution. Carpet dried overnight. Lysol rinse to remove moldy residue from floor and plastic trims. Bought polyurethane 1" padding from a fabric shop. Glued padding with spray adhesive. Put the carpet back in.

No smell whatsoever. Total cost=$19 polyurethane padding (not foam) + $4 spray adhesive + $2 lysol = $25. My unskilled labor=6 hours. Thank you for telling me I didn't have to replace the carpet. Had I bought a new one, I would have had to trim the edges (more labor). Saved money and time with your tips. Thanks again, slickshift.
 
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Old 09-04-05, 07:08 PM
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You're welcome, I'm glad it worked out
Thanks for the update
 
 

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