How to prevent or eliminate mold in your car

Mold can grow quickly and aggressively. You know the damage it can do to anything it touches, and that includes your car. If water has soaked the interior of your vehicle, it is important to dry it quickly to prevent harmful spores from multiplying and to reduce the unpleasant odor created by mold.

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“Mold can form from an accidentally left open window or sunroof, spilled drink, flooding or a number of other causes, but the result tends to be be the same: if you don’t clean up the liquid, then you will end up with a damp and moldy smell, ” warns NAPA writer Nicole Wakelin.

Take action

If water or other liquid has seeped into your interior, take a towel or dry cloth to mop up the mess as soon as you can. If possible, use Mother Nature’s help to get your car to a drier state.

“If it’s hot without any sign of rain, parking in the sun and leaving the doors or windows open for the day can also help dry out the car,” Wakelin adds.

Use the right tool

If the towels or rags can’t absorb the amount, it’s time to pull or borrow a wet / dry vacuum. The machine can be unwieldy to operate, but it will do a more thorough job of ridding your carpet or fabric seats of moisture.

Apply a nail polish remover if necessary

Despite your best efforts to remove spilled water or beverage from your cabin, some liquid may remain. What is left or missing can fester into a stinky mess that only multiplies in a closed cabin. Now is the time to remove the chemical solution, a stain remover specifically designed for mold stains, adds Wakelin. Apply it to the stinky area (s) according to the product directions.

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These tips can help you keep your car interior looking its best.

DeAnn Owens is a transplant from Dayton via Windy City, but considers herself a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited once. To get through Miami Valley’s dreaded allergy season, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons and their newest Boston terrier puppy who now takes care of everything. their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles from DeAnn.