My car has not been running for most of the summer. I am trying to track down the problem as time allows…which isn’t much! Anyway, last week I went out there after about a month or so and much to my dismay found mold / mildew in my interior. Steering wheel, seat belts, dash, console, etc.

Has anyone had this issue and dealt with it successfully? I put a post in the car care section, but all I got was responses from the dealers trying to sell me their product. Which is great, but I would like to hear from someone who has actually dealt with the problem.

Thanks in advance,
-Rick

 

Wow that's a bummer man! I hope you can work it out...

Out of curiosity did you do anything to prep it for storage?

 

[QUOTE=j-vette;1575201923]
Out of curiosity did you do anything to prep it for storage?

QUOTE]

Not really. Technically it wasn't in storage. Just down for repair. It was in my garage under the cover. Which is how she always sits when not in use.

 

Really? It was garaged? You are making me nervous cause that's where I keep mine.

 

What kind of cover did you use?

If it wasn't the type that 'breathes' then you're going to get condensation build up, and mold if you live in a humid area.

 

This summer has been murder..I put some absorbant in the car..the kind you put in boats.

 

The cover is breathable. I have been using it since 2003!!!! I think where I went wrong was I left the garage windows open one night. I think it let the humid air in.........(so don't worry j-vette!)

Yes, I am going to put the absorbent buckets in it from now on.

I still need to figure out how to save her!!!

 

I'm new, so forgive my unbridled enthusiasm...I'm usually cruising for the answers to MY questions.

First, make sure the car is dry NOW! Park it in the sun, heater on, whatever. You need to dry up as much m&m as you can.

Now, obviously I have NO idea how bad the mold mildew is, so you will have to use your own judgment here as you go through the car, but if it's just kind of fuzzy and wipes off but you can still see it (know what I mean?) this should help.

Start with plain water, vinegar, (1:1 Vinegar kills the m&m) and lots of soft cloths. Wring out the cloths well, they just need to be damp. Get as much off as you can off of everything, then you'll be able to see what is left to actually clean. Some people told me to vac first, but I wanted to make sure I was cleaning where it was, and I was afraid I would miss somewhere if all the loose and visible stuff came up.

For the hard surfaces, use a stiff paint brush, which gets in the cracks and won't scratch and a skinny shopvac nozzle (kind of like the dentist, when they spray water and suck it back up) and get off the fuzzy stuff out of the cracks. Follow that with a soft damp cloth. You may have to do it a couple of times. USUALLY the hard plastics and such are relatively unaffected and wipe clean easily, but check in all the cracks to make sure you got everything.

You can use glycerin saddle soap--plain bar--on the leather. Use a soft damp cloth to work it in, wipe it off, repeat if you need to. Use a soft paint brush to get in the seams. Lots of commercial leather "cleaning" products will leave a sticky or slippery residue that doesn't come off on your hands or clothes or anything, but feels icky when you touch it. Plain saddle soap won't do that. It feels weird when you're done, but it's because there is no coating on the leather. The soap should get off most of it, then use a damp cloth and make sure that you wipe down everything you soaped. Don't freak if you think it "dried", just wipe it with a soft damp cloth. It doesn't COVER like many car products, it cleans, so then you will need to protect with whatever you normally use. If the m&m left spots on the leather, you may have to dye it, cuz they won't come off. The substance will, but the stain is forever.

For the seatbelts, resist the urge to use any kind of cleaning product other than vinegar (we were told this, it seems to work) because they will weaken the seat belts. Makes sense to me. Now, Elvira is black on black, and nothing happened to her carpet or belts that wasn't already faded. BUT, depending on what you have going on, SOMETIMES vinegar can cause a little color fade. You need to know that, but really, you don't have a lot of choice because the only true cure for mold & mildew is bleach and you can't use that. Dip the rag in vinegar and water (start with 1:1), pull that seatbelt out all the way and give it a thorough rub down, then a "rinse" with plain water and assess. You won't get off any more unless you scrub with a brush, so for that take them out. It probably won't do much more. I have been told that if the mildew spots that do not come off cover a contiguous area of any size (but of course not what size--I'm guessing an inch?) that the mildew will continue to rot the belt and you should replace it for safety.

For the carpets, vacuum them first and then use a handheld hot water carpet cleaner with 1:1 vinegar water until the rinse water comes up not so green brown, then use a carpet cleaner (I love FOLEX) and then shopvac them dry. If you think that there is still m&m under the carpets (and there could be) you will need to get a pro or take them up yourself. You'll know. I'm guessing not because the car wasn't wet (like a boat), just exposed to humidity...it won't be as bad as our boat.

You will know as you go how bad it REALLY is, and whether or not you should call in the $200/hour car detailers. You may have caught it in time. The important thing is, park her in the sun again and turn the heater on and roast that interior dry. And store her with the “dries the air” from now on .

 

Thanks Zuruduckydoo!!! I apreciate the reply. I will get to work!!!

 

 

What color is the dash, and what does the mildew look like on it?

I have a 90 with black interior. I put a towel down on the dash when doing the engine and found some white stuff on the dash when I removed the towels.

I just cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and used shoe polish on it and it looks brand new.

I have pulled mildew out of carpet with a rented rug doctor and the soap they sell at store like home depot, vons, etc... Had a huge fish tank that got water under it unknown to me. When I moved it looked like it F'd the carpet 2'x7'. Used the rug doc and only a small spot of faint dark was left in tan carpet.

The air here is usually pretty dry so I dont really have much to offer up as far as keeping it parked.

 

Thanks Bill!

 

my c-6 shows signs of mildew. Its a white powder like substance
on the dash and doors. Beige parts of the door panels seem to be
worst. On the dash around the seams mostly. The car is in an
attached enclosed garage, so not exposed to any elements. Not
the house because it was doing it at the old house and now at the
new. My C-5 never did this and was in a similar environment.
Too me it seems to be that hard plastic GM uses on the door panels
now. Its rough look (kinda cheapest). I know this car also has
a musty smell when start up from the A/c. Car is rarely driven
and never in the rain so can't be from putting up wet.

I just went down to wal mart and brought some of that interior stuff
not sure of the name but like amorall. Soak the H out of it. figured
oilish base might keep the mildew down

 

do what zuruduckydoo said..

then this worked for my boat... get some coffee grounds, put it in a canister (with holes), and hide them around the car, like under seats etc. leave it there for a couple weeks.

believe it or not, it works. (at least it did on my boat).

 

Boy what a bummer. I've had my '93 under cover,(Wolf Evolution 3) outside since November '09. I was working on the heater core and then had to stop due to hand surgery in April and after the hand was out of the cast in June went right to work until it was finished. Never had any mold at all. Did have a spider who "Met his Maker", that's it though.

 

Forgot about the coffee grounds..yeah, that does work too, like dries the air, but we used it when I was pregnant and for some reason the coffee smell really got to me...love it now, but then, um, not so much...

cicch95, how goes it?

 

I had mold in my car last year, I found Simple Green at full strength got rid of it with out any problem. Also take the top of the car and let it sit in the sun to make sure it gets dried out.

 

I found that armorall promotes mildew on cars that are not used, I've been dealing with it for years, I clean it off a month later there it is again.
It helps to leave the windows a crack open and a breathable cover so air runs thru.
you're not alone, it happens to all cars on long storage.

 

I feel for ya, hope you get it solved. I have lived in the humid South all my life, MS, AL, FL, and havent experienced what you have described. I even had my carpets soaked numerous times when I forgot to cover my Vette. Just dried it out and put the cover back on with no problems. I guess I drive it once a month or so and have no a/c so it gets a lot of humidity in it. You must have some kind of mold spore source in and around your garage so I would look further after you clean up and kill it everywhere you find anything. I dont know how you would check the a/c ducting but there may be something hiding there too.

Good luck!