What to do about a musty car?
November 27, 2021 11:34 AM Subscribe
My 15 year old car smells musty and is a bit humid. I plan to buy a new one in 6-12 months. What can I do in the meantime to take care of the issue as much as possible, without sinking a ton of money into it?
I bought this car new in 2006. It’s running fine, but the smell is becoming an issue. Last year, I had some water jugs in the back that leaked, which I think is the origin of the problem. When that happened, I put a ton of moisture absorbers around the car, and it took care of maybe 95% of the moisture, but it’s felt a bit humid since then and I’ve noticed the musty smell more. The windows fog up a bit on the inside when I drive, so I keep them cracked. The AC ran out a year or two ago, and I live in a climate where I otherwise don’t really need it, but that is a barrier for removing more humidity. I want to buy a new car, but I need to save a bit more money, and the car inventory issues are also a problem.
Things I’ve tried:
-Keeping a rechargeable Eva-dry dehumidifier in the car
-Replacing the cabin air filter, which was mysteriously missing
-Buying an air freshener, which helped for about a month
I’m considering getting a full service interior detail and/or recharging the AC, but I’m on a pretty tight budget, so I only want to do those if they’re likely to help. Any ideas would be appreciated!
I bought this car new in 2006. It’s running fine, but the smell is becoming an issue. Last year, I had some water jugs in the back that leaked, which I think is the origin of the problem. When that happened, I put a ton of moisture absorbers around the car, and it took care of maybe 95% of the moisture, but it’s felt a bit humid since then and I’ve noticed the musty smell more. The windows fog up a bit on the inside when I drive, so I keep them cracked. The AC ran out a year or two ago, and I live in a climate where I otherwise don’t really need it, but that is a barrier for removing more humidity. I want to buy a new car, but I need to save a bit more money, and the car inventory issues are also a problem.
Things I’ve tried:
-Keeping a rechargeable Eva-dry dehumidifier in the car
-Replacing the cabin air filter, which was mysteriously missing
-Buying an air freshener, which helped for about a month
I’m considering getting a full service interior detail and/or recharging the AC, but I’m on a pretty tight budget, so I only want to do those if they’re likely to help. Any ideas would be appreciated!
A full service detail was the best thing for my musty 2000 toyota corolla. Tell the tech the problems and they will really deodorize and dry out the car so that it will last for at least a year.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 11:58 AM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 11:58 AM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
I left my car window open in a rainstorm years ago, I tried everything short of professional detailing to get the smell out. What finally worked was leaving a bunch of dryer sheets on the areas that got soaked (this was months later, they felt dry.) I came back a few days later and the smell was gone, and hasn’t come back. DampRid buckets also helped early on.
posted by jameaterblues at 12:06 PM on November 27, 2021
posted by jameaterblues at 12:06 PM on November 27, 2021
Put crystal cat litter in a sock. Tie off the sock. Place it in car. If you make several and put them in different areas of the car they should help. Putting them at the base of your front and back windows will also help with fogging.
Crystal cat litter is silica gel. Also useful for drying flowers, phones, or anything you want to desiccate!
posted by irisclara at 12:38 PM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
Crystal cat litter is silica gel. Also useful for drying flowers, phones, or anything you want to desiccate!
posted by irisclara at 12:38 PM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
I'd be suspicious that water is getting into the car somehow, even if you did have an incident in the past--after a year, I wouldn't expect a single spill to still have such a dramatic effect. Things to look for:
1. Is the floor of the car wet anywhere? If possible, lift the carpeting in different spots (driver and passenger side, front and back, in the trunk/cargo compartment) and check for dampness or mold. This is usually where water winds up if it's entering the car without your permission, and the location can be a clue to where it's coming from.
2. Could rain be getting in through a seal? This could be a door, a window, or even the trunk. The seal could be torn, missing, or packed with debris (leaves, for instance) in a way that allows water to seep through.
3. It sounds like your AC is low on coolant but otherwise functional, so I would still look into whether there could be a clogged condensation drain. Even if you don't switch on the AC anymore the car may be attempting to run it (albeit weakly) when you turn on the defogger, even when the heat is on, in order to blow dry air and clear the windows. If it's still able to do this but the drain is plugged the moisture will never leave the car (and may wind up in the carpeting around the drain).
posted by pullayup at 12:55 PM on November 27, 2021 [6 favorites]
1. Is the floor of the car wet anywhere? If possible, lift the carpeting in different spots (driver and passenger side, front and back, in the trunk/cargo compartment) and check for dampness or mold. This is usually where water winds up if it's entering the car without your permission, and the location can be a clue to where it's coming from.
2. Could rain be getting in through a seal? This could be a door, a window, or even the trunk. The seal could be torn, missing, or packed with debris (leaves, for instance) in a way that allows water to seep through.
3. It sounds like your AC is low on coolant but otherwise functional, so I would still look into whether there could be a clogged condensation drain. Even if you don't switch on the AC anymore the car may be attempting to run it (albeit weakly) when you turn on the defogger, even when the heat is on, in order to blow dry air and clear the windows. If it's still able to do this but the drain is plugged the moisture will never leave the car (and may wind up in the carpeting around the drain).
posted by pullayup at 12:55 PM on November 27, 2021 [6 favorites]
Clean every cloth surface (and the carpet, including as much under the seats as you can access). This can be as simple as using a damp cloth and working the nap of the fabric. Apply febreeze or a similar product, then use a box fan (or other) to circulate air in the car for at least a few hours, and overnight if possible. If you have cloth floor mats, clean them with soap and water and let them dry completely. Also seconding putting odor-absorbing material in the car and determining whether or not there's a leak.
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 1:07 PM on November 27, 2021
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 1:07 PM on November 27, 2021
I agree with pullayup about possible leaks. Also when I hear about fogged up windows I wonder about a leaking heater core. Look for a damp spot in the passenger side carpet. Also, it has a certain smell, plus not good to breathe.
posted by H21 at 2:52 PM on November 27, 2021
posted by H21 at 2:52 PM on November 27, 2021
Crystal cat litter is silica gel. Also useful for drying flowers, phones, or anything you want to desiccate!
And it can be reactivated after use, too, if desiccation is all it's been used for and it's starting to lose its dampness slurping power. Spread it out on an oven tray and leave it on a low bake (90°C) for an hour or so, then tip it into a sealable, boilproof container to cool down.
posted by flabdablet at 3:58 PM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
And it can be reactivated after use, too, if desiccation is all it's been used for and it's starting to lose its dampness slurping power. Spread it out on an oven tray and leave it on a low bake (90°C) for an hour or so, then tip it into a sealable, boilproof container to cool down.
posted by flabdablet at 3:58 PM on November 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
If you can regularly park the car in a garage and roll down the windows, that should help.
posted by coberh at 5:40 PM on November 27, 2021
posted by coberh at 5:40 PM on November 27, 2021
If your seals are leaking and letting water into the trunk, you can drill holes in the floor of the trunk for the water to drain out. DO NOT DRILL INTO THE GAS TANK. You can find the layout online to see where it is.
(27 yo Acura w 421k)
posted by toodleydoodley at 9:44 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
(27 yo Acura w 421k)
posted by toodleydoodley at 9:44 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Yeah, seconding puyallup's thought that this is probably due to leaking seals rather than a single incident many months ago.
Look at your spare tire or under your trunk liner. Is there water? Also try pressing in all of the footwells (where the passengers put their feet, especially in the back). Is it damp when you press?
If so, google something like "name and year of your car + leak" and you might come across some forum posts of people trying to fix this problem. You can also spray water on the car and see if it collects in one of those places.
A fix here usually involves putting silicone goo (for small gaps) or waterproof tape (for larger areas) over the relevant places. And the origin of the leak could be anywhere: exterior welds (like under the rubber trim where the roof meets the door frame), the inside of the doors, the trunk opening, even taillights.
If you're not handy yourself, you could hire someone to do it for you. But find the leak (or multiple leaks) yourself first, as that's the part that takes time, and then hire someone to patch it up, which shouldn't take too long.
posted by danceswithlight at 11:58 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Look at your spare tire or under your trunk liner. Is there water? Also try pressing in all of the footwells (where the passengers put their feet, especially in the back). Is it damp when you press?
If so, google something like "name and year of your car + leak" and you might come across some forum posts of people trying to fix this problem. You can also spray water on the car and see if it collects in one of those places.
A fix here usually involves putting silicone goo (for small gaps) or waterproof tape (for larger areas) over the relevant places. And the origin of the leak could be anywhere: exterior welds (like under the rubber trim where the roof meets the door frame), the inside of the doors, the trunk opening, even taillights.
If you're not handy yourself, you could hire someone to do it for you. But find the leak (or multiple leaks) yourself first, as that's the part that takes time, and then hire someone to patch it up, which shouldn't take too long.
posted by danceswithlight at 11:58 PM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Dolley at 11:53 AM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]