# Mold cleanup/water damage and how the mighty have fallen **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 11, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560 "2008-07-11T19:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![travel\_pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@travel\_pig](https://community.cartalk.com/u/travel_pig)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/1 "2008-07-11T19:18:50Z")
In a superb display of brilliance, I managed to leave the sunroof open in my 03 Acura TL during a torrential downpour in a very humid DC in July. It took days to dry out. I threw out mats, shampooed and wetvacced the carpet. wiped off the leather seats. All is well EXCEPT when i roll down my windows. That is when I smell mold. Any suggestions on the source and how to clean it up? ---
**Author:** ![AlanY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@AlanY](https://community.cartalk.com/u/AlanY)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/2 "2008-07-11T19:54:34Z")
Your heating and A/C system may harbor the mold you smell. You could run some spray disinfectant or mold killer through the system with the fan on high. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/3 "2008-07-11T22:44:36Z")
Why does having the windows down agravate the situation? It would seem windows up would be worse.My idea as to the source is carpet/padding still wet. ---
**Author:** ![mshugna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@mshugna](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mshugna)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/4 "2008-07-11T22:57:13Z")
If you smell mold with the windows down and not up, then the smell must be coming from inside the doors … ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/5 "2008-07-12T02:57:05Z")
Wet vacs are not enough. The padding under the carpet is still wet, and until you remove it an dry it you will have a moisture problem. You cannot get the moisture out of the padding unless you remove it from the vehicle and dry it separately. There is not a shop vac strong enough to extract this moisture from under the carpet. I don’t understand why you smell it when your windows are down. That is exactly opposite of what I would expect. However, I stand by my theory. Lift a corner of the carpet and stick your had under it. I bet you will feel dampness in the padding underneath. Been there, done that. It’s not easy to dry the padding, but it can be done. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/6 "2008-07-12T03:31:26Z")
I agree with the carpet padding diagnosis and as painful as it may be, sometimes it’s best to remove the carpet from the car and in some cases replace the padding. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/7 "2008-07-12T12:33:55Z")
Try removing your door inner panels and see if there’s mold there. The panels themselves may be made out of a material that provides a good growing surface. ---
**Author:** ![hallkbrdz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/46a35a/32.png) [@hallkbrdz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hallkbrdz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/8 "2008-07-12T19:24:57Z")
Take a vacation to Arizona. Park the car with the windows down a sunroof open for a week. It will dry out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![travel\_pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@travel\_pig](https://community.cartalk.com/u/travel_pig)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/9 "2008-07-23T15:58:34Z")
Awesome! What a great reply! The only problem with that is then I’d probably be tempted to move to Arizona permanently! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![travel\_pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@travel\_pig](https://community.cartalk.com/u/travel_pig)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/10 "2008-07-23T15:59:02Z")
Thanks for the input! I now have a fun weekend project ---
**Author:** ![travel\_pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@travel\_pig](https://community.cartalk.com/u/travel_pig)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/11 "2008-07-23T15:59:32Z")
Thanks for the advice. I’ll give this a try this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![travel\_pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@travel\_pig](https://community.cartalk.com/u/travel_pig)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/12 "2008-07-23T15:59:58Z")
Thank you for the input - I’ll keep this in mind ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mold-cleanup-water-damage-and-how-the-mighty-have-fallen/16560/13 "2008-07-24T00:03:37Z")
I can personally testify that this will work. I inherited a decade-old 1984 Buick “Olympic Edition” Le Sabre with some musty carpet developed from a chronic leak. I drove it from CNY to Tucson where it drove it for 3 years, sparingly. No more musty smell, ever, even after I moved it back to more humid, rainy climes. I almost made it to the 2000 Olympics before it became clear that the car was suffering multiple organ failure.