After a big rain here i noticed my rear passenger area has a wet floor. This is not the first rainstorm the car has weathered, but it’s the first time I’ve been aware (stinky sneaker smell) of the problem. Any idea where this is coming in. Can I use a dilute bleach solution on the seats and floor carpets?
I’d check the door seals, the door drains, the sunroof drains, the HVAC drain, and the rear hatch seal. Is the cargo area behind the seat wet, too?
The trouble with water on the floor is, it soaks right through the carpet and gets absorbed by the padding underneath. Unless you remove the carpet and padding, and dry the padding, the water will stay where it is and mold will start to grow.
There is not a shop vac on the planet that will extract water from beneath the carpet. The padding has to come out to dry completely.
First you have to find the source of the water, however.
Could also be leaking around the tail light housings.
I don’t know what to tell you to get rid of the smell, maybe baking soda but I wouldn’t use bleach no matter how much you dilute it. It will take the color out.