Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice

How to dry wet car carpet

Here’s how to dry wet car carpet

Whether you’ve got wet car carpet due to a heater core leak, plugged AC drain, plugged sunroof drain or a leaking windshield the drying and deodorizing steps are the same. In fact, the steps to dry a car carpet are not different than drying the carpet in your home after a water leak or sewer backup.

Steps to take to dry wet car carpet

You can’t dry out wet car carpet until you first dry out the padding. Trust me, if you think you can vacuum out all the water with a wet vac, you’re just kidding yourself. You’ll have mold and mildew growing within a few days and your car will stink!

Step 1: If your car has airbags, DISCONNECT the negative battery disconnect negative battery cable before removing car seatcable before you proceed. The passenger seat will have airbag or seatbelt sensor switches that must be disconnected. You don’t want to do that with the battery connected.

Step 2: Remove the seat. It’s much easier than you think. Seats are held in place with just four bolts. Remove the plastic grim covering the seat rails. Then remove the bolts, disconnect the electrical connectors and remove the seat from the vehicle.

Step 3: Peel back the carpet to expose the padding.

Step 4: Remove the padding. You may have to cut off the wet section. If you have a dry sunny day, you can try laying the wet padding in the sun to dry it. Flip the padding over during the day to make sure it dries from both sides. Once dry, move on to the deodorizer and mold killer step.

Step 5: Shampoo the padding and carpet using a deodorizing and wet car carpetmold killing additive. Rent a carpet cleaning machine from any home center store.

Step 6: Repeat the padding drying step by laying it in the sun. Dry the car carpet by placing a large fan inside the vehicle.

Step 7: Treat the metal floorboard with a rust preventative aerosol spray. Then reinstall the padding. Tape the cut seam using carpet tape.

Step 8: Reinstall the carpet and tuck under all plastic trim.

Step 9: Reinstall the seat

Step 10: Reconnect the negative battery terminal.

©, 2018 Rick Muscoplat

Posted on by Rick Muscoplat

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