Hey guys, last night I forgot to close the window so this morning my dad was greeted with ice and snow on the passenger side of the car. I was served a dish of bitching. Does anyone know how I can clean this up. I don't want the car to end up stinking up because of the water rotting from the snow and ice. I'm going to clean my leather tonight with Lexol hoping that would help. How should I clean the carpets? Thanks for the advice ahead of time!

 

Extraction would be appropriate.......Even with a Shop Vac type. If you have a large fan, that would also help.....

 

What exceldetail stated

Water stains
If there is a stain because the water has dried in the middle of a piece of leather, it has a clear point of demarcation to the rest of the leather; reduce that point of demarcation by wetting the entire cushion or area out to a seam or edge.

Take a bowl of room temp water and a clean sponge, soak the sponge wring it as dry as possible and starting at the spot dampen the leather and move the sponge to the edges of the cushion, allowing the moisture to become less and less as you get further from the spot. Do not scrub, just gently wipe.
Do not soak the leather just get it damp enough at the stain to release the stain and wet the rest of the leather so that the entire cushion can dry uniformly across the cushion rather than in that one spot. Water has a tendency to dry leather's natural oils, so apply a conditioner after getting rid of the stain.

If its effected the whole seat dry (gently) with low heat (hairdryer)

 

Extraction is the first thing. Shop vac, or even one of those Bissell carpet cleaners that you get from Costco, Target, etc. Even absorbent towels if you have none of the above. Once most of the water is up, I also run the car with AC and heat on full blast, windows closed, and the warm, dry dehumidified air takes out the rest.

Running the car for an hour is not overkill.

 

i dont think itll smell... i left my sunroof open all nite wen it rained 1 time. came out n my car was soakedd. wiped it up n used some lexol cleaner n conditioner and its been fine since. no smell or ne thing.

 

Well thanks guys. My brother cleaned it with Lexol today so it's fine. It feels dry inside now which is great. The lock knob wouldnt go down before because it was stuck with ice. Now it's fine. A small part of my butt still feels cold even with the heated seat on high. Might just be left over water. Thank you all!!!!

 

The water will only cause odours when it almost dry, JIC

Mildew / Mould:
Mould uses enzymes to digest nutrients from organic materials, the mould forms on top of the material and also down into its fibres leaving circular or black spots in an irregular pattern Dirt and moisture are essential to mildew propagation, suggest you wear appropriate safety glasses, respirators; etc inhalation of mould could be very detrimental to your health. Remove the seats and thoroughly clean the carpet with a carpet cleaner and a disinfectant. Then let it air dry, ensuring that it is completely dry.
The carpet backing will absorb the most, spray the affected areas with a disinfectant (both the carpet backing and the carpet) clean the carpet using steam extractors upholstery attachments, and then re-install the seats, to eliminate the bacteria that create mildew:
Methodology
•Use a medium soft brush and a 4:1 solution distilled water / Ammonia and then rinse with cool clean water
•For tough stains use a mixture of one (1 tspn) teaspoon Ammonia / quarter (0.25) cup Hydrogen Peroxide / three (0.75) cup distilled water and then rinse with cool clean water
•Once fabric is dry apply a fabric protection (303TM High Tech Fabric Guard)
•As with all smell and odour removal check the cabin air filter, change as necessary
•Finally use an air sanitizer/freshener (Valuguards Odor Eliminator) that quickly removes odours from the air.
•Eliminate the musty smell and corrosion with Eastman’s Zone Dry an odour-neutralizing mineral, which absorbs 100% of its weight in moisture, with a coloured tab to let you know when it needs replacement? This type of product absorbs odours, eliminates stale musty air, and will reduce any noxious oil or gasoline fumes.