How to Restore a Moldy Car Interior
Leaky windows, coffee spills and living in a humid environment are all factors that can contribute to a moldy car interior. Remember, because mold is a living organism, you are not only cleaning, you are killing. This requires a strong cleaning solution that can be made easily with two powerful and basic ingredients: bleach and water.
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Things You'll Need
- Three or four clean rags
- 1/4 cup bleach
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups of hot water
- Empty spray bottle
Instructions
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Prepare your cleaning solution. Dilute a 1/4 cup of color-safe bleach with 3 cups of water. Put this mixture in a clean, empty spray bottle that does not have any chemical residue from other cleaning agents. Make sure the bottle has not held ammonia products and does not have any traces of ammonia.
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Begin by cleaning out the interior of the car. Take out any personal belongings and remove floor mats. Vacuum the car thoroughly. Make sure there are no crumbs or loose trash. You want a clean surface to wash.
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Next, use the simple bleach cleaning solution to clean the dashboard, steering wheel, and any other plastic surface. Although the mildew and mold is most likely located in the fabric of the seat cushions, it is important to eliminate any other sources of mold.
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Spray a clean rag with the bleach solution rather than directly spraying the seats and cushions themselves. Scrub the seats with the bleach solution rag. You do not want to soak the seats, but you want to be sure that the bleach solution makes contact with mold and mildew spores.
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When you have thoroughly cleaned the surfaces with the bleach solution, use very hot water to "rinse" the surfaces. The purpose of the bleach solution is to kill the spores, but you do not want bleach to remain on the surface of your seats. You can rinse effectively without soaking the seats by using a clean rag with very hot water on it. Ring the rag out to avoid soaking the seats.
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Finally, once the bleach is thoroughly rinsed from the seats, use a spray that neutralizes odor to eliminate any lingering mold smell as well as the bleach smell. If it is a nice day out, leave the car doors open to ensure that the seats dry. (Moisture is necessary for the growth of mold spores, so be sure to allow the seats to dry thoroughly before using the car to reduce the possibility of mold growing again.)
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