Tips on How To Get a Mildew Smell Out of Your Car

Nobody likes sitting in a musty car. It can be distracting, uncomfortable, and just downright embarrassing if you’re driving with passengers on board. Unfortunately, getting rid of that unpleasant smell isn’t always easy. Spraying cologne or using an air freshener won’t always work, so how exactly do you get that funky mildew smell out of your car?

How To Remove a Mildew Smell From Your Car?

Throwing out spoiled food and wiping up coffee stains from your car might be easy, but getting rid of the musty smell they left behind can get a bit tricky. Here are some tips you can try to deodorize your car:

Air Out Your Vehicle

Wondering how to get rid of the musty smell in your car without spending any money? You can just let the fresh air do all the work for you by rolling down your windows and cracking your doors open.

Any excess moisture in your car should go away after a few hours, but if you want to speed up the process, you can also use a fan or a hair dryer to air it out faster.

Find the Source

Before you utilize a method of removing the mildew smell, you need to identify where it’s coming from. This can be difficult because mold is typically the cause of musty smells and mold spores can grow anywhere. That said, vehicle parts that frequently get wet or moist are prone to grow mold.

Floor mats can smell moldy because wet shoes can easily get floor mats wet. Your seats can also be a place where mold can grow, especially if a passenger once spilled a drink or if they sweat a lot. Try to follow your nose to find the smell. This might be unpleasant, but removing the smell is going to be much easier if you can pinpoint the cause.

Mold can also grow in your vehicle’s A/C system. Parts like the evaporator and vents are regularly exposed to moisture and are a common culprit.

Spray Deodorizer in Your Vehicle

If you don’t mind spending a little money, you can also buy a car deodorizer of your choice. Car deodorizers are great at eliminating foul smells from your car, and they’re also easy to use. Just spray the deodorizer in your car, and wait for the musty smell to go away. If you were able to pinpoint the smelly part, spray the deodorizer directly onto it.

Use Anhydrous Calcium Chloride

Anhydrous calcium chloride is a type of chemical that can melt snow on highways and absorb moisture from the air. It’s typically sold in the form of small, white granules in a sealed container.

You’ll have to be extra careful when using anhydrous calcium chloride, as it can burn holes through your clothes, car seats, and other upholstery. Make sure to follow the instructions on the product’s packaging, and leave it in your cupholder or somewhere it won’t tip over.

Use Baking Soda

One common household ingredient you can use to get rid of the funky smell in your car is baking soda. It can deodorize and even remove stains from your fabric seats, carpets, and other upholstery. Just apply it on any dirty areas, and wait for 20 minutes before washing it off.

Clean Upholstery With Detergent

If the moldy smell has seeped into your seats and other upholstery, then you’ll have to use something a little stronger than baking soda. It’s time to take a trip to the nearest grocery store and grab a bottle of laundry detergent.

Just like how it deodorizes and disinfects your dirty clothes, laundry detergent can also clean your dirty upholstery. Just be sure to use a mild detergent, as some can contain chemicals that are too harsh for your car interior.

Hire a Professional Cleaner

If all else fails, you can always hire a professional cleaner to help you get rid of the mildew smell. A professional cleaner will know exactly how to get the mold smell out of your car, with some auto detailers specializing in removing molds from all types of vehicles.

Mildew Smell Causes

The secret to learning how to get rid of the mildew smell in your car is also learning what causes it. In most cases, the culprit behind the bad smell is water, which will often find its way into your car during the following scenarios:

Spoiled Food or Drinks

If you’re always busy and on the go, then it’s all too easy to forget about your empty takeout boxes and leave them in your car. Unfortunately, this can cause mold and other bacteria to grow in your car. This is also true for any spilled drinks that can soak into your car seats and carpet.

Rain and Snow

During rainy or snowy weather, you and your passengers will often track water and mud into your car. Your floor mats and carpets don’t dry quickly, and you’ll often have to leave them to dry overnight. Unfortunately, this traps the evaporated water in your cabin, causing it to stick to your upholstery.

Water Leaks

During rainy weather, you’ll want to make sure your trunk, windows, and doors are all sealed shut. Any loose or cracked seals can let rain enter your cabin, soaking your upholstery and causing your interior to smell like mold.

Faulty A/C System

Is the moldy smell coming from your air vents? Because if it is, then a clogged A/C system might be the cause. Your A/C system relies on an evaporator to remove moisture from the air inside your car. If the evaporator’s drain tube is clogged, the moisture will find its way back into your cabin and end up soaking your upholstery.

In some cases, your evaporator can also get stuck in recirculate mode, preventing it from drying completely and allowing mildew to grow.

Your Vehicle’s Moldy Smell Can Affect Your Health

If you think you can just ignore your vehicle’s moldy smell, you should also consider that mold growth can affect your health, especially if you spend a considerable amount of time in your vehicle. Mold creates spores, which can cause respiratory and skin irritation, lung infections, wheezing asthma, shortness of breath, and fever.

How To Prevent a Moldy Smell

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the funky smell in your cabin, it’s time to ask yourself how you can stop it from happening again.

Cleaning your A/C system, carpets, and other upholstery regularly is a great place to start, but it isn’t going to be enough if the moldy smell is a result of water leaks in your car. You’ll have to repair any damaged seals on your windows, doors, or trunk to make sure water can’t enter your cabin anymore.

On sunny days, you can also leave your windows rolled down so that the excess moisture in your car can evaporate.