Moldy Vehicle Interior

[GSCJR]

After 16 months of storage, a significant of mold is present in the vehicle's, interior. It was stored with the windows closed and two dessicant containers inside. Enough mold was present, that the condo workers refused to enter the vehicle in order to move it. What are others here, doing to stop mold? Thanks in advance.

Original thread for reference: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/parking-a-vehicle-for-at-least-3-months.313772/

 

[JustinH]

I would consider buying a ozone machine and running it at 1 hour intervals with the ac running in recirculation mode.

They are about 40 bucks on ebay or amazon and they work well, use common cautions for working with ozone. You will want to remove the floor mats and wash those seperate.

 

[GSCJR]

Thank you for your response and I will look into one of those devices. I'm looking primarily for suggestions to prevent this from reoccurring.

 

[GSCJR]

With the lack of reponses to this thread it looks like BITOG has been beaten!

 

[GSCJR]

This is what was waiting for me after 16 months, so I spent all day cleaning it. I will post after pictures tomorrow.

 

[Egg_Head]

Looks like 3 months turned to 16. What cataclysmic event occurred in that back seat?

 

[zzyzzx]

Looks like 3 months turned to 16. What cataclysmic event occurred in that back seat?

I think you really know what happened there!!! (as I giggle).

 

[zzyzzx]

Thank you for your response and I will look into one of those devices. I'm looking primarily for suggestions to prevent this from reoccurring.

Park it someplace where is has a roof over it should work. Having written that, the pictures suggest that it's already in a garage???

 

[GSCJR]

Looks like 3 months turned to 16. What cataclysmic event occurred in that back seat?

Yes, due to the ongoing global situation, travelling was not a priority. Child seats were previously installed in the back seats, so who knows .

 

[GSCJR]

Park it someplace where is has a roof over it should work. Having written that, the pictures suggest that it's already in a garage???

You're correct, it's covered, yet open to the outdoors.

 

[zzyzzx]

You're correct, it's covered, yet open to the outdoors.

I'm guessing that the only way this could have happened is if there was a water leak that filled the spare tire place, or some other low spot in the car, and then it was parked. When left to sit all that tried to evaporate, but was trapped in the car and then you got the mold.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

Run an ozone machine in that for a few months and punt that thing down the road at an auction, I’d want to deep clean and/or replace anything porous in that car (including foam) but realistically I’d get rid of that car ASAP. Mold that bad makes me think there is some sort of leak going on.

 

[Propflux01]

That mold is beyond help. You might get rid of the externally seen mold, but it is well into the seat foam and will only return. it will never be safe. Just like a flooded house has to have its drywall replaced, as it cannot be thoroughly cleaned, this vehicle needs to be replaced.

 

[PandaBear]

Was the car in a flood or had a leak that was ignored? That mold is beyond help, you need to throw the seats and carpet / floor mat away and replace them with junkyard / ebay pull. Ozone or chlorine will not fix that. It is like dipping a moldy bread in vinegar will not get rid of the mold.

You would likely need to rip the roof foam and door foam out as well, maybe buying a crash totaled car of the same model to swap everything over is the better choice.

Wise that the condo people refuse to enter the car, that's a health hazard.

 

[1978elcamino]

Looks like the neighbors kid used it for prom night.

 

[RhondaHonda]

What do other cars in your area look like
when parked for long periods of time? Man that looks terrible and I agree I’d clean it, ozone it and get rid of it.

My in laws have a mini-split and some of the moisture bags in their south Florida garage to keep the humidity at bay in 3 vehicles parked for 5 months at a time. I know they’d get some mold in them if just parked but I don’t think it would be that bad, although 16 months is a long time so it’s a possibility.

 

[97prizm]

Most vehicles don't have mold build up like that there had to be moisture somewhere. I'd go and pick up some mold killer like Mold-X at home depot. Mold-X this is where I'd start. Use an appropriate respirator. Then steam clean the whole vehicle. Maybe add some desiccant packs to pull out the moisture.

 

[Cujet]

Yikes. That is horrible. It's a lot of work to properly clean mold. Detergent and hot water is effective.

As I am sure you know, bleach and peroxide can kill mold. However, those won't be a good solution for a car. Rubbing alcohol or more accurately, Isopropyl Alcohol and about 25% water make a good mold killer, but it won't kill the spores. It is a safe way to denature and dry the mold, for subsequent removal. Followed up by the use of Hydrogen Peroxide. The method is used by pro's to restore a sick-house.

A car is a bit of a different story, with plenty of hidden areas for mold to remain. It may be best if you remove the seats and carpet for some comprehensive cleaning.

 

[PimTac]

You will have to literally gut that car. All carpeting, seats, headliner, and the door panels. Even with all that the mold will be in places you cannot get to.

Your original thread on this was from 2019 and you mentioned it would be around three months. I suspect it sat a lot longer than that.

As others have mentioned, the car is well beyond a simple cleaning job and might be destined for the auto graveyard.

 

[thescreensavers]

Yikes, cleaning the top level mold will not be enough.. this likely requires professional help imo