How to dry out the inside of a car?

[ManxMatt34]

Ok i parked my car on the sea front whilst i was at work tuesday, forgot the tide was going to be rather high with a powerful wind blowing into it.

I went to it at 3pm to move it closer to work (only allowed 2 hours where i work pain in backside).

I had to wait for a break in the waves which were going over the roof of the car and compeltly drowning it and ran to it jumped in being missed with a matter of seconds by a wave.

Anyway i got inside to find a lake in my car, so i spent all evening drying the lake with a mop. however the floor remains soaked, so how do i dry it, i tried running the car for over an hour full blast heating and it did next to nothing.

Any ideas?

P.s. dunno how it got wet inside, door was shut, no sunroof, windows were up, iwonder if the door seal is going because it looks like thats where the salt water was coming from once dried up.

[the_lone_wolf]

When I had the infamous "Ford Focus screen seal leak" I found on a cold dry night when the humidity is low if you get and extension lead and a normal houshold fan heater, put it in the car and leave it going for a few hours with the windows a couple inches open it tends to dry it out very well.

Obviously be aware of the fire risk and keep an eye on it...

[malks]

few options that spring to mind, put a couple of newspapers into each footwell, that should help draw some of the moisture to, then just remove and replace with new ones that are soaked.

can u put it in a garage at home? if so get a heater in the garage and have all the doors and boot lid left wide open over night to help dry out.

run an extension cord out to the car an put a heater inside with the windows open to let the moisture out, or put a dehumidifier in too too attract all the damp air.

or just put on water proofs and drive with the interior soaking wet, it'll be like riding the bike in the wet!

[ManxMatt34]

Ahaha, no the seats are dry, all the drivers side foot hold and under the seat is like a sponge, i mopped up the original lake until the mop was not essentially picking any water up, but i had about an inches worth of water covering the whole drivers side of the floor.

I'll give the paper and portable heater ideas ago... windows fully open or just abit to allow the air to rise out with the heater?

[skeetly]

YC's wood stove...........

[the_lone_wolf]

Ahaha, no the seats are dry, all the drivers side foot hold and under the seat is like a sponge, i mopped up the original lake until the mop was not essentially picking any water up, but i had about an inches worth of water covering the whole drivers side of the floor.

I'll give the paper and portable heater ideas ago... windows fully open or just abit to allow the air to rise out with the heater?

just enough to allow the hot air to escape, i found a couple of inches for each window front and back is OK, you want the car to be as warm inside as possible without risking the heater malfunctioning

[ManxMatt34]

just enough to allow the hot air to escape, i found a couple of inches for each window front and back is OK, you want the car to be as warm inside as possible without risking the heater malfunctioning

I can only open the front two windows, i'll do that a couple inches either side and let you know how i get on tomorrow evening, cheers Matt.

[Alpinestarhero]

Discussions on this matter with my colleuges lead to the suggestion of copious amounts of phosphorous pentoxide spread all over the place.

However, I don't think this would be a very good idea really.

Ummm...you can get one of those vax hoovers used for cleaning carpets, and suck the water up?

You'll have to take all the seats out really :(

[Kinvig]

Thread....worthless....photos......

[timwilky]

once you do dry it out sell it quick because it will now rust badly and quickly

[fizzwheel]

Can you not take the carpet out and then take it indoors to dry it out ?

If you can then do so, also there may be a rubber bung in the footwell that you can remove to let any excess water out of. If not and you still have a lake in the footwell then get a piece of pipe and siphon the water out. Might be easier than messing about with a mop...

You could also try seeing if you can get on of those room dehumidifier's into the car as that might well suck the excess moisture out.

[plowsie]

Wait there, am I missing the point here. You parked your car where it can get flooded by the sea front?

[_Stretchie_]

As a Land Rover owner I feel possibly more qualified to answer than some, water on the inside is a standard option on my car

; )

Can you not take the carpet out and then take it indoors to dry it out ?
You could also try seeing if you can get on of those room dehumidifier's into the car as that might well suck the excess moisture out.

That's what I was going to say. Get your seats out, get the carpet out and leave the carpet in your garage/house for about a week just to make sure it's dry, bang your seats back in and keep using the car if it's going to be easier.


Depending on where you live and how easy it is, run an extension lead into your car and get a small dehumidifier on the go in there over night/all day. I was able to shut the rear door with the cable going in so didn't have to leave a window open inviting people to have a go.

Wouldn't worry about rust mate, that'll only be a problem if this happens over and over again. Believe me, our Disco has been swimming quite often

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/Stretchie_/Disco/July%2009/DSC_5361Medium.jpg

and there's no rust YET. So this one off won't be an issue and Grunty's dad has been driving a boat trailer into the sea and not rinsing it off afterwards and it's taken years for the rust to be a problem

[dizzyblonde]

Do what my dad did with his old Ford Granada, which were infamous for gathering pools of water on the drivers side floorwell


Drill a hole in the floor:rolleyes:


and also in the boot, cause it did it in there as well:smt044

[suzsv650]

Whats wrong with goign for a drive with the heaters on flat out? Or leave it on the drive with the heaters on?

[Graciepants]

Whats wrong with goign for a drive with the heaters on flat out? Or leave it on the drive with the heaters on?

cos he said he did that and if made no difference? :smt108

[_Stretchie_]

Whats wrong with goign for a drive with the heaters on flat out? Or leave it on the drive with the heaters on?

That would take days, there is probably sound deadening stuff under the carpet too and that stuff does not dry out easily as it's usually a foam material with a rubber top. Needs to come out

[punyXpress]

Don't dry it out - yet!
Swill it out first to get rid of the salt or that will always attract moisture. One of the carpet shampoo gizmo ( without shampoo ) might do the trick and remove most of the water.
Then dehumidifier it.
Failing that, torch it & claim.

[the_lone_wolf]

One of the carpet shampoo gizmo ( without shampoo ) might do the trick and remove most of the water.

Beneres? Niko fuerto tipomagico - te carpet-shampoo-gizmo. Novello proboscis - molto molto kin agrophos. Vo, tidiaka mit functioni moronico. Te facilos action-pumpo! Zo, nea shopping, nea collo, te "carpet-shampoo-gizmo"

;)

[_Stretchie_]

Beneres? Niko fuerto tipomagico - te carpet-shampoo-gizmo. Novello proboscis - molto molto kin agrophos. Vo, tidiaka mit functioni moronico. Te facilos action-pumpo! Zo, nea shopping, nea collo, te "carpet-shampoo-gizmo"

;)


Butros Butros Gali











You found your keys yet

; )

[the_lone_wolf]

Butros Butros Gali











You found your keys yet

; )
SCORCHIO!!!

Not much happening on the keys front, was going to leave it a couple of days and see if anything got handed in...

[jimmy__riddle]

Discussions on this matter with my colleuges lead to the suggestion of copious amounts of phosphorous pentoxide spread all over the place.

However, I don't think this would be a very good idea really.

Ummm...you can get one of those vax hoovers used for cleaning carpets, and suck the water up?

You'll have to take all the seats out really :(

haha, yeah dry it out in a blaze! only had to dispose of it a couple of times, but its a slowly slowly job!

[maviczap]

Don't dry it out - yet!
Swill it out first to get rid of the salt or that will always attract moisture. One of the carpet shampoo gizmo ( without shampoo ) might do the trick and remove most of the water.
Then dehumidifier it.
Failing that, torch it & claim.

+1 this is what I did when my washing machine flooded downstairs. Except for the torching part :p

We've got a electric dehumidifier which does draw a lot of moisture out of the house, so something this size would be ideal for your car.

Otherwise see if there's a bodyshop with a car sized painting booth, I know a lot of them have heaters to cure the paint. Or stick the car in a garage with a big propane heater, one of the tubular ones with a fan to get the air moving.

I know my wifes Uncle in Germany rescue a VW Golf that had been up to its roof in flood water. He stripped everything out and dried it. It was fine and you wouldn't have known.

But after a chat with my garage yesterday I would try a get rid of as much of the salt in the carpets as possible. My 16year old Cavalier was made when they made cars out of proper metal and it passed its MOT again. But seems like modern cars ain't built like they used to and rot like hell now.

Cars are built to a price now, not to a standard ](*,)

[ManxMatt34]

Wait there, am I missing the point here. You parked your car where it can get flooded by the sea front?


Maybe your missing the point yes...

The water wasn't running down the road like a river and flooding my car or something, it was a rough day at sea, the waves were coming over the top of mine and all the other peoples cars who park there every day for work.

Except my door must be leaking as that is where the salt appears to have dried on, down the drivers door.

- Thanks for the suggestions everyone else... will start trying things.

[punyXpress]

Maybe your missing the point yes...

The water wasn't running down the road like a river and flooding my car or something, it was a rough day at sea, the waves were coming over the top of mine and all the other peoples cars who park there every day for work.

Except my door must be leaking as that is where the salt appears to have dried on, down the drivers door.

- Thanks for the suggestions everyone else... will start trying things.

D'ya mean DRYING THINGS ?

[Owenski]

puny already suggested my idea, get a carpet shampoo vac-a-mi-bob get all the majority of the water out and then dehumidifier in there over night and at every oportunityfor the next week or so. Dont forget to empty it thought, it'll cut off once full an I imagine it will fill quite fast.

[ManxMatt34]

D'ya mean DRYING THINGS ?

That aswell, hopefully! :P Thanks punyxpress the wise owl of the org. :D

[DarrenSV650S]

If you start work early in the morning, take some towels with you.

When I washed my car seats, the next morning the windows were soaking with condensation. Took ages to dry them

[Bluefish]

easy, drive car to warmer foreign climes and get free holiday at the same time, not helping much eh.

[ManxMatt34]

easy, drive car to warmer foreign climes and get free holiday at the same time, not helping much eh.

Punyxpress - wise old owl

Bluefish - Dopey old man! :P

Ok i feel a smack coming time to run.