Guide: Removing unwanted water from a car

[ginge191]

So myself and Matt came across a dilemma and thought it would be appropriate to create a guide.

If you ever find yourself with water in your vehicle and wish to restore it to it's former glory, then this is for you!

Firstly, identify where in the car the water is and possibly where it's coming from and if you're able to, sort that out first



Then, find a suitable container for which you can empty the water from your car.








Next, it's time to tackle the carpets. Grab an old absorbent towel, and tread it into the carpet, ensuring you regularly turn the towel, absorbing as much water as possible.



Moving on, grab some rice, about a 1kg will cover one footwell, and spread it out evenly, patting it into the carpet thoroughly.



Leave this for a few days ensuring no more water can enter the vehicle, then grabbing your hoover, SUCK IT UP!

If the carpets are still damp, repeat the rice step. Most of the time, warm climates should help evaporate the left over water.

When and if the carpets are smelly at all, most upholstery cleaners will sort that, so don't go scrapping things



C&C welcome

[Matt]

Great guide

[welshpug]

best approach is to strip the carpet out totally, as the sound deadening will hold the moisture for months/years.

[cully]

I leave a chemical dehumidifier in mine when its parked

[WiNgNuTz]

I genuinely thought this was going to be a pure trolling of Dum-Dum...

[Jonny81191]

Shoot holes in the floor. That'll fix it.

[Piggy]

Life carpet, pull out plugs.

Dry carpet and sound deadening in the sun once pressure washed! Done.

[Toms306]

Hoover the rice!? Brush and dustpan would've saved your poor hoover from damp bacteria ridden rice festering in it...

[ginge191]

Hoover the rice!?  Brush and dustpan would've saved your poor hoover from damp bacteria ridden rice festering in it...

Of if you're picky with bacteria, remove the filter when hoovering, empty it, then re-attach the filter.
Putting hands near "festering damp bacteria ridden rice" surely is worse than using a hoover?

[Toms306]

I use gloves anyway, and hands can be washed a lot (trust me, I know that ) unlike the hoover filters. You're now blowing bacteria around the house every time you switch the hoover on.

[Jonny81191]

Tom, you're full of billions of microbes. Without bacteria you wouldn't exist.

[ginge191]

I use gloves anyway, and hands can be washed a lot (trust me, I know that ) unlike the hoover filters.  You're now blowing bacteria around the house every time you switch the hoover on.

Hoover the rice!?  Brush and dustpan would've saved your poor hoover from damp bacteria ridden rice festering in it... 

Of if you're picky with bacteria, remove the filter when hoovering, empty it, then re-attach the filter.
Putting hands near "festering damp bacteria ridden rice" surely is worse than using a hoover?

[Toms306]

Tom, you're full of billions of microbes. Without bacteria you wouldn't exist.

I know but there are some you want to avoid...like the ones found in dog shit and rat piss which is probably in the carpet in invisible amounts... Not to mention the mould spores that a re probably in a car that's been sat a while...



Ginge, you never said you removed the filter first time, I thought you wrote that in hindsight.

[ginge191]

Tom, you're full of billions of microbes. Without bacteria you wouldn't exist.

I know but there are some you want to avoid...like the ones found in dog shit and rat piss which is probably in the carpet in invisible amounts... Not to mention the mould spores that a re probably in a car that's been sat a while...



Ginge, you never said you removed the filter first time, I thought you wrote that in hindsight.

Well the post isn't edited...

[Eeyore]

unfortunately you do need to lift the carpets to do it properly. When my matrix went... both times there was water under the sound deadening which is very hard to get rid of!

[Matt]

It will be coming out, once the mot is done. Haven't got the time/space on the drive to be doing it at the moment. My drive is too tiny

[cully]

if the waters to deep the side impact sensors mounted on the sills will be flooded

[Matt]

It was only about 1/4 inch deep. Not even that

[darrenjlobb]

Strip the car Fixes all the problems in one go Can pressure wash it out then

[insomaniac45]

you can use a vax carpet cleaner with the hose attachment too, It will help pull the water from the deadening, but you will need some sort of de-humidifier or leave the windows slightly open on warm days

[pug306driver]

where did the water come from please......bulk head, screen, air vents, heater matrix......??

[Redordead89]

Most 306 owners will know about this but if you have water building in the drivers side scuttle panel / upper bulkhead under your wiper motor then get a chopstick or similar and have a probe about in the middle of the waterlogged area and you will eventually find and poke clear the drainage hole which will let you scoop out all the leaves that caused the blockage in the first place!
Just don't wear white trainers when you do it! ;-)
asda also sell little dehumidifier damp trap tubs in their pound section and not bad results if you chuck half a dozen in the footwell, cheaper still leave a bucket of salt in the footwell until it goes damp then take it inside, dry it out and repeat!