Rain got in the interior

[tenreasy]

Hey - l left my car window open and it rained. 2019 Camry. Only the right rear seat and right rear carpet area are wet. The carpet is very wet. Anything I need to do after it dries out? Besides closing the windows :laughing: ? Not sure if mold could grow?

[oneheadlite]

Was there standing water? If so then the worry is that the foam/padding under the carpet is soaked, and there will be pools of water under it all.

At the very least I’d vacuum it as much as you can with a wet/dry vac (set up for wet), and then set it up with a fan blowing on the area for a day.

If you’re mechanically inclined, you could pull the trim in the area to be able to lift the carpet and inspect under there.
I work as a technician, when we get cars like this, we’ll prop the carpet up, vacuum both top and bottom sides of the carpet, then let a fan blow for as long as time allows.

Hope this helps.

[chinee]

Was there standing water? If so then the worry is that the foam/padding under the carpet is soaked, and there will be pools of water under it all.

At the very least I’d vacuum it as much as you can with a wet/dry vac (set up for wet), and then set it up with a fan blowing on the area for a day.

If you’re mechanically inclined, you could pull the trim in the area to be able to lift the carpet and inspect under there.
I work as a technician, when we get cars like this, we’ll prop the carpet up, vacuum both top and bottom sides of the carpet, then let a fan blow for as long as time allows.

Hope this helps.

I'd do this at a minimum. Also, get a couple of towels, place on the wet areas and stand/kneel then bounce to extract as much water as possible. Then when as much moisture is removed, let a fan blow on it for as long as it takes to dry. You do not want mold to build to grow in those areas that remain wet and damp.

[tenreasy]

The padding is definitely pretty wet. The good news is that the area is limited to the rear right carpet well. Now I am concerned that it will take days to dry out with possible mold. Ideally I wish I could get the carpet & padding lifted up so that it will dry quicker. But I really do not know how to dismantle the interior. Seems like I would also have to remove the front passenger seat. Suggestions? Will it dry on its own or do I need to get an auto shop to pull the carpet/padding up to speed up the drying. My main concern is mold build up.

[Rsurfer]

The padding is definitely pretty wet. The good news is that the area is limited to the rear right carpet well. Now I am concerned that it will take days to dry out with possible mold. Ideally I wish I could get the carpet & padding lifted up so that it will dry quicker. But I really do not know how to dismantle the interior. Seems like I would also have to remove the front passenger seat. Suggestions? Will it dry on its own or do I need to get an auto shop to pull the carpet/padding up to speed up the drying. My main concern is mold build up.

Get the carpet and padding up and dried ASAP!!!!

[tenreasy]

Get the carpet and padding up and dried ASAP!!!!It's Sunday not much I can do. Will take it to a shop tomorrow. Maybe they can cut out the wet pad & replace.

[Rsurfer]

It's Sunday not much I can do. Will take it to a shop tomorrow. Maybe they can cut out the wet pad & replace.
Call some mobil detailers in your area and see if they can remove your seat and dry out the carpet.

[tenreasy]

Call some mobil detailers in your area and see if they can remove your seat and dry out the carpet.
ok I went ahead and was able to remove the front passenger seat. I lifted up the carpet from the cutout under the front seat to help it air out & dry. Optimally it would be great to pull the carpet and pad back from the right rear but I don't know how to do the disassembly (wish they had a youtube vid :laughing:). You think the pad will be ok once it dries out?

[Rsurfer]

ok I went ahead and was able to remove the front passenger seat. I lifted up the carpet from the cutout under the front seat to help it air out & dry. Optimally it would be great to pull the carpet and pad back from the right rear but I don't know how to do the disassembly. You think the pad will be ok once it dries out?

Yes, it's only water. Stick a small bottle between the floor pan and then stick another bottle between the carpet and padding to allow air to circulate. Get a small fan in there and leave the door open if possible. You want maximum air movement.