Used OdoBan on the carpets, now it's heavy OdoBan smell

**nmikmik** · 07-13-2016, 12:12 AM

Will the OdoBan smell disappear after a while?
I know, I should have come here and ask questions first, nope I think I know something and that usually gets me in trouble. Sounds familiar? maybe because I am a guy and rarely read directions

So I bought another used car from the old dude that sweared to me he never smoked in the car and he apparently has a very nice beachfront in Arizona.... I bring the car home, all is kind of ok, but I leave it parked on the street for a few days because I just don't have time for it as far as cleaning, massaging etc. I get inside and drive it to appointment yesterday, now it has that very familiar to me musky smell of the water damage. I checked the VIN on the Autocheck btw before I bought it and there was no mention of the water damage. In addition, I am apparently very sensitive to this stuff i.e. read mildew, and I get quite sick from just driving the car for about 3 hours.
So I decided to hire someone to detail it for me because I can't be smelling this stuff and the chemicals at the same time, double whammy. I know what you guys are going to say, but yes, I hired someone on Craigslist that promises all bunch of goodies at the reasonable price and is available today!
The 20 or 22 year old kid comes over and just shrugs his broad shoulders, does not know how to attack it. He has the extractor and the steam machine, but that's pretty much it. So I gave him the OdoBan I had laying around and told him to apply it (diluted 1/3) liberally on carpet and wherever he sees material and steam clean the headliner. He does what I asked, barely uses extractor so plenty of wet stuff on the floor but I deal with it afterwards by wiping it with clean towels and paper towels then installing two box fans to dry it out. The carpet is still kind of damp, so I will probably repeat the drying process tomorrow.
Now the whole car smells like OdoBan even a few feet away, but so far I don't smell anything else.
Is it a sign of success or should I reclean the carpet with regular carpet cleaner to get rid of OdoBan?
Will it soil faster if I leave the OdoBan in?
What and how should I use in the A/C vent system to make sure it does not repopulate the mildew spores inside the car?

Thanks!

**GSKR** · 07-13-2016, 08:39 AM

That stuff is so concentrated one gallon make 32 gallons.I would extract mat carpets.or let it fully dry before the second attempt of rewetting.may try that damp rid odor bag with some febreze un scented.I would pour a little of bleach on the air intake and turn the ac on shut the doors and let it circulate for 10 min.you may get smacked with the odor of bleach at first but it will go away.may want to change cabin filter as well.goodluck hope it work out for you.

**vobro** · 07-13-2016, 10:24 AM

You should call the company, 1:3 is way to strong of a dillution. Can't blame the broad shouldered Craig's list guy as it sounds like he did exactly what you said

**briarpatch** · 07-13-2016, 10:43 AM

Just because there was no mention of water damage on Autocheck, does not mean there wasn't any...it simply may not have been reported. If I were as sensitive as you are to mold, I would go though the process of pulling the seats and having a look under the carpet and at the padding. The mold could also be in the ductwork, which is a whole different can of worms. Since the previous owner was an older person, the car may not have been driven much, and sat for days between trips. Moisture could have collected in the ducts and mold formed shortly thereafter.

**parttimer** · 07-13-2016, 10:51 AM

I use odoban religiously on interiors. It will fade over time. You need to get the inside dry. I usually spray, scrub and vac and even the next morning it will have the smell. I believe carpet dilution is like 8 ounces per gallon, pet odor is 4:1. I find carpets to be sticky if its too heavy and dries so you run the risk or re-soiling. A better option is odoban carpet cleaner. As for the vents, if the kid had a steamer you should have had him steam out the vents. As others said, swap the cabin filter if it has one.

**nmikmik** · 07-13-2016, 09:09 PM

So it may or may not need another path over with extractor. BTW, still can smell although faint OdoBan, but I think something is poking through it. I can't believe I could not smell or feel anything the day I bought it.
I am very leery of using bleach tbh, it can eat away at almost anything and on these cars (old Lincolns) the heater core is not that strong to begin with and no cabin air filter btw.
I will look into vents thing, but I think there is special aerosol spray just for that purpose. So far I am kind of screwed

Attaching some picture of the seat belts (not the best size, maybe you can look in my profile), they all are different degrees of brown stains, so hoping someone saw a similar stains in the past and can give me an idea what I am dealing with.

Thank you again,

Used OdoBan on the carpets, now it's heavy OdoBan smell-img_20160713_0650581-jpg

Used OdoBan on the carpets, now it's heavy OdoBan smell-img_20160713_0649191-jpg

Used OdoBan on the carpets, now it's heavy OdoBan smell-img_20160713_064848-jpg

**nmikmik** · 07-13-2016, 10:41 PM

Found the name of the duct cleaner - it's made by IDQ - A/C & heater duct cleaner, worked very well for me previously. I also have 200 ml of Car Odor Remover , not sure who makes that but it suggests that it should follow Interior Car Cleaner with Odor Neutralized. Maybe they meant this one -https://www.amazon.com/Prestone-AS34.../dp/B000BOC71K not sure.
I should mention that I also have the ozone generator, not a pro design, just for the household use, but it does get rid of the odors pretty well from homes. Unfortunately I did not have that stellar of experience using that one for my first exposure with flooded car. It kind of removed the musty odor but I think I must have left it inside the car for too long and it replaced the musty with chemical odor that I could not survive either, had to sell the car at the loss. Plus, I am not sure how a 12 yo leather will react to any amount of ozone.

**parttimer** · 07-14-2016, 08:28 AM

Can you rent an ozone machine?

**nmikmik** · 07-14-2016, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by parttimer

Can you rent an ozone machine?

I have the ozone machine. Called Living Air Similar to this one - Living Air XL 15 Classic Ozone Ionizer Air Purifier System New EcoQuest | eBay

**nmikmik** · 07-14-2016, 11:48 PM

Here how the rear deck looks like with obviously some kind of stuff deposited heavily above dear speakers. Also please note the black residue on let's call it left edge of the rear deck. I find this stuff all over the place in the car, mostly in the corners and crevices where detailer(s) didn't reach it.