Can I Ever Get Vinegar Smell Out of Truck Carpeting?????? Aarrrggghhhh!!! Over the weekend, I left some of my non-perishable groceries stacked in a storage section inside the cab behind the front seat. The apple cider fell over, spilled into the plastic bag and onto the carpet behind and under the driver's seat - staying there at least two or three days, depending on when it fell over and the top came off! Smelled awful when I opened the door! I took out the mats, cleaned, aired them in the sun and they smell fine again. The carpet on that side of the truck was then cleaned with Windex(hoping the alcohol in it would keep it from getting too wet and mildew growing), rinsed with water but not enough to soak through, patted dry with towels, re-cleaned, rinsed to towel dampness and surface dried, then aired out in the wind we had yesterday with the doors open for hours. Overnight I placed open pans of baking soda in the area of the spill and closed up the truck. This morning, it still smells of vinegar when I opened the windows for more airing. A neighbor is coming tonight with some car carpet cleaner/deodorizer and products from where he works and a wet/dry vacuum but what if that doesn't work to fully control the odor? How can I prevent mildew and possible rusting underneath the carpet? |
Actually vinegar is used to neutralize odors, it's pretty strong at first, but after it dries, there should be no smell. I wouldn't use anything to clean, and mildew shouldn't be a problem because of the high pH of vinegar. Rust might be an issue, but hopefully you can dry it out before rust becomes a problem. Your best bet is to open the doors and windows get a fan to blow through car or even a small fan heater. If you had spilled milk, you would have a serious problem and need to not only clean, but throughly get all residue out, but this isn't the case with vinegar. I wouldn't keep wetting it, if you have a moisture extractor, that would help dry it faster, but I don't think you need any other deodorizers, vinegar is one of the best! Can you leave the windows cracked overnight? Is there a garage that you can leave car doors open? |
You might want to read this link: Deodorize With Vinegar |
Like Nancy said, just air it out. You just deodorized & killed all the bacteria in the car loll! My Mom accidentally spilled white vinegar in her car trunk, the smell went away after a couple of days. But the vinegar smell makes me gag. |
:) Jeanie, I think you should maybe get a good old portion of fish + chips....a bit of salt and tartar sauce....sit in there and pretend you're having dinner with me....;) :D As everyone has said - vinegar (although maybe yucky smelly) is a wonderful cleaner/deodoriser/everything-er! Bet you didn't realise you were doing your car such a favour.....:D To neutralise ANY 'bad smells' - I always use Naturally Activated Charcoal xxx |
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Could I ask another question: Should I let my neighbor use the carpet cleaner/deodorizer he'll be bringing and shampoo it and then dry it - doesn't sound like the shampoo part would be advisable, in your thinking, unless maybe it's dry shampoo? It was apple cider and I'm assuming it had some type of organic matter in it and the shampoo might clean that out but if that involves applying water, too, I just don't know for sure. What do you think? |
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How about baking soda? It's supposed to absorb orders. |
I would use a shop vac to suck out all the moisture out of the carpet. Then leave the windows open for a few days. It will clear out. |
Coffee grounds. Put an open can of coffee in the vehicle, close the windows and doors and leave it overnight. Coffee absorbs odors. (I learned this from mylilfriend after one of our employees smoked in a company vehicle after being told not to) |
If you're in a hurry, a fan directed at the damp spot over night, assuming you've blotted all the liquid you can with paper towels. |
Vinegar is a weak acid, so I'd try using something that has a "basic alkalinity" to neutralize it...perhaps sprinkle baking soda all over, brush into the fabric, then vacuum it after letting it sit? Like Michele mentioned, coffee grounds may help too. |
Thank everyone for the tips and good information. Yuck! My stinky truck is still present - worse in the mornings while the dew is still out though it was quite a bit better this morning. Thursday morning, as I was walking up to it, I could still smell vinegar through the window-cracks at the top from about 2 feet away! When driving it with the AC on Friday afternoon, I was not that aware of it but that could have been a case of nose-blindness after a while. I went to two detail shops yesterday to have the carpets cleaned but both were full, as were two full-service car washes!!! I should have known better than to go on Friday afternoon. Since finding the spill I have I'm leaving it outside with the windows open 2" on either side. The carpet on the driver's side behind and under the driver's seat still smells of vinegar when you first open the doors and lean down close to it still, despite Pete cleaning it Wednesday night with his professional foaming car-fabric/carpet cleaner, drying it with towels and vacuuming it. I've left baking soda in pans sitting on the front seat and back storage area three days and nights but then ran out of fresh baking soda. I'm going to try speaking baking soda and powered carpet cleaner on it after I go to the store. Until I deodorize it some more and get it professionally cleaned a couple of times, I guess it's just going to smell when it is damp outside but it is getting better. It still smelled like new-car inside until this happened. :( |
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