OH NO MILDEW IS EVERYWHERE!!! dang family messing up your truck

[mwood1985]

ok so i had to go on a business trip for a month and left my 2001 Ranger at my parents house. little sister drove it left the windows down during georgias recient huge storms and it got rained in 8 days straight. and she said "it only had 6 inches in the floor, i just let the water out and rolled the windows up" and then didnt tough the truck for two weeks til i got home. needless to say after the cab being sealed up with the seats carpet and everything still soaked i have a ton of mildew everywhere. how should i go about cleaning all it up? it wipes off the plastic parts fine but the seats and carpet are my main worries i cant afford new carpet and seats and gotta get it cleaned up any ideas on how to do it?

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

Use your sister..........
My brother is 6' 3" 280 lbs............I would hold a cutting torch to his sack till it was clean!

 

[88_Eddie]

that sucks....but yeah, you need to make your sis clean it until your satisfied. i'd try simple green and a bunch of rags

 

[Tony Raine]

pull 'em out. seats and carpet.

you may be able to pull the covers off the seats and wash them in a washing machine. if not, find someone with a steam cleaner/carpet extractor (i cleaned my carpets with one, used simple green in the tank). after you clean it, sprinkle some arm & hammer baking soda on it, and give it a sunny day to dry. vacuum up baking soda once dry.

for the carpet, take it to a carwash and wash the heck out of it. sprinkle some arm & hammer baking soda on it, and give it a sunny day to dry. hang it somehow, so air flow can get all around. vacuum up baking soda once dry.

and kiss you headliner goodbye. no good way to clean them (that i know of). and you don't want a ton of mold where you spend a ton of time.

 

[kennykenny]

pull 'em out. seats and carpet.

you may be able to pull the covers off the seats and wash them in a washing machine. if not, find someone with a steam cleaner/carpet extractor (i cleaned my carpets with one, used simple green in the tank). after you clean it, sprinkle some arm & hammer baking soda on it, and give it a sunny day to dry. vacuum up baking soda once dry.

for the carpet, take it to a carwash and wash the heck out of it. sprinkle some arm & hammer baking soda on it, and give it a sunny day to dry. hang it somehow, so air flow can get all around. vacuum up baking soda once dry.

and kiss you headliner goodbye. no good way to clean them (that i know of). and you don't want a ton of mold where you spend a ton of time.

x2

 

[Shoeboy]

If you have home owners insurance, talk to them about it. With that amount of moisture in the cab, chances are the material is the least of your worries. You may have electrical issues sooner then later. If you do not have home owners insurance, or if your auto insurance won't cover it, I would be having your sister pay for the interior being cleaned, professionally. There will be tones of moisture up inside the dashboard, and in the vents, in the stereo, instrument cluster, and everywhere else, all the electronics is what I would be worried about. Most flood vehicles are instant write offs because of this.

 

[mattpresley]

Probably NO need tp remove anything. You just need to KILL the mold!
Scrub all visible mold with soap and water. after that, Use a good biocide on the fabric, such is Lysol and completely soak the upholstery with it(may require many cans). Best case scenario you can find a quat based biocide but lysol will work. Also recommened proper personal protection such as gloves and a P100 respirator. It's very likely that you'll be fine without the respirator but if you can get one its highly recommended. Work in a well ventilated area(outside with both doors open and a fan blwing air away from you) if you cannot. Also wear rubber gloves. I remove Mold, Asbestos and lead for a living so please ask any questions you may think of. Mycotoxins are your main concerns when treating mold and illnesses can ranger from mild allergies to heart issues.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

rug doctor is your best friend.

 

[wrecking-crew]

febreze it

but serously have your sis pay for professionaly cleaning

 

[6cylboy]

Isopropyl alcohol (98%) and a wet dry vac. The alcohol is a good disinfectant and a fungicide. To make it a simpler task remove the carpet and seats.

 

[jimmyess333]

Make your sis take it to a professional detailer and foot the bill.
She messed it up she should fix it.
There's no reason you should be rewarded with grief by your act of kindness of loaning her the truck.
If she borrowed it without your permission that's even more reason she should fix it with no effort on your part.
The expense might also teach her some responsibility.

 

[mwood1985]

damn mold

well guys ive tried the carpet cleaner machine we have for a week every night it got some of it but its still nasty. and technically i didnt loan her my truck. nobody drives the ranger but ME. i went out of town for a month and left the keys with the instructions crank it every few days and let it run for a few minutes to keep everything going. i didnt technically say dont drive it so my fault, shes 16 and just got her lisence but no car.. so i pretty much let her have a truck to joyride in without realizing it. if she would have wrecked it id have killed her. just should have taken my keys and changed the fluids and charged the battery when i got home. her friend from school offered her 1500 for it as is 2 weeks ago. um its an 01and i just finished installing the superlift and 35's... hell no im not selling my truck but if i wanted to right now its gonna be for about 8k bucks and a 95-97 4x4 ranger in trade. But enought mad brother ranting, i do need it cleaned. how do i get the seats out(what kind of wrench) and the covers off?