Cleaning a spilled drink

cav93

a Week ago someone spilled a drink in the back seat on the floor, i was not aware of the problem until today as i was driving a different car all week and wasnt in my own. now it smells very bad, i think its a fizzy drink, and there is quite a lot of it. just wondering does anyone know what might be the best method of cleaning this up and getting rid of the odor, as i kind of need it clean for monday any help/tips greatly appreciated. thanks

Curran

Ideally a wet vac would be used, but failing that, an all purpose cleaner, scrubbing brush and something to soak it out (cloths or a lot of tissue), might need to be repeated a few times....then a few dehumidifier bags to draw the last of the moisture.

cav93

thanks, but on a closer inspection the situation has got more serious, i decided to lift a bit of the carpet to which i discovered that the inch thick carpet was soaked, along with the solid steel which had a pool of water, and starting to show signs of in the boot around the spare wheel and front foot well also, beginning to look like it might need professional attention lol

Curran

What type of car is it?

Are you sure it was just a split drink and not something like the vapour seals on the doors letting water in?

cav93

It is an 05 vw passat b5.5. you could be right. i presumed it was a spilled drink at first because of the odor, smelled something like sour 7up etc, but im thinking now because of the vast amount, and possibly the water is laying so long and mixed with the dirt and grime particles it has created an odor on it own. my fears now are with the electrics under the carpet. I heard theres water outlets under the footwells but i wouldnt know how to go about opening them.

Curran

They are just rubber gromets, you should be able to pop by out by hand....pull it out, direct the water out the hole, pop it back in! Quite simple really.

I'd drain the water if possible, then trying pouring water over the doors and see if water appears again....ideally, remove the carpets so they dont get over soaked again. Its a problem with the BMW 5 Series from 96-03 that the vapor seal behind the door cards let in water....a matter of removing the door card, peeling off the plastic vapor seal, and resealing with a silicone or similar...but not sure its an issue with the Passats or not!

The smell of stale water can be quite bad, and as you say if mixed with dirt in the carpets, it will be worse. Have you ever noticed when opening the door after some rain, that an unusual amount of water pours from the bottom of the door/sill?

kavanada

I own a 99 B3 Passat and can second the leaking door card problem. Nothing worse for a customer than known inherent problems:mad:

Car has that musty smell, as a result. I got a tube of Rito, All Weather Sealant from a hardware store.

If you're up to it, I'd recommend unscrewing the little door card screws (should be a torx pattern) on the bottom a mm or two and squirting a good amount up into the gap. Make sure there is sealant then between the edge of the card and the door itself as you retighten the screws.

The smell of this Rito stuff will fade after around 3 days. It is great stuff. Designed for gutter joints really but can be applied to wet surfaces and still works.
It took me 15 minutes to do the 2 doors on the right hand side.