Nothing can ruin your driving experience faster than a car’s musty interior smell, which can indicate mold. Mold can grow quickly in the wet, warm environment of your car and may cause serious health problems. But if you have mold in your car’s cab – what are you going to do?
This article will help you understand how to remove mold from your car’s interior, what caused it, and provide an estimate for what it would cost to pay professionals to remove the mold.
How Do You Know if You Have a Mold Problem?
Mold can be tricky, and it can also be quite smelly! One of the first signs you might recognize of a mold problem is the smell. Mold has a very distinct musky smell that is tough to miss. If you ever smell mold but cannot see it anywhere in your vehicle, chances are you didn’t look in the right place!
Be sure to check under the seat, in the air vents, the trunk, and even in every compartment of your car until you finally find what you were smelling.
Additionally, mold can be any color, contrary to what most people think. While black, grey, and green might be the most common colors, it is typical to see orange, pink, yellow, red, white, and every other color, for that matter, when mold is concerned.
In short, it does not matter what color the mold is in your car; if you have any mold at all in your car, that is a mold problem, and unless you address it and take charge of the mold as soon as possible, it will quickly spread throughout your entire vehicle.
Best Way to Get Rid of Mold in Your Interior
Once you have identified that it was mold in the interior, you need to act fast to get rid of the mold as quickly as possible!
Here are a few items that you will need to rid the inside of your vehicle of mold:
- Vacuum
- Spray bottle
- White distilled vinegar
- Gloves
- Eye protection
- Respiratory mask
- Towels or rags
- Cleaning wipes
- Scrub brush
- Ratchet and socket set (if needed)
Step-by-Step Process
- Mold can create a lot of health issues, so get into your personal protective equipment before you start. Gloves, a respirator-type mask that provides a good seal, eye protection, and a long-sleeved shirt are what I recommend when removing mold.
- You will need to take any personal belongings to get to the affected area. If the mold is on or under the seats, you will need to remove them for the best access to the affected area.
- Vacuum the carpets, seats, and any other areas so health risks, dirt, or debris don’t get in your way during the cleaning process. After, use your automotive cleaner to wipe down all surfaces, getting rid of health risks and dirt or grime. Do a good detail on your car here, since the next step is to get rid of all of the mold.
- Spray down the affected area good with the white distilled vinegar. Go ahead and soak the entire area and scrub it in with your scrub brush. You want the maximum penetration to hit every nook and cranny, and it will kill all of the mold the first time. Even missing a tiny spot can bring the problem right back. You can use bleach if you get into tougher areas, but this may kill the colors in the car.
- Let the distilled white vinegar sit for 15 to 20 minutes to kill the mold.
- Let the area dry completely. If you can park outside in a dry area, keep the doors or windows open so you get better airflow and circulation.
Another Way To Remove Mold
There’s only one way to remove mold from your car, but there’s a variety of chemicals you can use to kill the mold.
So, in case you don’t like the smell of vinegar or bleach could ruin the color on the surface material, we’ve listed a few options below.
Keep in mind that any of the chemicals can potentially stain your car, so it’s best to try a small amount out in a not easily seen area before applying large amounts.
- Tea tree oil with water mixture
- Hydrogen peroxide (3 percent ratio)
- Lemon juice
- Baking soda mixed with vinegar or water
Is Mold in a Car Dangerous?
Removing mold means more than just removing an odor, it also impacts your health. The health effects can range from a moderate inconvenience to very serious health problems.
Mold can also be dangerous in a car if exposed in an enclosed space. Mold exposure can cause a range of health effects, including but not limited to mycotoxicosis, respiratory infections, sinusitis, and allergic reactions.
You need to locate a mold issue in your car and deal with it relatively quickly.
What causes mold in the car?
Mold will happen naturally due to uncontrolled moisture in a damp environment. Moisture can enter your vehicle if there’s a broken seal around your door or trunk or any other area for water to infiltrate. It may be as minor as a spilled drink or a cracked window on a rainy day.
Once moisture infiltrates your car or truck, it will be difficult for it to leave again. Additionally, the vehicle will produce a naturally warm environment where mold grows.
While mold removal is necessary, it’s also important to locate and repair the original reason there was mold in your vehicle to begin with, or else you will very quickly return to the same situation.
This might be as simple as learning to leave your window closed the next time you are parked. But if you have a broken seal somewhere else on your entire vehicle, then you have to fix it somehow.
Does Car Insurance Cover Mold Removal?
In a nutshell, almost every insurance company excludes mold from its insurance policies. But while they may not provide you with any protection, they also won’t hesitate to factor it into how much your vehicle is worth.
That means if you apply to your insurance for other problems, they will factor the mold damage into their assessment and pay you less for your vehicle.
So no, they won’t help you fix it, but they will be delighted to use it against you if you don’t fix it.
Professional Car Mold Removal Service Costs
After all that you need to do to get the mold out of your vehicle, it might sound very tempting to take it to a professional shop to handle. Just be prepared to spend a ton of money on mold removal.
The average cost of mold removal in a vehicle is $1,200! While this price is very high, remember that it is just the average.
If you find the problem early and only remove one light fixture, then your price will be less; however, if the problem has overtaken your vehicle, then it may cost you over $2,000.
The upside to using a professional service is that they will get every bit of the mold the first time. Because even if you miss a small spot when you do it yourself, the mold will just come back, and you will be back to square one.