Get rid of moldy junkyard smell from interior...cost effective.

My first post. So does anyone how to remove or get rid of moldy old car smell from fabric interior? Car was stored for year no apparent water leaks or visible mold but has that junkyard smell. I put drier sheets and Febreeze during storage, didn't work.  Any suggestions anyone please.

I have used to some success used Tough Stuff carpet cleaner.   First vacum, use a medium bristle brush, vacum.  Spray on carpet cleaner, set, brush. Vacum again.  Let dry.  Spray carpet cleaner, brush, vacum.   Detail interior with a low lustre treatment.  MaGuires etc.  The cleaner is pretty cheap, but somewhat time consuming.   OR.  Remove seats, carpet etc.  Steam clean or rent carpet cleaner.  Depends on how involved you want to get.

Of course, the first step is a very thorough cleaning with a carpet shampooer.  After that, I've tried a couple of tricks that worked pretty well.  One is baking soda.  It absorbs odors.  Sprinkle it all over the seats, floor, anything fabric, and let it sit overnight, then vacuum it up the next day.  Another is an ozone generator machine.  That's what detailing pros use to get rid of smoke and pet smells.  I ended up buying a small one, but I think you can rent them, as well.  Just let it run inside the car with the windows up for an hour or two.

In reply to Dirtydog :

Thank you, don't want to remove interior. Tough Stuff I'll look for it and baking soda.

In reply to Tom_Spangler :

Thanks and I'll look into ozone generator.

One other thing to absorb odors is to take a bag of unused crystal cat litter. Put it in a paper bag and place the bag in your car when storing. 

When you shampoo or use cleaners, be sure your car is completely bone dry before closing it up.  Also, be sure to replace your cabin air filter, if you haven't already.

Ozone generator is gonna be the best way, otherwise pull the interior (carpets and seats at least) pressure wash, let it sit in the sun for a few days, reassemble.  

Clean carpets and a bowl of white vinegar left to sit overnight.

Sprinkling baking soda then vacuuming helps a lot too.

I once read that a plastic bag full of sliced Granny Smith  apples would pull the smell of death from a car interior....just sayin'

Another vote for the ozone generator from me. I bought one of the ones that is just the plate and power supply (without a case) and zip tied it to a box fan. I've used it to deodorize everything from flooded basements to gear oil spills in the attached garage. 

Using a steam cleaner is another effective way to clean the interiors and remove the foul smell.

I've had good luck with charcoal briquettes, but they have to be the original type...not the presoaked with lighter fluid! Charcoal is a fantastic odor absorbing material.

boxedfox said:

Another vote for the ozone generator from me. I bought one of the ones that is just the plate and power supply (without a case) and zip tied it to a box fan. I've used it to deodorize everything from flooded basements to gear oil spills in the attached garage. 

Any pictures ?    it might be worth building one like yours

Thanks

Large tea bags do a great job of absorbing odor. Get a pack of the cheapest ones you can find at Wal-mart, sprinkle liberally through interior.

californiamilleghia said:

boxedfox said:

Another vote for the ozone generator from me. I bought one of the ones that is just the plate and power supply (without a case) and zip tied it to a box fan. I've used it to deodorize everything from flooded basements to gear oil spills in the attached garage. 

Any pictures ?    it might be worth building one like yours

Thanks

Whoops. Sorry, just saw this. I'll take pictures tonight. And watch the thread so I know when people reply. 

Ok, sorry for the delay. Here are the photos of my setup:

It's literally a box fan, a timer, and this barebones ozone generator. The timer goes to the ozone generator so it can run for 30 mins then shut itself off. The fan gets plugged directly into the wall so it keeps circulating air even after the ozone is off.

Back in 2015 when I bought it, this worked much better than any of the cheaper commercial units that are out there. Not sure if the all-in-one enclosed units have gotten better / cheaper in that time period. All I know is that this is still my go-to method of getting tough smells out of enclosed spaces.