I recently bought a nice Patriot Blue Pearl 2007 Quad cab 1500 4x4 that had some mildew due to a leaking rear window. I have since fixed that, had the interior steam cleaned and ozoned twice and it still stinks. At least now I can breathe in it while I'm driving but it's still not pleasant when I first get in. The only thing I can think of is that there is no way the detailer was able to get to the carpet area under the center console. Do you think this is what's causing the smell still? Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance. Love the truck otherwise.

 

Get a couple of big boxes of baking Soda. Dump some into paper plates and set a couple around on the floor inside. Over time this will absorb a bunch of foul smells. Now, you might have some mildew in the heating system. A cheap (just like me) way to deal with that is with some Lysol spray disinfectant. I use this a lot when dealing with vehicles previously owned by smokers.

Set your climate controls to heat but turn the temperature down. Don't set it to recirculate but full air intake. Open the doors and all the windows. (Trust me when I say you want to do this. ) Set the fan to high and spray the Lysol into the air intake at the base of the windshield. The Lysol will kill the mold in the plenum.

I've also used a product call Ozium. It clears the smoke smell too There used to be a product called Odor Gun, but I haven't seen it in a while. Lysol has the advantage of being available everywhere and is cheap. (Like me.)

When you get done spraying, shut the fan off and let it sit for a bit. Get a whiff and you'll see why you want the doors and windows open. Now, one other trick is to use a leaf blower. I had an SUV that REALLY stunk! I shot Lysol into the dash vents and then used a battery bowered leaf blower to force the air through the system. That got the last little stink out on the interior. I got odd looks from my neighbors on that one, they are used to the way I do things.

One last little thing. The mold might come back in the summer when the a/c is condensing moisture out of the air. In the winter though, the heat will dry the plenum out and the smell will be gone while it's cold outside.

 

Hey thanks for the info, the funny thing is, when I have the heat and blower on it smells better in there! I will first try the baking soda. I feel like the smell is stuck in the seats. They came out looking like new otherwise. I've heard to spray everything with 1 to 1 vinegar and water as well. I may try that too.

 

Fabreeze works pretty good.... If you can tolerate the smell for a couple days... It does a pretty good job of getting unwanted odors out of upholstery.

 

ok good to know. Yeah when I bought the truck it was so bad I had to drive with all the windows open and it was still brutal. So hopefully it works

 

If it was that bad, I might consider stripping the interior, and giving it a VERY thorough cleaning........

 

I already plan on taking out the front seats and cleaning under the center console especially as the detailer couldn't have reached that area due to clearance. I'm thinking I should also dump baking soda on to all sides of the seats and then vacuum them after a few days as well.

 

May wanna yank the rear seats too......

 

The heat making it smell better is a clear indication of the mold drying out from the dry heat. Fabreeze works pretty good. I've had good luck with a foam cleaner from Blue Coral. I'm assuming you have cloth seats and upholstery. I've actually removed the seats before to clean them REALLY well. That will let you get the carpet underneath them too. There is probably some mildew under the carpet in the padding.

To go forward, leave the windows open as much as feasible. Not at night as condensation will negate what the day heat removes. You don't want the truck stolen either. Ventilate it as much as possible. Do the Lysol trick. That and using the heat will do the most. Blow some Ozium through the dash vents with a leaf blower if you want. Over time, you'll find the problem going away. It might take repeated cycles over the next couple of years but eventually, you'll get it smelling like a fresh spring day, not a teenaged boys socks. Until you remove the heater plenum and scrub it, the smell will come back occasionally. Just stay on top of it.

 

yeah I'll keep on it. I was thinking it's because it's bringing in fresh filtered air from outside. The truck has been bone dry since late august after the detailing. I think a combination of all suggestions and what I plan on doing should help quite a bit. I'll report back in a few weeks with what I have found