How to Prevent Mold and Mildew from Forming Inside Your Vehicle

Getting rid of mold and mildew is not that difficult; the more important question here is this: What should you do to to prevent them from recurring once again?

Here are some easy and practical things you can do to keep them at bay:

1. Treat the root cause of the problem.

It's easy to get rid of mold and mildew, but if you don't seal all the leaks inside your car, then you're not really solving the root cause of the problem. Instead, you're just putting a bandage to its symptom, which will rear its ugly head as soon as conditions encourage the regrowth of mold and mildew  once again.

2. Be careful with liquids--even when you're cleaning your vehicle.

Wipe out liquids on surfaces as soon as they occur. If you spill on seats and carpets, then take them out immediately and dry them. You can also take your car out and dry them out via natural sunlight.

Make sure the seats are thoroughly dried by pressing hard on them. If you still feel a tinge of dampness, then air dry them out again.

Here's a technique you can use to dry them out fast: use a hairdryer. This is especially true for cushions that naturally absorb a lot of liquid inside the foam. It will take a long time to dry them out, so a little help from your trusty hair dryer can quicken the pace significantly.

By the way, be careful with liquid cleaners as well. They can still dampen the interiors no matter how well they clean your car. Make sure to wipe them off completely dry.

3. Add a dehumidifier and/or baking soda in your car.

It would be a good idea to buy a dehumidifier for your car if you live in a humid environment. This helps a lot, especially in preventing those molds and mildew from forming in the first place.

You can also reinforce this by opening a baking soda box and placing it in the corner of your car. Baking soda is very absorbent, and can easily suck in all those moisture in the air. If you don't have baking soda, then a bag of uncooked rice can do the trick as well.

4. Let the sunshine and air in.

Don't let your car rot in your garage; let it see the light of the day from time to time. Take it for a minimum of once or twice a month, open the doors and windows to get rid of the stale air inside, let the fresh air in, and allow sunlight to come inside. You can do this 10-20 minutes. Not too long, though--we don't want it to damage your interiors.

Final Word

Mold and mildew can be a sight for sore eyes--and nose. The best way to get rid of them is by using common sense. Just practice the tips we've listed here, and the chances of them forming would be minimal at best. Just remember that prevention is key here--make sure you're consistent in doing these tips at all times.