How to dry your car’s interior

You hope it would never happen but now it has, you wish you didn't have to deal with it but now you do. Your car’s interior has just gotten wet and now you don't know what to do. Don’t panic as there are a number of things you can do to get your car out of its wet situation. It also helps you avoid permanent damage to the vehicle. Here are a few tips that we can recommend to you that will get your interior dry with three easy steps.

When it comes to a wet interior, what you need to do first and as quickly as you can is to get as much water or moisture out of your vehicle as quickly as possible. Check if your vehicle has drain plugs you can open to help remove as much water from the cabin as you can. Once you have located them and opened them, you can proceed to remove the rest of the water by hand or via a wet and dry vacuum. If a wet/dry vacuum isn’t available and if you can’t locate the drain plugs you can use a small cup or rag to help absorb and remove the water in the vehicle. Make sure to also take into account the small nooks and crannies between the seats and the center console and armrest.

After most of the water has been taken out of the carpets and seats. Use another cloth or paper towels to soak up the remaining water that's in the seating material or carpets. We suggest using the most absorbent material you have available for your vehicle as it will help make the process go quicker. 

Once you have gotten most of the water and moisture out of the interior it's time to hit it with the fans. Any fabric and carpeting in your car as well as the chassis will still be damp to the touch no matter how many times you vacuum dry or towel dry it. 

To get your cabin dry, start by positioning a fan or two to blow across your vehicle’s floor from one side to the other. The bigger the fan the better as the more air that flows across the carpeting the faster it will dry. Make sure to keep doors open as wide as possible and leave the fans running for at least a day inside your garage. This should help thoroughly dry any of the remaining moisture inside the cabin. Optionally you can also put a dehumidifier in your garage or where you store your vehicle to aid the fans to take as much moisture out as possible. Another trick you can use if your car has it is to use its heater to help the fans as well. It is important to note, however, that this method isn’t as efficient and should also be used as a temporary fix to help ventilate your vehicle. 

Once you have done all the other steps, you can now bring out the hairdryer or other moisture absorbent products for the hard to reach places. This will help prevent the growth of mold in your vehicle, which in itself will be an entirely new problem. You can also use baking soda as an option to help dry those hard to reach places such as the back of each seat. This will help dry whatever areas are still wet in the vehicle, however, it will take some time to do so. It also comes with the added bonus of removing bad odors that are just beginning to take root inside your vehicle. Another hack is you have any desiccant lying around, it should help to pick up a lot of the moisture. Typically, you can find desiccant packets in shoes and bags when you first purchase them. 

With that said a wet interior isn't the end for you, as following these steps will help reduce the risk of any permanent water damage to your vehicle. It is important to note that these steps are only for light flooding, where the electronics of the vehicle have not been touched. If the flood reaches past the centerline of your vehicle’s wheels we highly recommend taking photos of the interior and exterior and consulting with your insurance provider. We would also like to remind you to not start your vehicle if its engine has been submerged.