wet carpet - how to get rid of smell

[Spyder]

for the past week or so i noticed a slight smell in my everyday car. this is the car i use to drive my dog around and i just figured it was a dog smell but when i looked today, there was water on the floor of the back passenger side. i sucked it out and dried it the best i could with my shop vac but of course the smell still lingers.



can someone recommend how to thoroughly dry this carpet and get the smell to go away?

[imported_DetailDan]

You might have water under the carpet. The only way might be to remove the carpet.

[PhaRO]

My guess too is water under the carpet which may have started to mold.

[Danny318]

what sort of products work good on carpets?

[imported_Jakerooni]

enzyme based cleaners and deorderizers will be your freind on this piticuler mess. Not sure if any OTC products are going to be powerful enough. Might have to go to a professional cleaning supply shop. I think Odo-Ban is enzyme based though and they sell that at your local Sams Club. Basically your looking for bacteria to eat the mold spores.

[MidLife Cruiser]

Having had this problem in my wife`s car, you`d better figure out what is causing the problem or it will be a never ending battle. Oddly enough, it was a stopped up drain from the cowl that was causing the water. Removing the clog fixed the problem. As for the carpet, we pulled it up, extracted the water in the floor, and let the carpet and matting air dry. Then we used Lysol spray on the matting to kill the bacteria, keeping the matting up to air dry. Finally after all was dry, we sprinkled baking soda on the carpet to absorb the residual odor. Still have the car. No more water inside and no more smell.