Crying over spilled milk

Soon as you pull back the carpet, you will know if it is the jute. If the whole gallon spilled, it went thru the rug
 
I don't think that enzyme cleaners are a total cure, but they DO work. That said, I would question just pouring one product on a car floor, one that is bedecked by a thin layer of "carpet" over "steel wells". "Sumps", that also aid further bacteria & molds?

Forgetta-About Nature's Miracle, PetsMart's (big-box approach?) to usual crappe though. Using "extraction methods" and trying to get to the "lowest possible level" within the deeply-soiled will work, but how many car owners will pay for the hours needed to tear up their interior? Do the best job you can. Don't just drench the area with an enzyme cleaner, expecting the Stinky Goblins to NOT rear their ugly heads in the future. Some of the Crappe will STILL be thar? A multiple approach might keep your customers?

Enzyme products DO work, but not necessarily a Cure-All 100% of the time....
 
The biggest issue here is to try to determine - where - did an entire Gallon of milk go, and then go there and try to remove all of it if possible...

I am sure the entire gallon went to the front first since it was on the front seat and then ran back all the way to the floor under that side of the back seat if there is a hump all the way back to keep it on one side...

And then you have all the carpeting and pad underneath that got wet with milk, so every square inch has to be looked at and cleaned, extracted a lot, and cleaned again to be sure you did not miss anything...

Once the front seat and back seat are out, you can look at the floor and probably see the trail of it and better still follow the smell and eliminate it...

I agree there may be deep places in spots - Im thinking that the floor sill might also be a place since it is usually a tunnel, where some wiring is in, may also have some stuff in there so you need to check there since you will already have the carpeting out, right ?

I think I have used Bio Power before on a BMW that had been left outside in a rainstorm for a week with the windows down... Man that thing had several inches of water in it...

Thinking about that nightmare, I remember I had to use my Mytee HP60 extractor with all 3 motors winding up as high as they could go, to pull all the water that the bottoms of the foam seat cushions had absorbed... It was a huge amount and this type of BMW foam was very, very, uncooperative about releasing the water to my extractor...

You might check the foam of the seats - with the sniff test - and see if they are holding some milk in the foam as well...

You are doing an awesome job, Shane; your work has always been stellar...

Just keep moving forward, focus on an area, get it totally done, then move on to the next area...

Coming from the military, I always liked to grid things out so I can see it and then get everything in each part of the grid done before moving on, so I dont lose my place..

A way less reputable place would have soaped it up, perhaps dried it using the car's heater and a/c units, the put some of those nasty toxic bombs in there to mask the lingering odor long enough to get the car done and long gone...

We are all so glad you are not those guys ! :)
Good Luck - You Got This -
Dan F
 
If you are going to give this another shot I'll throw in a suggestion. When you have extracted , and wiped and absorbed everything You think you can get and your about to finish you. Spray a fine mist of undiluted concentrate on the moist surface before you put the carpet back. Do the same to the wet top of the seat or carpet. This will allow the enzymes and non pathogenic bacteria to grow and eat any remaining nastiness that may remain. The byproduct is water and co2 so there is no odor. It will keep one drop of milk from allowing odor causing Bacteria from growing geometrically and I hope make you successful at killing the odor your putting the time into destroying.

Good luck. Let us know how it works.
 
First off... Thank you to poorboys world for the free samples of the new enzyme cleaner and the bottle of carpet cleaner.

second. I'm back at the mini van today, and found the source of the odor. Writing this while my daimer 1000 heats up... *gag*

ill post a picture later. Honda put the spare tire well between and in front of the 2nd row of seats. ALL THE MILK FLOWED INTO THERE! when I dug back that far (remember the milk was spilled on the front passenger floor area) and pulled up the floor mat I found a door. Opened it up and almost puked. Omg.

As happy as I am that I finally figured this one out, I'm both disgusted and upset because I should of found this the last 2 times I was there. I can't believe it traveled that far!
 
gross! but man i am glad you found that, gives you a big sense of relief instead of continuously wondering "where is it coming from!?". I hope that is IT and you can get rid of the smell for good. Keep us updated after you're finished and good luck!
 
Shane !!!!
Congratulations on Finding the Source !!!

Yeah, its not nice there, but it WILL be Perfect there soon...
Use lots of the enzyme in there for good measure...

A zillion hours with an ozone machine was Never going to kill that much spoiled milk...
Dan F
 
Not for the weak stomachs

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Well, it was a Gallon of Milk - had to go somewhere... :)
Gotta love Detailing down in the trenches... :)
Did the bottom of the carpeting that covered that area smell too??
I am so glad that this will be over now !
Great job !!
Dan F
 
No. I carefully smelled all the carpeting (up close and personal) and found no traces of smell. There was a wooden door covering the tire well and carpet on top of that. Then there was 2 floor mats on top of said door/carpet. The owner came out and had no idea she had a spare tire there, she was as surprised as me. Equally as upset cause had she known, she would of cleaned it out as soon as it happened.

They did tip me a little extra cash for the 2 times I came back. Very appreciative of my determination to take care of it for them. Its customers like them that I do this work for. Not the spilled milk so much as the appreciation for going the extra mile to make things right.

And I cant speak more highly of my steam vac. I honestly dont know how I would of cleaned that mess up without it. Im going to post a review of it once I get some more use with it.

As for the poorboys products. I ended up not using them (SORRY!) cause it was pretty obvious the cause of my problems. I have a couple jobs lined up over the next weekend and will put them to use. Im actually really excited to try the carpet cleaner because thats the type of cleaner I use 90% of the time (Spray, scrub, vacuum when dry). I also need to clean up my wifes escape we are turning in (lease) and my kids spilled milk and crap all over that thing so it should be an excellent test for the enzyme cleaner.

Thanks to everyone for the input through all this. Im going to have to find a way to give something back to this forum on the near future to say thanks.
 
You proved that most people only fail because they are unwilling to pursue the goal because its cloaked in hard work. I am proud of you for not throwing in the towel. Good for you.

Im quite sure you have a customer for life.
 
First off... Wooden door? Really? Im not doubting you but, man, thats weird.

Secondly, great job. That is, in my opinion, going above and beyond. As JSFM said, I think you just earned a customer for life. :bigups
 
Well... Wooden like the type of thing youd expect covering your spare tire well in a trunk. That particle board stuff you know? Unlike the paper thin cardboard you get in a trunk though, this cover was about 3/4" thick. Just has to provide some support as this was in the middle of the interior so itll get walked on.
 
I love reading threads like these. Nice save Shane! I think the best part is a lot of people learned from this situation.
 
ShaneB- SO glad it worked out that well! You obviously did a great job and its nice to know the products so effective.

Now about her not knowing about the spare tire.....
 
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