GoSuckMyTites

Anyone have any idea why? The car was totally cleaned and dried before winter. After this winter, I suddenly saw this big salt right under my driver's seat. No one was sitting behind the driver's seat during the whole time and I have great four foot mats. This salt just came from nowhere and I can't figure out why.
Any possibilities is because of the air van(long small part of salt in the pic)?

I have asked dearship and they got no idea at all....

BenzManNy

I have the same around the brake and gas pedals but mine is because getting into the car with snow or sleet in my shoes. Will have the car detailed next week and that is that.

Funkwagen

Well, basically, it isn't the air vent producing the salt but rather the air vent drying out the damp, salty mess that has been collecting from the footwell of the drivers seat. I didn't have rubber floor mats for this past winter, and my boots ended up creating a puddle of salty water, which later dried and turned white like in the picture.

rookiezxc

did you try to spray some carpet cleaner?

GoSuckMyTites

I got that around panel. Well, at least it is normal and I know the reason having it.

GoSuckMyTites

Thanks for your idea...
I still can't understand. I have checked that the air vent part is totally separates with the front footwell, which means the salt/salty water can't come from the driver's. And like I said, there was no one sitting behind the driver's seat for the whole winter at all....
I just can't figure out one reasonable cause... I mean, it looks so terrible and I am worrying about next winter already

GoSuckMyTites

I tried, but the salt area is too big and very hard to get rid of. I have tried half vinegar and half water sprayer, it wasn't very useful for such heavy duty.

Dealership and detail shop suggested me to do steam cleaning, which basically is using hot water. I don't have any equipment and worry about the salt rust if I do it wrong. I maybe will hand over to a detail shop later.

I love my C350 and just don't know why this happened... heart break

rookiezxc

Did you try the foam one? That one penetrates nicely. It happened to my previous car (VW GLI) and I used it. A can of sweetened condensed milk got spoiled over at my left rear passenger carpet area (Same spot eh??). It took off like at least 80-90% of white-colored milk. Luckily it had a light gray interior so it was not that noticeable.

Carsy

GSMT,

Where do you live ? Just to make sure I never spend a winter there.

Is it a kind of mould? If so a dry mould repellent is the go. Then vacuum it out.

If it is salt you may be able to dry vacuum it out by robustly rubbing with a stiff nozzle .

If all else fails why not visit a carpet cleaner firm to see whether they can dissolve it with minimum hot water then suck out all the residue.

The practical & valuable house keepers of the forum should be able to help out with advice.

SMOKEY300

Cocaine's a hell of a drug....

hire a carpet steam cleaner, get that stuff cleaned up and out of your carpets asap. Maybe invest in a set of Weathertech mats for next season.

GoSuckMyTites

Ontario, Canada. I know, winter in Canada is never the time people want to spend.


I don't think it's mould, before winter, it was all good. At least it still felt salt to me when I touched it.

Steam clean will be the next move for me, I guess.

Just pray won't see this agin next winter..... Thank you

GoSuckMyTites

Eh.... I am not sure. Besides, I am lack of everything, maybe better call detail to finish the job. Well, I just trying to figure out the reason why this is happening.... But anyway, thanks for the advice!

GoSuckMyTites

I thought the same way. Actually, any suggestions on good and nice mats for my car? 2010 MB C350 4Matic
Appreciate it!

jpflip

First, I got the exact same car, have the Weather tech carpet, and live in Montreal were salt is often used in winter. Even with the Weathertech I still got salt around the gas pedal and the back of the carpet just in front of the seat but a lot less you have. I did the cleaning of my carpet last week. In the past I was using very hot water mixed with vinegar and a strong shopvac and it work but decided to buy the Bissell Spotclean and used a mixed of water, Oxy boost and spot clean as recommended by the manufacturer… It did the job but I had to do it three times to get a good result… Would love to try a steam cleaning machine !

Funkwagen

Yeah I'm not sure how it ended up in the rear passenger foot well unless you frequently had backseat passengers, in which case it'd just be from their shoes /boots..

Count on it happening again next winter though, unfortunately. I live in Ontario too, and the city I live in seems to dump more salt on the roads than necessary all winter. This is the aftermath of this past winter on my non-rubber floor mat. Lovely. Black carpet doesn't help

If you haven't already, I highly recommend finding either some weathertech floor mats, or the OEM rubber ones.

GoSuckMyTites

I will let you know how that goes! My appointment is on Sat and they promise no salt will see until next winter come.
Maybe detail shop will have some theories about that....

GoSuckMyTites

Exactly! I thought it may happened to someone else and they can give me some possible reasons anyway.

The foot mats I am using now is this:
They are nice and fancy, but apparently it is not useful for the winter... salt stains are everywhere

jpflip

I'm curious! Thanks for keeping me inform! Good luck...

GoSuckMyTites

Detail job did pretty good!









Salt All Gone!

jpflip

OMG in fact , like new!!!!! Congratulations!!!

GoSuckMyTites

Thanks, buddy. They said the salt might still came out a little when it dried. If that happens just send back and they will redo it again.

Carsy

Did you ask them the step by step method they used?

Some DIYers may like to know.

GoSuckMyTites

It's basically hot water streaming and powerful vacuum quickly after using the hot water streaming. It took them three hours and 2 man power to the job.

Personally wanna DIY, you need a how water sprayer and vacuum it, finally using tower to scrub the rest salt and vacuum. It is painful to do such a heavy duty like my carpet. But it is useful if the salt stain is not this big and stubborn.

Carsy

Thank you.