I'm taking out the carpets in one of my W211s, the molded (I don't mean they have mold by the way, I mean molded in terms of shape) carpets, not the little ones you put under your shoes. This car has a white/beige interior and so I want to clean them.

Should I wash them? It's summer here right now and some days the temperature has gotten up to 113oF/45oCand the sun is SCORCHING!! I'm worried if I wash them the foam under the carpet will be ruined or unglued or something messed up. It would be a quick wash with some detergent. I even have a one of those vacuum cleaners that sucks water out of carpets so they would dry really quick.

They REALLY need washing. They're so filthy you wouldn't believe it. I think the previous owner was a homeless guy living in it (kidding)

Use some quality carpet cleaner with a brush and steam it. Soaking the carpet will only create a bigger problem if you can't get it dried quick enough. I hosed down my carpet in my old Toyota when it was 100F outside and smelled every since. I even vacuumed it and hung it.

OK this has got me worried now. I hate that smell of wet carpet. I know what you mean by it and it STINKS!! The problem is, the carpet is REALLY dirty!! Are there any cleaners that can rival water and detergent?

By the way, I want to clean the B pillars, C pillars and A pillars and headliner, is it ok to wash those? They're thin and shouldn't soak up any water......

Yes you should. Breathing in air with mold spores in the carpet can be hazardous to your health. Clean it up, or take to have the interior detailed. I am sure they can get it out. GL

I bought a Toyota 4x4 with an unpleasant smell once. I gutted the interior and soaked it in a kiddie pool for week. No damage with mild detergent and a bit of bleach. I walked it down like grapes and changed the water every day. Shop-vac to dry, problem solved.

No haha as I said I ment the molded carpets, as in, they're molded to shape, not as in my carpets have mold spores. I'm selling the car though and the beige colored carpets are dirty and so I want to clean them before selling the car.

So, when I made this thread, I didn't end up washing the carpets in fear of ruining them.

I have the same dilemma now (sort of) but in a different way.

I recently purchased a set of carpets from a wrecking yard for $50 off a 2009 W211, very black, very good condition.

Problem is, the wrecking yard has no cover and the doors where off the car so when it rained over the months they had the car, it went under the carpets.

When I lifted the carpets, the foam was WET, in a pool of water which was stagnant and quite old I would imagine.

I have put the underside of the carpets in front of a fan for a few days. The sponge material has dried out MOSTLY but there is still some moisture when squeezed.

I can't smell anything now really, I mean, it's a little moldy smelling but not hit-you-in-the-face smell.

What I'm afraid of is, when I put it in the car, because it's in a confined space, will it stink?

Remember, the actual carpet on top is sealed from the bottom padding (I think), even waterproofed (so if you pore water on top, it won't go down to the padding, it will stay on top). So the padding will be sort of sealed off from the interior but still, I'm worried it'll smell, which is the only concern really. Mold that is sealed away and under the floor is not really hazardous to health and sure isn't corrosive.

It would be IMPOSSIBLE to wash the padding, it's fragile and big and thick and it would take ALOT to dry and it really be completely cleaned but who cares, it's underneath right?

I was thinking maybe I'd sprinkle some baking soda on the padding, then put the carpets in and maybe even sprinkle some baking soda on the metal floor before putting in the carpets.

Also, do you think pouring alcohol (methylated spirits) on the padding now help dry it faster while killing any mold inside?

Give me your opinion guys, I'd love to hear your input .....or is it output because you're outputting not taking in.....who cares, just give your opinions

If you leave it in the sun and it's hot out it will dry fast. Put it on grass so it vents

It's upside down so it's directly exposed to the sun. The thing is, would it drying get rid of possible mold or at least the smell of mold?

I would think so. I had a rental food. I cut up the carpet and threw it out into yard to dry the floors. It was soaked. 4 hrs later I went out to gather up and throw it away and it was bone dry and didn't smell. Had I known that I wouldn't have cut it up.

OK, as soon as there's sun I'll take it out. It's raining daily now so can't do it in the next few days. I've had a fan on it to dry it. I was thinking of pouring methylated spirits on it, what do you think, would that help deodorize/dry/kill mold?

That might release the glue.