Interior Discussion about interior restoration, repairs, and modifications.

Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

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Old 05-05-2007, 01:05 PM
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Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Any one know any good ways to get the smell gone? I tried 3 or 4 boxes of baking soda, which didnt help very much. I also dont wanna pay $100 to get it prof. cleaned. Looking for some good home remedies
Old 05-05-2007, 01:19 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

orange scenced bleach wipes

They got the smell of nasty butt secks out of my bird and didnt hurt my leather
And thats a story for another time
Old 05-05-2007, 02:11 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

It's possible that the carpet got wet at one time and the padding under the carpet could have mildewed.That has happened to me before I ripped all of my carpet out.
Old 05-05-2007, 02:46 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

i deyail cars on the side, what u should do is take up the carpet and check the padding if it stinks toss it and just buy a few scented oils 4 the car that attach to vent,that r the same frag. and spray some of of the frag on the carpet kinda soak it a lil. Then let ur car run with the heater on recirculate that should knock it out! If it doesnt let me know, i know some other ways but thats the cheapest!
Old 05-06-2007, 10:39 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Well thanks for the help guys. I stripped the seats out yest and of course there was a mouse nest under my pass seat... I think that could be the problem the carpet where the nest is is all brownish
Old 05-06-2007, 10:49 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Pull carpet and padding like everyone said. Get a steam cleaner and clean everything thoroughly. While you have the carpet out you can touch up any rust spots that may be forming on the floor pans. Let everything dry thoroughly and reinstall. You don't need anything besides soap and a good steam vac- they really do work wonders.
Old 05-06-2007, 10:50 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

I was told that the amonia in windex or I hate to use this but you can try vinegar. I spilled a Latte and it soaked into the padding and just smelled for over a month. I had to take the t tops off for a while but "time" and windex seemed to do the trick. How did a mouse get in there? I would freak if that happened to me. Febreeze will also help.
Old 05-06-2007, 10:59 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

When i got my first iroc years ago, the t tops leacked but it all would go under the carpet, so all the sound profing was soacked and stunk, i tore the whole interior out and washed the floors with my clean, let em dry dynomated for more sound proofing and reinstalled the cleaned carpet, when it was out i power washed it and let dry in the sun. Car never smelled again.
Old 05-08-2007, 01:33 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Yea, you can rent a steam cleaner from your local grocery store for $20. Leave all your carpet on your driveway in the sun for a few hours, it'll flatten. Then steam clean it. Good as new. Replace the jute beneath it, or just toss it. New jute makes the car feel like a new car, you can get it pretty cheap at a carpet store I imagine, it's the same stuff as in your house. (Get the right thickness, probably has different thicknesses available).
Spray your seats and carpet with febreeze and let it air out in the sun. That and a good vacuuming has always done the trick for me, but I also never found a mouse nest Febreeze is great though, use it.
Old 05-08-2007, 02:09 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

A mouse nest? Well that's interesting. Was the car sitting for a long time. I also detail cars and had a guy come in that got a cat caught in his fan blades...talk about a horrible smell and sight...like everyone said pull the carpet...remove smelly pad or carpet...power wash and steam claen...shop vac dry and set in the sun...reinstal...air dry...Febreeze everything including healiner and seats...should be good as new...
Old 05-08-2007, 08:35 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

yeah it was sittin for who knows how long. I found a receipt dated 6 years ago on the floor so....only god knows.
Old 05-08-2007, 10:15 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

The damn mice get in my car if it sits for more than a day. Little bastards reak havoc on the interior when it's in storage all winter. I have to take the whole interior of mine out including the air ducts since I can see they made nests in them. I've never had much luck getting the smell out.

I'll try steam cleaning the carpet this year. I plan on replacing it but not until I fix the t-top leaks and try and seal off the interior better so the mice can't get in.
Old 05-09-2007, 10:32 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

ha ha, maybe they have a need for speed.
Old 05-09-2007, 11:28 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

hehe iroc the mouse...
Old 05-10-2007, 03:49 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

In a hardware shop you can get a "moisture eater", thats what we call it in dutch. Also in the same isle you will find a fungus killing spray. I have the same smell because of leaking t-tops, not mice. Make sure you clean the nest area thouroughly with a bacteria/fungus desifecting spray. Mice carry numerous (airborne) deseases!

I'll go with the remove carpet trick, funguns-eat the smelly spots and rent a professional carpet cleaning device and fluids. I heard you should make sure it's 100% dry before you reinstall it.

Also: you probably figured it out too, but fix the cause first, then the effects. So check your weatherstripping and floorpans! I doubt it only because of the mice. Any clue as to how they got in there?

Also, check any underdash and under carpet wiring!

Last edited by MajorPayne; 05-10-2007 at 03:52 AM.
Old 05-10-2007, 08:01 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

It's pretty easy for them to get into these cars through the fresh air vents. I know I've had to clean out a few nests from inside the heater box. On mine, I forgot to put a seal around the old shifter cable hole for the automatic. I used that when I went to the T56 for the wire harness. Also doesn't help that the shift boot isn't tight against the shifter. Plenty of room for them to sneak in there. I did manage to capture one of them.. was sitting on the front floor mat when I was going to remove the console.
Old 05-10-2007, 08:48 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

That is why I love my all brick garage. It's mouse proof. I never leave my car outside, even in the summer. I would freak out if I found a mouse in my car.
Old 05-10-2007, 04:46 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

My headliner is sagging too and I think that could be a poss. for the problem haha and I think theres one under there too
Old 05-28-2007, 06:23 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Originally Posted by stevenb
My headliner is sagging too and I think that could be a poss. for the problem haha and I think theres one under there too
Dude, your giving me nightmares..ha ha!
Old 05-28-2007, 10:13 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Stupid mice! Well luckily my dad owns 10 outside "barn" cats so they'll handle the problem if any are still around!
Old 05-30-2007, 06:10 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

well, i have EVERYTHING out of my car cept for the dash and door panels and my car STILL stinks when i have had the windows closed.... it is very hard to get rid of smell when it has found its way in to an old car.... i expect that i will need to take the dash out and get rid of all the foam seals.... i am also going to flush the car with a bleach mix before i start to spray it down with undercoating.
Old 05-30-2007, 08:09 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Originally Posted by stevenb
Well thanks for the help guys. I stripped the seats out yest and of course there was a mouse nest under my pass seat... I think that could be the problem the carpet where the nest is is all brownish
Don't bother messing around with stuff that claims it gets urine out.

You'll need to-
1.) Rip ALL the carpet, padding, and insulation out.
2.) Pull the drain plugs out and scrub with 30 to 1 mixture of bleach and water with a green scratch pad.
3.) Throw away the seat cushions, covers, and anything soft. This is as good as you'll get for an excuse to get new seats.
4.) Use an expoxy based paint and repaint all the floor boards.

I've been through this with older cars before. It's as bad as cancer (rust). You'll have to eliminate everthing that can retain/absorb liquids.
Old 06-04-2007, 07:09 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

I started stripping the interior yesterday and got as far as almost getting the carpet out but I now am thinking that it is the seats which are causing the smell
Old 06-07-2007, 09:55 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

even if it is the seat pull out all of the interior, minues the dashboard because tht is a little tricky, u will b surprised wht u find under the carpet
Old 08-01-2007, 08:16 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

I just pulled my bird out of my parents barn, sat for 1.5 years. Mice have a lot of time on their scrawny paws, little bastards. They shaat everywhere all seats, floors, trunk, spare tire,....and for sure chewed up the hatch wiring (don't know what else they chewed).

And the smell.

I vacuumed it out the turds, then I used that blue coral carpet cleaner and vacuumed again. I aired it out for a couple days, doors open all day. I then got a bottle of Febreeze disinfectant spray, soaked everything, emptyed the bottle. I trashed the trunk carpet and rear plastic cover, they wreeked even sitting outside for a week. I then aired it out again for a couple days, still smells like flowers and mice crap...I will puke if I drive it like so.

Next step is i'm trashing the carpet and padding...maybe even the seats got blessit!!

Thinking about rhino lining the interior, you guys think this is alright? I don't know, maybe it would be the same price to get used carpet and seats I suppose.

Thanks for the steam cleaner tip!
Old 08-02-2007, 01:15 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

A big contribution to the musty smell if its water damage, is the padding against the firewall, behind the dash. I ripped out my entire interior, found out everything was dry... except that. That smelled like a burnt butt hole (the burnt part was from when I welded something on the outside and it caught that insulation on fire )

As for the rhino lining, I would not recommend something like that. Same goes for any type of rubberized undercoating. It will keep water out for sure on the well protected areas, but if water finds it's way in on the sides, or similar, it can travel throughout and then the rhino liner or rubber coating holds the water to the metal. An epoxy based paint is the way to go. I'm using POR15 on the inside floor pans, and around any type of 'hole' (access holes, like for bolts or hoses or wires). I figured I might as well since I replaced 3/4 of the drivers foot well with sheet metal.
Old 08-02-2007, 11:12 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Originally Posted by Douchermann
A big contribution to the musty smell if its water damage, is the padding against the firewall, behind the dash. I ripped out my entire interior, found out everything was dry... except that. That smelled like a burnt butt hole (the burnt part was from when I welded something on the outside and it caught that insulation on fire )

As for the rhino lining, I would not recommend something like that. Same goes for any type of rubberized undercoating. It will keep water out for sure on the well protected areas, but if water finds it's way in on the sides, or similar, it can travel throughout and then the rhino liner or rubber coating holds the water to the metal. An epoxy based paint is the way to go. I'm using POR15 on the inside floor pans, and around any type of 'hole' (access holes, like for bolts or hoses or wires). I figured I might as well since I replaced 3/4 of the drivers foot well with sheet metal.
Oh yeah, I heard of that POR15, some guy used it to paint some old vintage car underbody.
Old 08-02-2007, 11:57 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Great stuff, it really is. Only if you prep the surface right though. Some people complain about it not sticking, or it coming off in sheets. Most of those cases, they just didn't prep it right, but sometimes the metal is just too darn smooth so the prep chemicals don't work right on it.
Old 09-11-2007, 07:11 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

This is old I know but I would like to inform anyone who was interested the main scent was from the headliner...and there was indeed a nest there!
Old 09-11-2007, 10:04 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Damn.. those things get in anywhere they can. I ended up pulling my whole dash and entire AC/Heater system out. Cleaned everything out and used Clorox bleach spray on everything I could get to.. and what I could reach I sprayed a ton of into and let sit before rinsing it out. I tossed the carpet... it was too nasty to save.
Old 09-25-2007, 01:22 AM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

I am going through the same thing with my 86. Although the original owner stored it in an air conditioned basement garage, someone left a bag of candy in the car. The mouse ate the candy, then used the wrappers to make it's nest under the right rear seat. Since they don't sleep where they do thier business, the carpet under left rear seat served as the toilet. I striped the whole car out and cleaned everything. There was no rust, so I lucked out there. After a very through cleaning and air drying, it still smells! I think that I am going to have to start replacing soft stuff, probably the carpet and insulation first. One funny thing is that my wife's cat loves that car. The cat sleeps on top of the car, and acts mad when we make her move. When a door is opened, the cat jumps inside and checks everything out. Now we have cat hair, but we have not had any more mice! Charles
Old 10-04-2007, 10:34 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

Originally Posted by JB97C5

I've been through this with older cars before. It's as bad as cancer (rust). You'll have to eliminate everthing that can retain/absorb liquids.
What do you mean when you say its as bad as rust?
Old 10-04-2007, 10:39 PM
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Re: Musty/Pee/Old Smell Interior

my rs was stored for winter fall early spring by the former owner and i just used about a bottle of febreeze a week and week two no more weird smell!
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