Removing Moisture From Car Interior

[muddatrucker 125]

So, its that time of year when the leaks and dribbles of an old car come into play, I've managed to get a fair bit of moisture into the car from leaky seals and trampling in snow and rain over the last few weeks - are there any techniques to getting it out/soaking it up?

 

I have a wet vac with a suction facility but just wondered if anyone knew of some simple techniques to soak some of it up?

[tomcolinjones 26]

Try and get hold of some cheap salt, like the stuff you can get in bags, and posh people put it in there salt cellers and crush it up over there lunch. rock salt or whaterver it is... half fill a washing up bowl. and put it on your back seat... it will absorb the moisture becasue it is hygroscopic! true.

[JRL 14 1 Cars]

frosts auto restoration sell a moisture bag thats re-useable. I leave in my car and every now and then you put it on the radiator to dry out apparently it can hold a few kgs of moisture.

[boombang 2]

Big bag of rice works too.

[Rob Turbo 3]

I use desicant, the stuff that is inside double glazed windows to stop them misting up, I do work in a double glazing factory though so it's easy for me to get it for free, just fill a bowl or two with it and leave it in the car, it could be put in cloth bags then dried out later, so probably the same stuff that's in the moisture bags that frosts sell.

 

It's supposed to be kiln dried if you want to re-use it though, so drying on a radiator will probably reduce it's effectiveness over time, that's if it is the same stuff we use.

[Obey_R 23]

Tetrosyl so a thing called Moisture Mate, its just some crystals you put in a plastic housing and leave in the car. I had it in my first 205 last year and worked a treat, but it wasn't until I put it in my sisters Clio after it had been standing 6 months that I realised how good it was - it collected about a litre of water in the section below the crsytals, against the few drops it got out of the pug.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

I steal my mums dehumidifier and put it in the boot for a few nices, that gets ALL the moisture out. For a while any way.

[swordfish210 20]

I steal my mums dehumidifier and put it in the boot for a few nices, that gets ALL the moisture out. For a while any way.

 

A dehumidifier would get my vote too, i used one in the 205 once when i came back from scotland and it was dry as a bone after a night.

[gowmonster 2]

cat litter for me, in a tray obviously, otherwise it would get messy, and fresh of course....

[TT205 42]

A dehumidifier would get my vote too, i used one in the 205 once when i came back from scotland and it was dry as a bone after a night.

 

^^ +1 always works for me

 

Also if your car lives on the drive and you're pissed off with scraping ice off in the mornings - get a tiny oil filled radiator (I got one about a foot high for a tenner), stick it on the drivers seat and set on a time switch to come on 3/4 hour before you want to leave in the morning - ftfw !!

[swordfish210 20]

Also if your car lives on the drive and you're pissed off with scraping ice off in the mornings - get a tiny oil filled radiator (I got one about a foot high for a tenner), stick it on the drivers seat and set on a time switch to come on 3/4 hour before you want to leave in the morning - ftfw !!

 

Skillz

[muddatrucker 125]

I might have to do that as I'm sure my heater can no longer provide heat unless I've been driving for about 300 miles.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

^^ +1 always works for me

 

Also if your car lives on the drive and you're pissed off with scraping ice off in the mornings - get a tiny oil filled radiator (I got one about a foot high for a tenner), stick it on the drivers seat and set on a time switch to come on 3/4 hour before you want to leave in the morning - ftfw !!

 

 

Haha, thats amazing, nice on the car too rather scrapping the ice off or warm water.

[swordfish210 20]

Haha, thats amazing, nice on the car too rather scrapping the ice off or warm water.

 

Until the drivers seat catches fire

[Bigtimmy 1]

We use something similar to moisture mate in the boats that we shrinkwrap.

 

The amount of moisture it can collect is immense, refill packs are about 3 quid and well worth it too in my opinion.

 

We use the same crystals all winter and empty about 1 litre out every month.

 

Some of the boats come out of storage dryer than they went in!

[flipperthebushkangaroo 2]

Also if your car lives on the drive and you're pissed off with scraping ice off in the mornings - get a tiny oil filled radiator (I got one about a foot high for a tenner), stick it on the drivers seat and set on a time switch to come on 3/4 hour before you want to leave in the morning - ftfw !!

 

 

But do you have to leave the sunroof open to get the electric cable in!!!!

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

These are all excellent ideas, I'll give them a try once I've fixed my leaking sunroof. The back seats have gone mouldy

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

This is a great thread! Ive been having the same problem too. I keep going out every couple of days to empty the boot of all the water it collects! Does the cat litter really work for a quick fix?

[muddatrucker 125]

Mine isn't as bad as yours Stephen luckily (more so constant drips from deteriorated sunroof handle seals - which I do have replacements for, just havent had time as the screws are a bit rounded, so I've used cellotape externally) usually I'd just leave the windows open on a hot day but with this weather theres little hope!

 

As for the kit litter, I'd imagine its best for condensation/humidity rather than actual visible rolling water as it'd need to soak it from the atmosphere rather than a puddle somewhere.

 

Although my passenger door has seized closed today, so this is the least of my problems lol!

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

Yeah the weather really isnt helping at the minute! I was thinking the same really, my sunroof leaks aswel and was thinking the litter might help with that. Its not a big problem draining the boot every now and again.

 

had the same with my door lock all week with the frost, hope you can get in it soon!

[TT205 42]

Until the drivers seat catches fire

 

It's got a thermastat (and doesn't get silly hot anyway)

 

 

But do you have to leave the sunroof open to get the electric cable in!!!!

 

 

There's plenty of 'give' in the rubber door seal. I'm careful where I position the extesion lead cable but basically close and lock the door as usual - same when using dehumidifier

Edited January 10, 2011 by TT205