[Closed] Drying out a damp car.

Just park it in the warm sunshine with the door all open

Look outside and realises this might not work right now.

Leave a fan heater running in the passenger footwell for a few hours with the windows open a little?

Borrow (unless you own one) a small dehumidifier and put it in the car on an extention lead. Worked brilliantly for a car of ours about 5 yrs ago

If the car has air con switch that on with heating turned to max.

Otherwise a bunch of those dehumidifier packs. Depending on how damp the car is you will have to repeat this a few times before car is totally dry.

Cat little is supposed to work in a similar way the dehumidifier packs and is supposed to be a budget / DIY version. Not tried it my self so no idea how well it works.

Dehumidifier beads. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144156802551

Can also be bought in small beanbags. Some types you put in a warm oven, some can be microwaved to refresh them.

If you’re driving it, aircon on and heat to full.
Open windows if it’s too warm.

Before you dry drying out what might only be surface moisture from the valet, lift the carpets in the front footwells and make sure its not sodden.

Elec Heater windows open

Or dehumidifier

Only way this time of year!

If you've got access to a fan heater or dehumidifier go for them.

We've just picked up a little run about for my daughter, we've got the issue of it ponging of lots of trim cleaner - the dealer went mad with it, and nothing will stick to the plastics now, so the magnetic phone holder just falls off. That's with using an alcohol wipe to clean the stuff off.

My son said - oh I've got an air freshener; - I said, no, you'll be stunk out with overpowered perfume if you use that as well.

Could you put it in a bag of rice?

I have a couple of big pouches of silica gel, leave one in the car and the other on a radiator inside and swap over every so often. Also great for drying shoes.

Like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/joejis-Kitchen-Dehumidifier-Condensation-Dehumidifiers/dp/B08B8WNY1V/

If we do get some sun and it's somewhere secure then just leave the windows open an inch on a sunny day.

Could you put it in a bag of rice?

Brilliant 🙂

I like the leave it in the sunshine idea. But I live in Fort William.

Could you put it in a bag of rice?

It’s a Fiat Panda so I probably could.

I’m sure I can borrow a dehumidifier.

Many thanks.

Could you put it in a bag of rice?

You could, but it's wasteful, and the rice will tend to soak up valuable fluids like petrol and windscreen washer, etc.

Better bet is to open a window a crack and then fill the car up with rice.

I like the leave it in the sunshine idea. But I live in Fort William.

If it will wait until July you could do it for a couple of hours then?

If it's the Mk 2 check the spare wheel well - mine used to fill up with water until I drilled a drain hole

And if the seats and carpet are wet a wet and dry vacuum helps

Could you put it in a bag of rice?

Damnit, I wanted to say that!

Just start the car, aircon on and set to a reasonable temp. Leave for a while.

If it will wait until July you could do it for a couple of hours then?

Maybe, 50/50.

A damp panda yesterday

Just bought a new old car and the seller very kindly had it valeted for me before I picked it up.

A frequent problem with the cars we have. After going through whatever processes are necessary, they get a full valet, which is fine in summer, because any residual moisture evaporates very quickly.

During the winter, however, it does become an issue, when a car sits in storage for several months. It’s usually rejected cars that sit for extended periods of time, and I can remember one particular Qashqai that was sat without moving for nine months before it went. It had started to develop its own unique ecosystem inside…

Fortunately, cars have a much faster turnaround these days, so it’s unlikely to be much of an issue. There should have been plastic covers over the seats to avoid a wet bum, it’s well worth keeping them and stuffing them under the seats, just for occasions when it’s pissing down and it’s easier to get in the car without taking everything off that’s wet; just quickly put the covers over the seats to keep the upholstery dry.

Big bucket of salt

I've had 2 cars with VAG panoramic sunroofs, I know a thing or two about drying them out :-!

Dehumidifier on an extension cord, doors and windows closed is an absolute winner.

If you live out of town where the pollution wont bother anyone, heater on, AC on, fan on recirculate (otherwise it'll never get warm this time of year), and leave the engine running for a bit.

The warm air will evaporate the moisture and the AC will condense it into a puddle under the car.

Don’t think it’s got A/C 😀

I’ve got a dehumidifier in there now which can sit in it all night. It got valeted after I’d looked at it this morning so a matter of hours - not time to go mouldy thankfully.

A damp panda yesterday

👏👏

Could that go in a bag of rice?

I’ve got a dehumidifier in there now which can sit in it all night

My dehumidifier is a bit temperamental after putting it in my work van one chilly day in an attempt to dry out my harness and a load of climbing ropes. It has a small heater for cold days but suspect it would have done better with the small oil filled radiator alongside it. I would suggest a fan heater but not sure I'd trust one of them in a car overnight and unsupervised!

I’ve got a couple of oil filled radiators so could put one of them in. It seems to be drying out quite nicely and there’s not a lot collected so it probably isn’t really that wet in terms of actual volume of water. The carpets just had a hoover by the look of it.

Just bought a new old car and the seller very kindly said he had it valeted for me to disguise the fact it leaks like a sieve after a downpour before I picked it up

 

Or that the heater matrix is kaput….

Just bought a new old car and the seller very kindly said he had it valeted for me to disguise the fact it leaks like a sieve after a downpour before I picked it up

😀 you never know! However I took it for a spin prior to it getting valeted, and got it a couple of hours later once it was done, so I had that one covered!

Depending on the age of your Panda, worth checking that the drain holes in the bulkhead aren't blocked as they cause water to overflow into footwells. Google for a how to or photos will give a better description than I can write.

Once you've got it dried out,

I was sceptical, but for low-level "it gets a bit damp in winter" the passive dehumidifier tubs you get from supermarkets work surprisingly well. It was never wet wet (wet) exactly but my OH's UP used to ice up on the inside of the windscreen in frosty weather. A tub stuck in each door pocket solved that. We pulled them out in spring and they were maybe two thirds full of water.

Those bean bags you dry out in the microwave work pretty well. Got one in the front of my car and one in the boot.

The car has a rubber rear spoiler which drains through the rear hatch pins, the drain tubes block eventually and the boot gets wet. Plus the other old car leaks. Never buy old cars with sun roofs.

Cheers, I’ll check the drain holes etc.

dave661350
Free Member

Borrow (unless you own one) a small dehumidifier and put it in the car on an extention lead. Worked brilliantly for a car of ours about 5 yrs ago

Most cheap/small dehumidifiers need a bit of heat, they won't achieve much at current temps. The beanbag dessicant things are generally more useful in winter, especially since you can leave them in the car as you drive around so they'll catch moisture when the car is warmer.

Fan heater on, windows open a small amount, move it around to point at different bits of seats etc. I do this all the time after valets.