Signs Mold Is Forming In Your Car (And How To Fight It)

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Molds are everywhere and can grow wherever there's moisture, warmth, and a food source. They can grow in and damage your car just as quickly and unexpectedly as they can in your home. And when you really think about it, car interiors provide the perfect environment for mold spores to thrive and form those yucky clumps of whitish, greenish, or blackish colonies on the dashboard, seats, door panels, ceilings, and carpets of your ride.

Mold spores are microscopic and not visible to the naked eye, which makes them almost impossible to spot early and attack with a cleaner and a towel. The good news is that mold infestation will leave both obvious and non-visual cues. In the absence of white, grayish, or black patches of mold, the most telltale sign of mold is an offensive, earthy, musty stench coming from the seats, carpets, or behind the dashboard, which hits you most when you turn the A/C on. The smell is reminiscent of a wet, dirty shirt, or used socks left baking inside sneakers left in the trunk.

If the funky smell doesn't raise alarm bells, then the persistent sneezing, coughing, wheezing, sinus infections, skin rashes, and eye irritations will. Those symptoms could indicate mold growth if you experience them only when you're inside the car. Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that indoor mold exposure can lead to upper respiratory tract infections (to otherwise healthy individuals) and possible asthma development in some children. Luckily, preventing mold is as easy as ridding the cabin of excess moisture, but fighting it goes beyond just vacuuming and calling it a day.

Regular vacuuming, wiping, and cleaning of the carpets, seats, and your car's interior in general is the single most effective way of preventing mold growth. Mold spores need just a tiny bit of moisture to grow, feeding on organic matter like paper, cloth, wood, soil, dead skin cells, hair, and pet dander. In case you haven't noticed, all that organic matter can be found inside a car, so a clogged sunroof drain, a window left open in the rain, moisture from wet boots, or that spilled drink on the carpets are the final ingredients to an inevitable mold infestation.

Ridding the cabin of organic matter and moisture will stop mold spores dead in their tracks. First, clean and dry liquid spills immediately. Allowing them to soak in the carpets and seats will push the liquid deeper into the fabric, making them harder to clean, take longer to dry, and could jumpstart the fungi to multiply. Make it a habit to vacuum the floors, carpets, matting, and seats to get rid of the organic matter that mold spores can feast on. Use an anti-mold cleaner like Concrobium Mold Control to spot-clean visible mold stains and prevent them from coming back. When doing so, spray the liquid directly, let it soak for a few seconds, and wipe off the excess with a damp microfiber towel.

Meanwhile, that musty smell from the car's A/C is a sure sign of mold and mildew. Check the cabin filter first and replace it, if necessary, because bad smells can emanate from a nasty old filter. If that doesn't do the trick, have the A/C checked by a professional.

Regular cleaning and disinfecting will go a long way to fight mold growth. In addition, using seat covers and rubberized floor liners will help fight mold growth. Remember the part about mold spores needing food and moisture to thrive? If you cut off what feeds them, you won't have to deal with a nasty (and possibly costly) infestation later on.

Seat covers are removable, easier to clean, and can protect the factory cloth or leather from spills, scratches, and mold spores. Family vehicles on school runs, frequent drive-throughs, or carrying pets are ideal candidates for seat covers. Or use a waterproof pet hammock like the Mancro Dog Seat Cover to protect the factory upholstery from slobber, pet hair, and mud.

Meanwhile, rubberized floor liners are non-absorbent and can trap moisture, water, mud, and snow, helping prevent stains on the carpet. They are also easier to clean than cloth or fabric mats because you can hose them off and/or wipe them dry with a cloth, leaving no chance for mold spores to settle and thrive in wet carpets.