Getting the 'musty' smell out of carpet

[ATLDiver]

A couple of years ago I got the cargo area of my SUV wet, even though I dried it well with my wet-dry vac I still had a bit of mildew set in. Since then I've always had a musty smell inside, no matter what product I use I can't get rid of it. I've read on here that a steam cleaner can be used to blast ouyt stubborn stains, can this be used with some chemical to clean this out?

 

 

[Z71_Denali]

what your smelling is mildew. i had this happen on my old truck. shampoo the carpets using Adam's Carpet & Upholstery cleaner in whatever machine you decide to use. you can rent a rug doctor or purchase a bissel little green machine. once your done, leave it open in sunlight to dry, and once you think it's dry, place a bucket of damprid in the car to absorb any remaining moisture in the air.

[Chuckster]

The key thing here is to keep the carpet dry once it is clean...... Mold/Mildew THRIVES in a dark, damp area with no fresh air so if you take away any of the three things it will go dormant.

Shampoo the carpet and let it dry in the sun for days until it is SUPER DRY and make sure there are no leaks in the car. One thing to do is park the car in the sun with a fan circulating fresh air to completely dry the interior...... Some people use a ozone generator to get rid of the stink too.