Keri's Wellness Wednesday: Cleaning hacks for a flooded car
Following the recent and devastating #DurbanStorm, many residents were stuck with flooded cars. These simple hacks will help you clean and dry your car.
PODCAST: AutoTrader CEO George Mienie advises car-owners on what to do during and post-flood:
Social media went into a frenzy when photos of damaged houses and cars went viral during the #DurbanStorm. But what do you do with your car once it has been flooded?
A car isn’t something we just toss away because it got wet, but when it is completely flooded inside, it may feel like there is no hope.
Whether you want to or not, you need to start drying it out straight away and take pics for your insurance if you haven’t already.
PICS: KZN roads, homes completely flooded
Do not start the car
Disconnect your battery, call your insurance, open all the doors - including the boot and bonnet, and take out all the wet items such as floor mats. Hang the seats out to dry and remove any mud and debris by hand.
The main goal with a soaked car carpet is to avoid mold spores at all costs. Mold and mildew are not to be messed with since they can become toxic when inhaled.
1. You will need to dry your car as best as you can. Consider borrowing or renting a wet-dry vacuum cleaner to suck out any remaining water on the car floors.
2. Blot up whatever water you missed with a towel.
3. Make a DIY cleaner: one part water and one part hydrogen peroxide. Let it set in the carpet for 30 minutes.
4. Do another clean with the shop vacuum.
5. Use an electric fan (not a space heater or anything with a heat-core as there's still petrol in the car’s tank) to dry up the remaining water.
6. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda everywhere then use the dry vacuum setting to pull out the baking soda. This helps with getting rid of the smell.If there is grime in-between crevices and cracks, try using a toothbrush to get in the spaces.
If you can manage to remove the bumper, do so. A lot of debris may have collected in there.