How Do You Dry Out a Car Interior? Useful Tips For Every Driver!

Last Updated on 4 weeks by Ollie Barker

It’s wintertime and your car’s interior is wet after a heavy downpour. It might be tempting to turn on the heat, but that can actually make things worse if water comes into contact with hot hoses or heater coils. Or you leave your windows down and let the rain get into your car. How do you dry out a car interior?

In this blog, I’ll share with you several methods to dry out a wet car interior.

The best and first thing you can do is to start by wiping down the surfaces using a towel or cloth. This will stop any water from soaking in and evaporating, which would only make things wetter over time.

How Do You Dry Out a Car Interior?

Tools Needed to Dry the Inside of a Car:

(As I said earlier, towels are good but to dry out the inside of the car faster and more effective, these tools will be very handy)

• Towels
• Wet/dry vacuum
• Fan/ Hairdryer/ Air blower
• Dehumidifier

How to Dry Out Rained-in Car with Towels

The best and most effective way to speed up the drying process is to use towels. Do not use paper towels or toilet paper which can cause more scratches on the car’s interior. If you don’t have any dry towels, you can always grab some from home and bring them with you.

The easiest way to use a towel is to blot the water on the wet surface of your car. Make sure that your towel is completely dry before you use it in another area of the car. This will prevent you from spreading dirt and wetness.

How to Use Wet/Dry vac to Dry Car Carpet & Seats

A wet/dry vac is an excellent tool to dry the car’s carpet and seats. This tool works really fast because of its powerful 12-volt motor. However, you will need to use the correct nozzle to dry out the water. If the nozzle is too narrow, it may scratch your seats; too wide will take longer to dry out.

• Choose a wide-nozzle attachment (I like the “fur” attachment).
• Pump the wet vac to circulate the water out.
• Use the vacuum to dry out any residual water till it has evaporated.
• You can use your directional nozzle attachment to help you dry out the water in small areas, like your seats or carpeted console.

How To Dehumidify a Car Using a Fan

Dehumidifiers cannot work underwater, so if your car is wet inside, this tool will not work for you. A fan can blow air to dry out the car’s interior. This portable fan can be used to speed up the drying process and provide you with fresher and more comfortable seats and carpets.

• Get the car dry with towels first.
• Use the fan to dry out the wet areas of your car.
• Repeat this process until your car is thoroughly dry.
• It will take about an hour to dry completely with a medium speed fan; 30 minutes with a low speed; and about 8 minutes if you’re using a high-speed fan.

You can use a hairdryer or air blower for substitutes if the wet areas are small.

How to Prevent Mold and Mildew

If the inside of the car is not thoroughly dry, there is a high chance that mold and mildew growth from moisture spots. To prevent this, you can use moisture-absorbent products like Cat Litter or baking soda. These will absorb the residual moisture and avoid the growth of mold and mildew.

Cat Litter is a good product to use in cars. It’s made for cats but it can also be used to help you get rid of the musty smell in your car.

• Remove all items that are wet or have any kind of moisture content.
• Put dry litter in your car so that the floor, seats, and console are covered with cat litter.
• This will help absorb excess moisture so that mold and mildew do not grow in your car.

Or you can use baking soda.

• Baking soda is a good absorbent that will take up moisture.
• Empty your car’s floor and put down a layer of baking soda.
• Let the baking soda get wet, then vacuum it to remove the moisture.
• Leave the baking soda in your car for at least 24 hours for it to completely dry out and absorb all excess moisture.
• Wipe off any remaining baking soda and vacuum again.

If you see mold develop, check out this article to learn how to deal with it: How to Remove Algae and Mould From Car!

Final Words

To conclude, how to dry the inside of a car is simple with the tips I’ve given you. Start by blotting the water on the wet surfaces, then use a vacuum to dry out any residual water. If you don’t have a wet/dry vac, you can use a fan to help dry your car interior faster. Make sure it dry out completely to avoid mold and mildew.