Moisture in the car

Of course, the interior of your car gets damp if you get in during a rain shower with a wet coat and wet shoes. When it’s cold, your interior also gets damp because of your breath, especially if you’re in the car with more people. The inside of the windows fog up almost immediately. Your air conditioning can offer a solution, but not every car is equipped with it. Then you have to wipe the windows dry with a chamois or cloth, but that is difficult if you are seated in the seat belt. In any case, you should ventilate as much as possible, with the stove and blower on the highest setting, in the hope that you will dispel the moisture.

Remove moisture in car

But the moisture problem is not really solved yet. Maybe your upholstery is still damp, there are puddles of water on the rubber floor mats or your carpet is soaked. And of course you left your chamois or cloth in the center console. But if you don’t do anything about the moisture, your interior will smell musty, stink and even mold can develop over time.

The first step to solving the root of the problem is to take anything that is damp out of the car, let it dry or just throw it away. You cannot take damp interior upholstery with you, so ventilation is essential. If you can park your car in a garage, leave the windows ajar. Otherwise, if the weather is nice and dry, put the car in the sun, also with the windows ajar. When you have to leave again, turn the stove and blower up high and open the windows again.

Moisture in car: rice or cat grit

You can also try to dry the interior with moisture-absorbing material. A bag filled with rice (not a buttoned plastic bag of course, because the moisture can’t get in there), or an old sock with rice, or cat litter, absorbs moisture. Change the granules and the old sock regularly.

Various brands offer ready-to-use dehumidifiers, moisture absorbers, moisture absorbers, moisture magnets and similar products. You can easily find them on the internet, including an explanation.

Get moisture out of the car

Have you ever considered that your car might be leaking somewhere? Do the windows not close properly? Maybe a window seal or another rubber leak, or is moisture getting into the luggage compartment? Is the floor or bulkhead leaking into the engine compartment? Then you can ventilate what you want and place rice and moisture absorbers everywhere, but that does not remove the cause of the moisture in the car. Then you have to go to the dealer or specialist to have measures taken.

Moisture in headlights

Moisture can also accumulate in the lighting of your car, even if the light units are waterproof. The air in the light units gets warm due to the lighting and if you turn it off and park the car, the air can condense against the lamp glass. Modern lighting is ventilated at the back, so the moist air usually disappears on its own. So make sure the light units are in good condition and clean, also at the back, where you might not be so quick to look during the Saturday wash. If the moisture does not disappear, you can – if you dare – remove the light unit and then remove the moisture in the lamp with a cloth or hair dryer. Also check the wiring. Plugs that are not waterproof can allow water to enter the cable jacket, which can then enter the light unit. You can find useful tips and information about moisture in lighting on the Hella website.

Car does not start due to moisture

Moisture can also make it difficult to start the car. Especially on older cars. Moisture may have entered the distributor, or the spark plug wires are no longer good so that they do not supply enough power to the spark plugs in damp weather so that they do not spark. You can temporarily solve the problem by spraying those parts with moisture repellents such as penetrating oil (WD40) or specific dehumidifier for the ignition. But it is best to replace those parts (or have them replaced).