Causes of Moldy Car Seats, Tips for Cleaning and Prevention

As a car owner, you should understand the causes of moldy car seats and how to address them. This way, the cleanliness of the car's interior can always be maintained, making driving more comfortable. So why can car seats get moldy? What causes it? And how can it be prevented? For more details, please pay attention to the following review. 

Causes of Moldy Car Seats

There are several factors that cause car seats to be prone to mold that you need to know. Here are the complete causes. 

1. Use of inappropriate seat covers

Using inappropriate seat covers can cause moisture in the covered seat area. This moisture makes the seat material lack air circulation, thus accelerating mold growth.

2. Lack of maintenance on the car's interior 

When you rarely perform maintenance or cleaning on the car's interior, dust and dirt will accumulate. These dirt deposits can accelerate mold growth. 

3. Poor air circulation in the car

When the car's air vents are closed for a long time, the air circulation inside the car will deteriorate. This triggers moisture, thus accelerating mold growth. 

4. High humidity

Mold growth on car seats can also be caused by high humidity in the surrounding environment. Weather conditions after rain, or a storage place for the car that lacks sunlight can affect the car's humidity condition, thus accelerating mold growth. 

5. Problems with the AC system

Issues with the AC system can create a humid air condition inside the car, making mold growth on car seats easy to form. 

How to Clean Moldy Car Seats

Cleaning car seats depends on the material used. Here are the methods.

1. Leather car seats

Here’s how to do it.

• Dampen a microfiber cloth with warm water mixed with mold cleaner. 
• Wipe the surface of the seat with the cloth until clean from mold.
• Once done, dry the seat under sunlight.

 2. Nylon car seats

Here’s how to do it.

• Spray cleaning solution on the seat surface.
• Then brush the seat surface with a soft brush. 
• Once done, rinse and dry the seat. 

3. Velvet car seats

Here’s how to do it.

• Spray cleaning solution on the seat surface.
• Then brush the seat surface with a soft brush until the mold is lifted.
• Then wipe the seat with a dry cloth.
• Then dry the seat under direct sunlight. 

4. Vinyl car seats

Here’s how to do it. 

• Dampen a microfiber cloth with warm water and mold cleaner. 
• Wipe the seat surface with the cloth until the mold is lifted.
• Then wipe again with a dry cloth. 

How to Prevent Mold Growth on Car Seats 

To prevent mold growth on car seats, you can apply the following methods. 

1. Use the right seat covers

To prevent car seats from getting moldy, you can use seat covers that do not obstruct air circulation. 

2. Perform regular and periodic seat maintenance

Next, you should perform regular and periodic seat maintenance. You can dry the car for about twenty minutes every day, clean the dirt that sticks to the seats or other car interiors at least twice a week, and keep the seats always dry. 

3. Store the car in the right place

Next, you need to store your car in a dry place, with enough sunlight, not humid, and with guaranteed air circulation. 

Read Also: Here’s How to Properly Wash Car Seats

4. Perform routine maintenance on the AC system

A well-maintained AC system will ensure good circulation inside the car and prevent mold growth. To keep your AC maintained, make sure to have it serviced regularly at an official Daihatsu workshop.