Hi all,

I've had assorted issues with a now broken but closed sky roof. I've a blocked drainage hose which I've got to clear this weekend... However I think there's now a lot of moisture in the car that I need to get rid of... does anyone have any bright ideas as to what may work to help dry the car out generally?

I know the car seats can absorb a lot of moisture due to them basically being a huge sponge, so aside from parking it in the sun with the windows open does anyone have a suggestion that may work to.

I don't really want to buy a de-humidifier just to dry my car out, but I figure that a small plug in one left in the car would be a start ( and is probably cheaper than hiring one??)

Any help appreciated!

bagged rice will work to absorb moisture, leave the windows open a little bit (if not raining) the wind and air will help dry it out

Chuck a dehumidifier in it if you can get power to the car and have access to one

As above de-humdifier is best option, or an electric fan of some type with windows open slightly..failing those options pack a bag and take a drive to a warmer country and make good use of the sun roof...I know which one I would choose

Cheers Guys,

Looks like i'll try drying it out on Saturday. Hopefully a cheap dehumidifier wont cost me too much.

Any thoughts on keeping a moisture trap in the car generally? You know the little ones you can get for bathrooms/airing cupboards etc? Maybe a useful thing to do whilst the weather is so wet?

a litte advice is any dehumidifier will not work as it should unless the area being used in is warm as more moisture evaporates to be collected by dehumidifier..a cheap dehumid unit will not I suspect have refrigerant expect to pay £60 + for a suitable dehumid device and with current outside temps being what they are you be just aswell leaving windows open slightly and saving pennies for that drive to a warmer country unless you also heat the inside of car aswell as have the dehumidifer working to collect evaporated moisture in the air

mhowse said:

a litte advice is any dehumidifier will not work as it should unless the area being used in is warm as more moisture evaporates to be collected by dehumidifier..a cheap dehumid unit will not I suspect have refrigerant expect to pay £60 + for a suitable dehumid device and with current outside temps being what they are you be just aswell leaving windows open slightly and saving pennies for that drive to a warmer country unless you also heat the inside of car aswell as have the dehumidifer working to collect evaporated moisture in the air

Click to expand...

Dehumidifier is currently working mine at current temps (5-10C) in my Classic Panda and garage.

if you have air con, use that (in dehumidifier mode),. otherwise cat litter works really well, the absorbent type NOT clay or wood. I also used some simply crystals from The Range, comes with a trap, to dry out my 4x4 worked brilliant. It will probably take a while, but you will see the improvement after a day or so (windows should stop being fogged)

In the past I've used an electric fan heater, with the windows slightly open to let the moisture out. install it where it can pull the air through without overheating. I had a leak in my esprit last year, with mould etc. I used the heater to drive out the moisture dried all the surfaces down and stuck a cheap damp trap in it from the pound shop.

I get them moisture removers from B&M'S or wilkos, they are a little tub that collects moisture, they work amazingly!!!
Our civic sits a bit, and the windows used to steam up constantly, since I park it up with one of them in the back seat there is no condensation at all EVER! You should see the amount of water the little tub fills up with!
http://www.wilko.com/insulation/unibond-humidity-absorber-kit-300g/invt/0315541

GrandeGuy said:

I get them moisture removers from B&M'S or wilkos, they are a little tub that collects moisture, they work amazingly!!!
Our civic sits a bit, and the windows used to steam up constantly, since I park it up with one of them in the back seat there is no condensation at all EVER! You should see the amount of water the little tub fills up with!
http://www.wilko.com/insulation/unibond-humidity-absorber-kit-300g/invt/0315541

Click to expand...

yeah that's like what I used, they are really effective.

You can use your aircon as a dehumidifier.

Turn on AC
Turn on heater.
Have the air on recirculation

The way it works.
Heating the air increases the air's ability to absorb moisture so dries the car.
Having the AC on condenses the moisture out of the air and it drains away.

You can use this method to defog your windows on a cold morning. Cars with climate air like Abarth have this feature built in as a demist boost feature.

Cheers everyone one.

Unfortunately I don't have aircon otherwise i'd be using this in conjunction with a few of the suggestions here...

I'll install a moisture trap into the car, after I've managed to dry the car out.

Will let you guys know how it all goes.

In that case having the heater on and pushing plenty of fresh air through will help dry it out. Open the rear windows a little to help the flow of air through the car.