Sour Carpet Smell - How do you avoid it?

[wish2fish]

I have noticed that after a multiday trip of boating the carpet begins to smell sour. I don't know how to prevent it as the carpet gets wet from the kids comming onto the boat from the water and it doesn't get a chance to dry out for multiple days in a row.

My carpet is the snap in berber with the black rubber backing.

Someone else has to have this problem as well. Please give me some advice.

 

[J Levine]

With three kids swimming and eating in the cockpit, my carpet has been rolled up and on a shelf in the garage for years. Nothing like using a hose to clean up the boat. Plus, the black rubber backing will start falling off the carpeting soon anyways....

 

[Dave S]

Once that carpet gets soaked it takes forever to dry out if you just leave it in the boat. Right now I would suggest you remove it and thoroughly clean it on both sides and let it dry on a clothes line or some other similar contraption where air can reach both the carpet and carpet backing. I use a pressure washer to clean mine but there are several other good soap products you can use as well.

When I know I will have a lot of wet traffic in my boat I pull the carpet back nearest the transom. We throw a few towels down on the floor in that area and tell everyone to stand on those until they dry themselves off.

 

[jrcinnh]

Sometimes the simple answer is the best. My bowrider had the same problem. Just take them out and wash both sides with a good strong soap and a brush. If you have to wash near the water, like on the dock, use Simple Green. I took them home and washed them on the driveway with Dawn. Let them dry in the sun and they will smell like new.

I've seen people use a pressure washer but can't vouch for the results.

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

Always wash like everyone else suggested with a mild detergent and hang to dry. Never leave in the boat damp. A bottle of fabrize works wonders too. :thumbsup:

 

[wish2fish]

I cleaned them at the begining of the season and just upon my return here. Since there is no way to avoid them getting wet I was wondering if there was a way to keep the smelling better during the trip. They were fine before we went but a few days into the trip they started to smell!

 

[Asureyez]

Cockpit Carpet Fresh smelling

I have the same issue only on a bigger scale. When traveling and the carpet is repeadedly soated with both fresh and salt water the cock pit can get a little ripe smelling. At my first opportuntiy I get the wet carpet out on the dock and make up a pail of "Oxy-Clean powder and warm to hot weater and flood the carpet side with it first. The flip them and do the same to the foam backing. Let set for 20 minutes and then hose out both sides with fresh water and hang dry over boat boxes, trash containers, power pedestals what ever just git each panel to a plac eit can drain without going in the drink.

 

[shoelessben]

I fought this all last season too. Finally at season's end, I took them home and scrubbed both sides vigourously with dawn in the driveway. Then, after rinsing, I hung them and used a shop vac to get as much water out as I could... they take forever to dry. Once they were finally dry, the smell was gone. I rolled them up and they are now stored in my attic. They haven't been on the boat since September and my wife commented last week that it is so much better without that smell :smt043

 

[wish2fish]

can I really take advice abouting something smelling from a guy called shoeless ben? j/k

I scrubbed them thoroughly in the driveway yesterday and hung them on my porch railing to drain. I went and took a wiff and they still smell! There has to be something to do about this!

 

[Asureyez]

Don't fight it!

Oxyclean man ... this stuff will oxidize the mildew that has gotten into the foam.

You can get OxyClean at Costco and grocery store sin the deterget sections. It come sin 10# boxes and is about 12 bucks, don't own a boat with out it!

 

[gengiant]

Personally, I am in the pressure wash camp. After long weekends our carpets get soiled by everyone, incl. the dog, going in and out of the boat. So I take the carpets home with me, lay them out on the driveway, soak the berber side with high-traffic carpet cleaner I buy in gallon jugs at Home Depot, and after maybe 10 minutes wash them off with the pressure washer. After hanging them over plastic saw horses I will sometimes take just the garden hose and give them a final rinse. I then let them drip-dry. They come out looking and smelling brand new EVERY time!

You might try an alternative to berber boat carpet. When we go scuba diving out of our boat I used to worry about banging heavy aluminum or steel tanks too hard onto the fiberglass deck. So I bought rust-red rubber anti-fatigue mats at Costco (I have also seen these in black, though I gigured they'd get too hot). I cut these mats to size to fit perfectly into the cockpit and onto the swim step. Not only do they protect the fiberglass when needed, but they are also slip-resistant and will not start to smell when wetted repeatedly (they are also resistant to oils and mild chemicals).

Good luck!