[Sanidhya mukund]

UPDATE

I finally got the car back from the mechanic.

Firstly, after the bug spray, all the ants died. The pictures show the dead ants scattered among pupae:




Then, the mechanic took the car away, removed all the seats, the carpets and the rubber beadings of the rear doors and the boot. Subsequently, every corner of the car was vacuumed to remove the dead ants and the pupae. I do not have work in progress pictures, but here’s how the affected areas look now:











I also wiped the gear knob, handbrake and steering wheel with an alcohol based surface disinfectant to remove the mould:




While it was with the mechanic, the rear brakes were serviced, a faulty wiper washer was replaced and the battery was charged.

Both the cars, enjoying the rain. They won’t be seeing indoor parking anytime soon:



I have also placed orders for the silica gel packets and the moisture absorber that fellow BHPians suggested. Will be Keeping them in the car, but will also drive both cars every 3 days now.

[theqca]

Slightly off topic but since you've mentioned using silica gel in your car - a few points to keep in mind.

1 - silica gel absorbs moisture but its not a continuous process. Think of it like you pouring water in a vessel. You'll have to drain it. Similarly you either replace the silica gel or you have to heat it to get rid of the moisture for it to continue to work in an effective manner.

2 - there are various varieties of silica gel which are available. Some of them are not good for you to inhale from a health perspective. Please google silica gel and cancer to get more information about types you should use and types you shouldn't and types you should heat and types you should throw out.

3 - instead of buying silica gel those small white packets sold at camera stores it might be more economical to buy a large bag of it from a chemist and then make small cloth sachets of it if you are looking at using it as a long term solution.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Thank you for the reply, sir!
Even I heard a lot about kerosene, but refrained from using it mainly because of its strong smell. Also, it could potentially stain the carpets. But of course, it might be a good idea when it comes to spraying on the underbody or in certain parts of the engine bay.

Welcome Sanidhya, yes kerosene can be better used on exterior locations only OK, not in the cabin due to its pungent smell. It gets more easily washed away with water, whereas diesel forms a thin film and only the excess gets washed away in case water/ rain water trickles over the surface.

Originally Posted by theqca

Slightly off topic but since you've mentioned using silica gel in your car - a few points to keep in mind.

1 - silica gel absorbs moisture but its not a continuous process. Think of it like you pouring water in a vessel. You'll have to drain it. Similarly you either replace the silica gel or you have to heat it to get rid of the moisture for it to continue to work in an effective manner.

2 - there are various varieties of silica gel which are available. Some of them are not good for you to inhale from a health perspective. Please google silica gel and cancer to get more information about types you should use and types you shouldn't and types you should heat and types you should throw out.

3 - instead of buying silica gel those small white packets sold at camera stores it might be more economical to buy a large bag of it from a chemist and then make small cloth sachets of it if you are looking at using it as a long term solution.

theqca, yes rightly said. Didn't know about the cancer link. Will check. Silica gel as grains of about 3-4 mm size are available by weight in any scientific laboratory equipment store. These are usually used in laboratories to keep microscope lenses and laboratory equipment safe from moisture during wet months. These are kept in many containers within the laboratory. Also fitted in some laboratories are dehumidifiers, to supplement the silica gel's moisture absorption capacity. Depending upon the wet spells, the gel gets moist from time to time. In average wet spells, the gel needs to be dehumidified every fortnight. Use of Fume Chambers (used to dry wet laboratory samples) for drying silica gel is done.

For our usage, the drying can be done even with a good hair dryer from time to time. Drying under burners or gas stoves is not recommended. The gel can be used eternally this way with the best results.

[WhiteWash]

Ant infestations are common and we can git rid of them too. In one of my vehicle, we travelled to a temple and had carried prasad (sweets) with us in an open plate. The passenger in the rear who was holidng the plate dropped significant amount of it on the car floor and covered it with the carpet. The entire back seat of my car was full of ants. There were ants even in the rubber door seals.

To fix it, I sprayed the entire impacted area with HIT ant spray but all the ants abandoned the location. This was a good chance to take out what remained of the sweets from the floor/carpet. After removing that, I parked my car in the sun for 2-3 afternoons with glasses open. Got it cleaned from a local washing center. He asked me to get diesel was done. That got most of the ants out. In the coming weeks, I could see an ant or two in the car but that was bearable than seeing hundreds of them in the car.

[mugen_pinaki27]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Sorry to hear about this, but I'm sure you won't let the Ikon be in this state for long.



A trick which I've been using since years now. I keep loads of Silica Gel pouches inside GG. To make it less messy, I've now made trays out of speaker cartons and keep numerous bags in them. That helps with moisture and no mould formation happens, despite the car being in hibernation for long intervals like the monsoon season.

If you see this video, you can see pouches lying on passenger seat:

https://Youtu.be/_1j5qVUsHc4

Regards,
Shashi

That is a sparkling clean engine bay for a Maruti. You've maintained it quite well, Sir. And the suggestion to prevent molding is quite practical.