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i avoided the deer (barely) but...

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by LinuxGuyInVA, Dec 10, 2009.

  1. LinuxGuyInVA

    LinuxGuyInVA New Member

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    ... the groceries in the back of my 2009 Prius didn't fare so well. Let's just say I came to a very quick stop (great brakes! :eek:) but the 1.5 litre wine bottle in among the groceries in the very back didn't fare so well.

    It was dark, rainy, so after the deer stumbled off (without a scratch; the only other casualties were my nerves), I drove on the last 5 or so miles home. Started to smell the wine right away so I knew it'd be a mess back there.

    But when I cleared out the surviving groceries and picked out the broken glass from the bottle, I couldn't see where all that liquid had gone! Some had soaked in to the upholstry in the back, and on the back seat, but I was terrified that some of it would make its way down to the battery compartment. I pulled off what coverings I could without actually ripping anything, and padded off as much as I could from the seats and carpet, but (a) no way did I get 1.5 litres out of it, and (b) the smell of wine is still quite strong.

    So my question is... should I be worried about damage from seeping wine in the innards of the car? Or should I just get it cleaned professionally, or air it out -- when it's warm enough -- and wait for the odour to fade?

    Any pointers or advice welcomed. I did try some searches in the forums and via google but didn't find anything useful, other than some rather, umm, amusing stories of people inadvertently spilling all sorts of food and drink in the main cabin... but not the hatch in back.

    - Pat
     
    #1 LinuxGuyInVA, Dec 10, 2009
  2. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    I'm glad you missed the deer. That could have been much worse.

    Do you have access to a wet/dry vac? A neighbor might have one? At the very least I'd try to suck up all the moisture possible with a wet vac. Shop Vac makes a very nice 1 gallon wet/dry vac that's not real expensive so you don't have to buy a large one. They have them at Lowe's and Home Depot, etc. They do a wonderful job of sucking moisture out of carpet, etc.

    The more liquid you get out ASAP, the better off you'll be. You don't want mold setting in and it will if you don't get the moisture out.

    PS, welcome to the forum! (I'm a Debian guy myself) ;)
     
    #2 Mark57, Dec 11, 2009
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  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The wine shouldn't hurt anything important, but the more you remove now the sooner the smell will go away.

    It's a good thing you didn't get stopped by the cops on the way home. I can see trying to explain *that*. :D

    Tom
     
    #3 qbee42, Dec 11, 2009
  4. ToyotaFleetManager

    ToyotaFleetManager New Member

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    I fear that

    your Prius will likely not pass a police breathalyzer test if stopped.

    Most likely you are fine. A rental steam cleaner will likely remove the odor or any stain.
     
    #4 ToyotaFleetManager, Dec 11, 2009
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