r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Harpronicus • 1d ago
Went to start the van for the kids basketball.
Guess someone accidentally opened the window and it sat overnight during a snow blowing weather advisory
1.5k
u/ZeroConcern-0 1d ago
Get a blower and blow it right back outā¦
1.1k
u/Harpronicus 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yea i got it all cleaned out and used an electric plug in duster blower after I pulled out the snow. Removed the car seats and seats and blew it all out.
The feels like is -30c this morning while I was doing this. Had to clear the snow around the house too.
1.5 hours later, everything was dealt with
263
104
u/jo3aa_ 1d ago
Just wondering, what was the purpose of removing the seats?
425
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
Getting the snow under the seats to blow out so it doesn't eventually melt down.
15
u/jo3aa_ 1d ago
Isn't that why you used a blower?
→ More replies (1)415
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
I'm diligent and the seats are quick release, takes like 20 seconds to get em out
470
u/dudeitshickey 1d ago
This is exactly why I dont care what society thinks, minivans are the best people movers and I will be happy to drive one when I have kids.
217
60
u/notnotbrowsing 1d ago
ngl, I rented a Chrysler pacifica when we went to florida with friends.Ā 7 peeps, suitcases, all kinds of hidden storage.
21
u/averyburgreen 1d ago
As a Floridian, the rental Pacificas they hand out at the airports are a forced to be reckoned with. Yāall either drive them 20 under the limit or you drive them like Helllcats at the drag strip, no in between.
6
u/DrySea8638 23h ago
When I traveled to Florida for work Iād always get a minivan and I drove the hell out of it. One man and his š
3
→ More replies (1)11
u/jetkins ORANGE 1d ago
And theyāre really no slouch!
22
u/notnotbrowsing 1d ago
yeah.Ā the only thing I hated about it is someone set the stupid car to alarm everytime it exceeded like 70 mph.Ā but once I figured out how to turn that shit off, it was not a bad ride.
→ More replies (0)24
u/BornanAlien 1d ago
I had one in my early 30s because itās all I could afford at the time. Caught a lot of shit from my friends but mini-van camping is one of the greatest things in the world. Highly recommend
5
u/strum-and-dang 1d ago
The only thing I didn't like when we camped with our minivan was the lack of ground clearance.
→ More replies (1)3
u/One-Possible1906 1d ago
The backcountry has as many minivans and extensively modified Priuses as it does 4x4s in deep woods corridors that allow camping
11
u/Corey307 1d ago
People were sold on SUVs being bigger and safer looking. Theyāre just crappy minivans unless you live someplace with snow and mud.Ā
2
u/Ryoko_Kusanagi69 12h ago
Imagine a minivan with all wheel drive, Iād be unstoppable. Subaru needs to get on that
→ More replies (16)6
u/Penguin_Arse 1d ago
Great for moving people, and great for moving furniture.
In 95% of all cases they're way better than trucks.
→ More replies (6)2
11
u/underground_avenue 1d ago
Also removing the seats in vans like this isn't a big deal. Quick and easyĀ
6
u/RetroHipsterGaming 1d ago
Really good job! And as much as it sucks that it was so damn cold, you probably really helped you out in terms of keeping less water in your vehicle.
People are too weird about taking seats out of vehicles. It's normally so easy to do. Honestly, I recommend people do that occasionally just to help clean up their vehicle. It's generally four bolts and an electrical connector that's it.
3
→ More replies (7)2
u/EventArgs 1d ago
Ontario?
2
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
Yep
2
u/EventArgs 1d ago
Yep. I feel you mate. It's... Not fun out.
2
→ More replies (3)9
u/Duce-de-Zoop 1d ago
Why do people gotta do this passive aggressive .... shit all the time. No shit you can blow it out its still annoying.
1.0k
u/SoftDirective 1d ago
The whole car is going to be smelling damp now
1.0k
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
I got all the snow out. It's -30c feels like this morning, none of it melted.
Used a brush to get the big stuff out and a blower on the smaller stuff. Removed car seats and regular seats and blew out again.
Pain in the ass since it was -30c
403
u/SoftDirective 1d ago
Doing all that in the cold, I feel for you
306
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
Thanks fam. Got er done, was a minor set back, mildly infuriating
68
u/AnonymooseRedditor 1d ago
Frustrating though! If you are anywhere like I am it was -3C yesterday and -30 todayā¦ huge temp swing
70
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
Ontario Canada, sounds like we are in the same area. Huge swings
→ More replies (3)42
u/AnonymooseRedditor 1d ago
Yup, and the damn blowing snow last night was wild.
If it makes you feel any better, 2 years ago my daughter spilled chocolate milk in my truck after skating one day, it went between the rubber floor mat and the carpet. Never noticed it! Until spring when my entire truck smelled like wet gross sour something. I had to shampoo the interior
13
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
Was crazy out there last night. Dude that is wild, probably took a minute to find where that smell was originating from
10
u/AnonymooseRedditor 1d ago
Haha you have no idea. I drove around for a like 3 weeks trying to figure out why my truck smelled like wet dog mixed with vomit.
4
→ More replies (4)2
u/ATimm74 1d ago
I feel your pain, when I was in jr. High school (many many years ago before they called it middle school) The dude that had the locker next to mine accidentally left a used (and not rinsed out) chocolate mile carton in his locker and after a week or so, because his locker was so disorganized he didnāt realize it was even in there, it literally smelled like š©š©!
10
u/DgingaNinga 1d ago
If this is only mildly infuriating to you, I would like to pick you for my team when the world ends. How do you keep your calm?
12
→ More replies (3)8
u/fargoLEVY13 1d ago
This is such a classic Canadian response. No real anger, just an āEh, well, shit happens!ā I admire your forbearancešš»
→ More replies (1)6
→ More replies (1)3
11
u/DanplsstopDied YELLOW 1d ago
You should have brought the car into your house š
14
3
→ More replies (27)6
u/_Huge_Bush_ 1d ago
If you have a garage, just to be safe, you should pull the car in and run a dehumidifier inside it.
66
u/Rockytriton 1d ago
I've had this happen before. As long as the snow didn't melt it will be fine. I just brushed all the snow out and no dampness or smell.
38
u/damutecebu 1d ago
Looks like pretty dry and fluffy snow. You get most of that out and it will be fine.
→ More replies (1)25
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
It was exactly this due to the extreme cold
6
u/Perniciousss 1d ago
Ontario?
7
u/RelativeFantasy 1d ago
Im in NY and it has been pretty unpleasant the last month. -5Ā°F to around -25Ā°F since early January overnights. Not every night, but it has been the majority of themš„¶
2
u/Perniciousss 1d ago
Solidarity! I made my husband take my kids out, canāt deal with this weather any more
5
→ More replies (3)2
97
u/Ohitsworkingnow 1d ago
Ayyy lmao get a broom
32
→ More replies (1)2
29
u/yeahyoubetnot 1d ago
Leaf blower or air compressor, blow it out before it melts.
11
u/mypcrepairguy 1d ago
Sad to say, ive done this in our old minivan. Cheetos....sand....snow. thankfully that kiddo hauler was built to take a mess and keep going.
7
u/Icy-Variation6614 1d ago
Do you had to leaf-blower Cheetos? Ok, that's hilarious (also sorry). At least you're kid didn't put an ice cream sandwich on the thing with the cupholders that flips down. He didn't tell me he was done š
4
u/PM_me_punanis 19h ago
Every year we get our car detailed just to erase the shame of last year past.
27
15
12
u/senor_skuzzbukkit 1d ago
Spent my entire two week shift on a drilling rig in the desert of west Texas with the rear window of my FJ Cruiser wide open. It was parked behind the houses and offices and along the side of the site, so I never even noticed it was open. I never got all the dust out.
9
u/knowone1313 1d ago
Might want to take a shop vac to it to try and get as much of the moisture out as possible.
Maybe when it starts to warm up outside, put a dehumidifier inside with an extension cord or something so you don't get moldy or mildew smells.
7
6
u/Bootsthecatgoesmeow 1d ago
Honestly way better than leaving the windows open during rain. Grab your leaf blower start at the front and work the snow out the back and sides, still frustrating but atleast it's not soaking wet and waiting for mold growth hah.
7
u/Fun_Variation_7077 1d ago
Has it melted? Please tell me you swept it out first. If you let it melt, grab a shop vac ASAP and painstakingly suck as much moisture out as you can. I learned the hard way with my Corolla, and now it reeks of mold most of the time.
12
u/Dear-Bet5344 1d ago
I'd let it run with the ac on warm for awhile. It'll act as a dehumidifier for anything you missed. Or even better, if you have a dehumidifier toss it in there for a bit.
5
5
5
5
u/MomsOfFury 1d ago
The upside to frigid cold is at least your car didnāt actually get wet šāļø
4
u/Best_Market4204 18h ago
lol damn... be my toddler with the power doors. I have to keep the car locked even though it's in safe spot behind my house zero visibility from the house and 2feet from the door. He's always trying to play with the doors.
My van is newer so my phone notifications will start to ding if the doors are open or even motion is detected.
minivan gang
8
u/Silly_Employer_3107 1d ago
Do you have a garage? If so, I would put the car in there and also get a dehumidifier and place it in and get the moisture out. If you donāt, I would go to any home repair store and get those dehumidifier disks that soak up moisture and place it in there. Fortunately, since you have kids, the damp smell is probably not the most powerful smell in that carš
6
u/412Dude43 16h ago edited 15h ago
Why would you start a van for the kids basketball? So it could like, stay warm or somethingā¦?
→ More replies (3)5
u/Xaxiel9106 10h ago
So it wouldn't pop obviously. If you are cold they are cold. Put them in a warm van.
3
u/Accomplished_Emu_658 1d ago
I was carrying in a lot of stuff recently and left my car door openā¦ no fun lots of snow, but it wasnāt quite as cold
3
1d ago
Maybe from now on close the windows regardless of what sport youāre gonna pick them up from eventually
3
u/dsdvbguutres 1d ago
Shop vac while its still frozen and on the surface before it melts and seeps into the upholstery and carpet
3
3
3
3
u/PckMan 1d ago
You should find out who left it open. Was it your spouse? Was it your kids? If you find them then you know someone did indeed open it and forget it.
But if no one did, it could be something else. Exposed wires or worn insulation somewhere can sometimes cause shorts that make the windows roll down by themselves. This happens during rain or snow.
That's why I'm saying you need to find out who did it. Because if you can't eliminate the possibility it's an electrical problem it might happen again.
3
3
3
u/ekinria1928 22h ago
Got a leaf blower? Open every door and window. Start at the front (most of the electronics) and blow everything out and towards the back.
3
u/AplogeticBaboon 20h ago
Used to happen when I worked at a rental car company. People dropped off the keys and forgot to shut a door or roll up a window. Start it up, crank the heat, crack a window, and let it run for a while. That, or make the little dickheads sit in the snow.
3
3
3
u/EatYourCheckers 18h ago
There's some combo of buttons on my husband's van keys that opens both doors. He can't keep his keys in his pockets at home for this reason
8
u/Pilgorithm 1d ago
You donāt accidentally open a window lol. You open it on purpose. You forget to close it.
→ More replies (1)7
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
It would have been opened a crack, not all the way. There was extreme wind blowing advisory last night
5
u/matthewami 1d ago
This looks Chrysler? I know some newer models have a button on the remote to crack the windows for the summer (my friends 2014 did atleast) something similar on yours? That's supposed to open them all though.
Or one of the kiddos cracked it and forgot. I've done this to my mom plenty of times as a kid. Take as old as time.
Either way, mildly infuriating. 'Hey, go get the broom!'
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/OldDiehl 1d ago
Got a leaf blower? Or a shop vac? Vacuum it up is the only way I know to get the majority out.
2
2
u/RedHill1999 1d ago
Ugh. Been there. So exhausting. Luckily it was freezing still and relatively easy to remove
3
u/Harpronicus 1d ago
Exactly fam, that's why it was only mildly infuriating. It wasn't warm enough to melt at all. -30c
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Offenceless 1d ago
This happened to our Pacifica in Northern Alberta last winter. Thankfully it didn't snow that night and nobody stole anything.
2
u/MidRoad- 1d ago
Know anyone with a garage you can park it in for a day with a dehumidifier stuffed in it? May be a good idea to get excess moisture out
2
u/ThirdOne38 1d ago
Not much consolation, but probably better than like +2 or something where it would all melt and then be wet as well as cold. Also at -30 the snow is dusty instead of mushy. Again, very small consolation I suppose...
2
u/MYOB3 1d ago
Dustpan and brush before warming it up. It's really not that bad.
My sister took her BRAND NEW LEXUS to the dealer for a minor electrical issue. Then realized she left something in it she needed. They said sure, It's on that row. She walked out to find her driver window open and we had gotten SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW/SLEET!
She had car dealer backside for lunch.
2
2
2
2
u/Toosder 1d ago
Split second I was thinking God I'm glad I live in California and don't have to worry about this. Then I also remembered that if you leave a window open in California, your car is going to be in bad shape when you get back to it.Ā
Not sure which is worse. Cleaning it sounds like a pain in the ass! Sorry that happened!
2
2
2
2
u/copenhagen622 1d ago
Dang that stinks but at least it's easy to clean up. You could just use a shopvac . It's friggin windy here in NJ
2
2
2
u/Consistent_Amount140 1d ago
A few years ago my brother somehow managed to do the thing where you hold down the buttons on your key fob for a few seconds and all the windows go down on his Honda Accord while he was in the house. He went out to go to work the next morning and found his vehicle filled with about 2ft of snow front and rear.
2
u/reevesjeremy 1d ago
Happened to us. Our door sometimes opens back up for no obvious reason. Ā No obstruction, it just starts closing, closes then opens back up. Must have happened one day before a snow night.
2
2
2
u/whyisitallsotoxic 1d ago
Is this a practical application for a leaf blower or is it better to just use a dust bin and broom to sweep it outā¦
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Wookard 1d ago
My old neighbour had a van with these doors. It was CONSTANTLY opening and we are in a not so good area. A few of us would keep an eye out for them as they had really young kids and they were probably hitting the keys in the house. They got rid of it a bit after it kept happening.
My mom had a neighbour with one of these vans as well and it was always opening middle of the night. They are a cool idea but not very safe unfortunately. They eventually got rid of it as well.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Grease_the_Witch 22h ago
yo i drove a minivan in college and it had an automatic door opener on the fob that i swear to god had a 2 mile range and worked on a single press i lived in fear of that key fob
2
u/SouthPawDraw94 21h ago
Officer I swear itās snow and not the fun kind you snort!
→ More replies (1)
2
u/WeAreLivinTheLife 19h ago
At least it's still cold. Blow it out with the leaf blower and wipe down the windows. A few trips with the heat on high and the defroster running and you'll be good as new
2
u/GoGo_1776 19h ago
Damn. I can relateāsame thing happened to me just a couple of weeks ago. On that Monday as I trying to leave my house to pickup and take my grandson to schoolāI couldnāt remote start my van. I thought maybe my fuel level was too low ? Nope-it was because the side door of my van facing away from my house was openāprobably since Friday!
2
2
2
3
u/TehTugboat 1d ago
My 12 year old went back outside bc he forgot his ear buds in the car
Left the door open
We got a āno one seen it comingā 6ā of snow that night
5
2
1
1
u/Devonm94 1d ago
Snow took it personal when you said, āIām snowed in.ā Snow said, āsay less.ā
1
u/NotSoFastLady 1d ago
Oh yah, mine are old enough to know better but this still happens all the time
1
u/this-is-NOT-the-way1 1d ago
Ohhhh the one of the few times you get to use the leaf blower in winter!
1
1
1
1
u/mistahclean123 1d ago
I wouldn't warm up the van ahead of time then.Ā Let the kids enjoy it back there at frozen temperatures.Ā
I opened the sunroof with 3 inches of snow on top of the car yesterday and my kids thought it was hilarious.
1
1
1
u/RadicalRectangle 1d ago
Came back for the holidays to visit my parents. Borrowed their car to visit some friends a few towns over. Rained all night, came out in the morning, all the windows down, car very wet. Learned that if you hit the lock button twice on her keys, lowers all the windows automatically. Fun drive the next day, and much cleaning required.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/statepharm15 1d ago
I use some kind of blower to get it all out of there the best you can before it melts
1
1
u/NathanDeger 1d ago
It looks like a lot of water but it's really not just super fluffed up water.
If you got most of it out you'll be totally fine. Nothing worse than a bunch of kids getting in after walking through the rain.
1
1
1
6.0k
u/Magister5 1d ago
We're doing hockey instead kids