Enzymes

Enzymes are a product that we have used in the past to clean convertible fabric roofs. Enzymes are a product we use as part of our specialist cleaning services to remove organic matter from car interiors. Purchased as a professional product, purely as enzymes without a detergent, they are stronger and better targeted than bio-active soaps.

However, they are very expensive and difficult to implement on convertible roofs as they are temperature dependent. This is why we no longer use them.

What it means

Enzymes are natural protein molecules that act as catalysts, speeding up specific chemical reactions. In car interiors they usually come packaged inside bio-active or enzymatic cleaners. Each type of enzyme targets a particular sort of organic soil – for example proteins, fats or starches – helping to break down the film left by food, drink, body fluids, mould and other biological contamination on carpets, underlay, seats and trims. The idea is to help dissolve and loosen the residue so that it can be rinsed or extracted more effectively.

Why it matters

• Targets the source of smells: Many bad odours in damp or contaminated cars come from decaying organic material. Enzyme-based products help break this down rather than just perfuming over the top.
• Can be gentler on materials: Because enzymes do the work, the overall formula can often be milder than strong caustic or solvent cleaners, which is better for fabrics, plastics and adhesives when used correctly.
• Useful after leaks and spills: Following water leaks, flood damage or serious spills, there is often a mix of mould, food residues and other organics deep in carpets and foams. Enzymes are designed to help deal with exactly that sort of contamination.
• Works alongside cleaning, not instead of it: Enzymes help, but they still need mechanical cleaning, extraction and proper drying to remove what they have broken down.

Where you’ll see it

You will see enzymes mentioned on specialist interior cleaners, odour removers and leak decontamination products. Quotes and reports may say treated with enzyme-based cleaner, bio-active cleaner with enzymes used on carpets or enzyme odour treatment applied after drying. They are commonly used on flood and leak jobs, pet and food spills, vomit and other biologically contaminated interiors where standard shampoo alone is not enough.

Context

Enzymes are one tool in the wider process of putting a damp or contaminated car right. The correct order is still to find and fix the leak or spill source, strip out and inspect soft materials, extract and clean, dry the vehicle shell and components, then use treatments such as enzymatic cleaners, bio-active products, deodorisers and mould inhibitors as appropriate. Enzymes are not live organisms themselves, but they do have preferred conditions – they work best within certain temperature and pH ranges and can be inactivated by very hot water or strong disinfectants. Used sensibly as part of a structured process they can improve cleaning results and odour control, but they are not a magic spray that will fix an actively leaking, still-damp car.

Common mistakes

• Spraying enzymatic products onto heavily soiled, saturated carpets and expecting them to work without first extracting and cleaning the bulk of the contamination.
• Using enzymes as a shortcut instead of finding and repairing the leak, then wondering why smells and mould return.
• Assuming a quick mist of enzyme cleaner in the air will treat contamination buried deep in foams, underlays and hidden cavities.
• Overdosing or mixing enzyme products with very hot water or strong disinfectants that can denature the enzymes and stop them working effectively.

Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 05/12/2025 15:32