Spilled lemonade in central console

Question

I put a large styrofoam cup into my cupholder which then developed a hole and spilled all into my cupholder.

The liquid overflowed from my cupholder under the center console.

I took the center console apart and cleaned and dried with soapy water.

While cleaning I discovered two holes where liquid had to have went through. I assume this because of the amount of liquid in the cup holder to its size and the relative dryness underneath it.

I For reference in the photo my e-brake is on the left of the two holes.

My car is a 2016 Honda Accord where do those two holes lead, should I be concerned about spilling something there.

My car is having no issues driving, braking, electric, or parking brake issues

Answer 1

I would bet the liquid was most likely absorbed by the carpet and/or underlayment (or sound deadener ... whatever you want to consider it). Some may have gone out the holes as you are thinking, but I think I'd be testing the carpet in this area to see if it feels wet or sticky. If so, use a carpet cleaning machine on these areas to get the residue out. I personally have a small one I use for just such occasions, or when I need to clean the carpet in a car I'm trying to flip.

The major thing you need to worry about here with the liquid, especially sweet/acidic liquid like lemonade, is it has potential to cause corrosion. If you don't get the majority of it out, it may cause issues down the road. You will most likely never get all of it out, however, getting the lion's share will definitely help. If you don't have a carpet machine, try using just dry paper towels, which should be absorbent enough to handle most of it. Press it into these areas using force to squeeze the liquid out of the carpet and the towel will pick that up.