Bvette

What's the best product, or products, to use for shampoing carpets? I'm not looking for a spot cleaning. I'm looking to do a complete carpet shampo. Any help would be appricated. Thanks.

ZaneO

Do you have a steamer or extractor?

Bvette

No I don't.

TOGWT

I’m repeatedly asked which product is the best interior cleaner, 85% of the soil in carpet/upholstery is dry and 15% consists of oil/grease, therefore different procedures are necessary to remove the different types of soil. There is no one-product answer, as the so-called all purpose cleaners (APC) do not remove every stain, different stains require different solvents to remove them.

Between these four cleaners you should be able to remove 99% of stains occurring in a vehicle and around the home –
(a) 303™ Rug / Upholstery Cleaner & Spot Remover
(b) P21S Total Auto Wash (a citrus-based all purpose cleaner (APC)
(c) Woolite® Heavy Traffic Carpet Foam or Hoover Deep Cleansing Carpet/Upholstery Detergent

Classifying stains:
a) Organic stains- these include proteins and fats, body oils, mould yeast, bacteria, bugs and carbohydrates. Most of the stains found in the vehicle interior are of an organic nature and require an alkaline type cleaner. Some organic stains (i.e. blood, vomit, urine) should be removed with an enzyme type cleaner and a disinfectant applied to the area
b) Non-Organic stains- mostly found on the exterior of the vehicle, hard water scale (calcium) lime deposits, Road tar, grease and oil film, and require an acidic type cleaner.
c) Petroleum soils - substances that do not contain water, nor are they miscible, these soil types include, motor oils, and grease and road tar, and require a solvent type cleaner.

Stain Types-
1. Water soluble stains- These stains can be dissolved in cool water or loosened with water based cleaner, coffee; soft drinks, cocoa and chocolate are good examples.
2. Oil soluble stains- These are stains that are comprised of oily or greasy substances, which include cooking, oil from fried foods and suntan oil.
3. Combination stains- These stains contain both water based and oil-soluble properties. Cleaning these stains require treatment with a petroleum solvent followed by water based cleaning solution.
4. Unidentifiable stains- Sometimes stains cannot be identified. Treat these stains like a combination stain. Clean with a petroleum solvent followed by water based cleaner.

Interior Cleaning:
The three steps to interior detailing are vacuuming, cleaning, and conditioning/protecting

1. Vacuuming:
Vacuum thoroughly, getting loose dirt is critical (Metropolitan Vac 'N BloTM) always begin your interior cleaning with a thorough vacuuming; it is much easier to vacuum loose dirt from doorjambs when the dirt is dry instead of muddy after washing the exterior.

Use the crevice tool for hard-to-reach areas (don't forget the instrument panel and stereo controls), the upholstery attachment (usually a soft round brush) for the seats, and the stiff-bristled brush on the carpet, to loosen deeply embedded dirt and lift matted carpet-pile

2. Cleaning:
The next step is to clean the dashboard, door panels and the headliner, spray 303TM Cleaner & Spot RemoverTM until damp; this product may be used on all water safe materials. The cleaning action increases with warm water, agitation and longer dwell time.
Alternative product- Einszett Cockpit Premium – htpp://www.einszettna.com/

Completely wipe away dirt/grime with damp cloth until clean, rinsing out clothe as required, allow to completely dry before use. Use a rubber bristled brush to raise the nap of the fabric once it is thoroughly dry

3. Conditioning and Protecting:
Don't miss this very important step. Once your interior is clean, you should use a conditioning/protection product (303TM High Tech Fabric Guard, which includes UVR protection or Scotchgard™ Carpet Protector) to ensure protected surface will repel dirt and moisture, and again, keep your vehicle in its like-new condition.

Using the right detailing tools to apply and remove the cleaning and conditioning products will make the job easier and will give you professional results

It is very important to ensure that the carpet / upholstery are very thoroughly rinsed, as the cleaners will pull (wick) the dirt to the surface. The soap and oils will attract dirt and oily grime like a magnet (re-soiling) if they are not thoroughly rinsed away giving the appearance that they have not been cleaned. Once the carpet is cleaned and dried a final vacuuming will remove any light moisture and give the carpet a finished / detailed look

1) To hand clean carpet and upholstery:
A heated carpet extractor is going to work much better than a shop vac. You should be able to find a place in your area that rents these machines by the day. Cleaning interiors by hand is a labour intensive and time-consuming process.
Methodology
•Use a rubber bristle brush go over the carpet material to raise the fibres
•Vacuum area very thoroughly (Metro Vac N' Blo®) to lift all the loose dirt from the carpet
•Remove any stains with a ‘spot’ remover (303™ Spot Remover & Cleaner)
•Spot treat really bad stains (303TM Cleaner & Spot Remover or Woolite® Heavy Traffic Carpet Foam)
•Use a pre-cleaner solution, 10:1 distilled hot water/ P21S Total Auto Wash, let solution dwell for 5-10 minutes to enable cleaners to react
•After sufficient dwell time agitate pre cleaner solution with an upholstery brush to ‘friction scrub’ surfaces
•Mist spray surfaces with hot water
•Brush the carpet to raise the nap and loosen ground in dirt
•Remove the excess moisture, using a Wet/Dry vacuum and allow carpets / mats to thoroughly dry before use
•Once fabric is dry apply a fabric protection (303TM High Tech Fabric Guard)

Note: Use the hottest water available it also helps to pre-spray the carpet with hot water when hand cleaning carpets / mats


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agentf1

Whats happening Bruce. Pick up some Spray Nine at Home Depot. Mist any dirty area and then scrub with a brush. Then you will want to rub until dry with a white towel. You will see the dirt on your towel. Repeat process until spot or the carpet is fully clean. I have used this method for both spots and on complete carpets/mats.

I have also heard that Folex or Woolite work well but have no first hand experience with either of those.

P.S. Did you pick up my Granite Countertop yet.

Oh, and I want them doors/drawers that close real slow too. You know the ones I am talking about.

easyrider13

Folex does work very well.
I save it for the tough stuff left after using the other chemicals.

C6 MoneyPit

I'm also interested in cleaning carpets, but in particular just the Lloyds mats. What is the best way to get the logo looking new again? Probably the steam cleaning method above? I was hoping for something simple but looks like there may not be. I tried the auto foam carpet cleaner but it didn't really clean up the embroidered logo.

Bvette

Thanks for all your help. And NO Frank, I didn't pick up your granite tops yet. As for the slow close hinges and drawers, all you have to do, is give me a call.

mojo1

I did a van that had very bad stains, not sure what they were.I used Oxyclean and very hot ,near boiling , water .Scrubbed with a brush and used my shop vac and the carpets came out very clean.

93ZF6

I got the tip for Folex on this forum, it is available at Lowes and does work amazingly well on nasty floor mats and carpet stains.

easyrider13

I've seen it at Home Depot too.