What kind of vacum should I use for carpet cleaning?

[joed1228]

I was thinking of doing the entire interior with EF Fabrik cleaner for the heck of it. From what I understand this is how I should clean it:

1.) spray a LIGHT mist of water on the spot to be cleaned

2.) spray a LIGHT application of Fabrik onto the seats and work it in with a soft brush (what brush do you guys use)

3.) wait until it dries

4.) vacum it off of the seat

The thing is I only have a kenmore 60.00 vac. It's the vac that has the tiny sort of cube body and the hose extension off of it. I got one that was just strong enough for the light dirt on my apartment rugs. Would this vac be strong enough to remove the cleaner and lifted dirt from my car's interior?

Thanks ahead of time.

[DavidB]

A big one! You should think about getting a powerful shop-vac. They come in pretty small sizes these days. I'm using the VacN'Blo and love it.

db

[joed1228]

DOH, so my vac is useless I guess.

Can I do all the work and drive to a car wash to use the strong vacs or is that a bad idea since it will take like 15 miutes to get thier.

Does the product have to be taken asap???

[Short Cut]

A shop vac will work better but you have to keep them clean too. If you start a dirty shop vac in your garage it will create a huge cloud of dust. Besides dumping the contents when you have finished a job it is important to clean out the foam air filter too.

[YoSteve]

Here's the link to an old post

too bad they raised the price like $10

http://autopia-carport.com/forum/sho...&threadid=2751

[waxman]

One old detailing trick for the carpet is to blow compressed air into the carpet to loosen the deep down dirt even a strong vacuum might miss.

[Dude]

I found a $19.95 shop vac at AutoZone the other day. It's called tbe Black & Decker "Bull Dog", and comes with both the carpet tool and the crevice tool.

I have used it, and it works every bit as well as those coin-operated vacuums at the car wash.

[FLONI]

no way enough power to get anything really out of your carpet.....unless i get the Vacblo...which looks really cool...it has a long cord...and with a longer ext cord from my house...i run it out the door...about another 10 ft to the street...and im set...i talked myself into buying it....you guys twistred my arm.......
mow i use the one at the gas station...about 2 mins away....but those suckers have lots of dirt on them and i always get nervous its gonna rub some grease on my seats or lower interior.....plus no attatchments...im a whiner today

[bretfraz]

Last night I bought a Vac 'N Blo from Brookstone.com. Price is $129.99. It's in their Outlet Store so I guess it's being closed out.

At the Brookstone.com main page, enter "vacuum" into the Search box and scroll until you find it. The description is kinda vague; no details on what accessories it comes with. But it's the 4HP portable vac mfr'd by Metro that is sold by CMA and others.

Brookstone.com will charge an extra $7 for shipping (cost me $21.95) and they charge sales tax. Total for me came to $161.06 with ground shipping.

I'll post when I get it and let everyone know what it comes with.

- - Bret - -

[FLONI]

for Xmas...plus shipping...so i think you got it a little cheaper....every little bit counts.....make sure u post when u get it and say if it cam with all the little gizmo attatchments that the Cma one comes with

[bretfraz]

Here's a review for those interested.

The vacuum cleaner I ordered from Brookstone did come with all the attachments and accessories like I'd hoped. Brookstone's website wasn't too clear on this but it's exactly the same machine as everyone else sells.

The machine is rather light weight. Having a shoulder strap helps alot as the machine is very portable. The hose is nice and flexy and not too big, diameter wise. A sturdy handle and power switch gives it a real industrial feel.

The carpet nozzle is very easy to maneuver which is perfect for car interiors. The machine can be put on a seat while vacuuming or slung over your shoulder. Much more convenient than any shop vac. And much quieter too.

The suction power is awesome. I vacuumed my floor mats and the front footwells. The machine made quick work of the crud. There is a little slider that reduces suction for work around trim and other items you don't want damaged. The accessories include computer cleaning pieces and you defintely do not want maximum suction there.

All in all, I can see using this machine for a lot of jobs around the house; not just the car. The blower capability is terrific - the extension wands make it easy to clean remote areas - the lightweight of the machine makes it more versatile than a carpet vacuum or a shop vac.

I could see this being used by several members of a family. For years I've used carpet uprights with their attachments to clean around the house. No more. The vac 'n blo is now the vacuum of choice. Leave the upright for the carpets and the shop vac for the heavy duty stuff and liquids.

[FLONI]

people just love this thing....just curious about noise and if thru cleaning the whole car did u have to empty it at all..i mean capacity wise....thx