Cleaning interiors with a PC

Pb2theMax · 07-05-06, 10:07

I am wanting to start a mobile detailing business soon, but I'm lacking when it comes to interior cleaning equipment. Can a PC with a brush attachment meet my needs until the business gets bigger?

What PC attachments and chemicals do you guys use?

Grouse · 07-05-06, 11:30

to clean what?

the carpet? fabric?

not realy, it does nto even come to close to a Hot water extractor.

As for chemicals, buy stuff specific for the fabric/tufted fiber you are using.

I have a dozen posts if i have a hundred on it.

Pb2theMax · 07-05-06, 11:53

Carpet & Upholstry.

PhaRO · 07-05-06, 12:16

I've been mobile for 16 years, my answer is based on my experience and that for many years I didn't have the funds to buy expensive equipment. Now I have the funds but can't warrant the expense so I stick with what has worked for me.
Yes a PC with brush attachment can clean interiors. Many use Woolite Mix, Folex, Oxy Clean or an APC. Others use a wide range of chemicals made for carpet and upholstery. There are many carpet cleaning concentrates out there by detail companies, local stores or janitorial supply stores. Since no one chemical ever seems to work for everything, keeping an assortment around is helpful. Applying solution to carpet and upholstery then scrubing then wet vac will do a lot. Depending on the interior you can do this with very little water so that things will dry very fast. If you wet things down past just the fibers or fabric you'll need to pull as much moisture out as you can. Removing the attachment on shop vac will help. Other problems with wetting things too much is you will uncover stains that you couldn't see before. Stuff that is in the foam and backing. In winter I don't wet things down more than a light spray on anything other than the mats. A big downside to all this will be leaving residue behind. It is preferable not to do this. Whether you decide to or not is your choice and depending on what you cleaned with to start with it may not even make much of a difference.

The brush attachment I use on the PC I got from Top of the Line. I use that and one of three small steamers I own (all purchased used).

Grouse · 07-05-06, 12:39

It is possible to use it as a agitator to work in the chemical product to reduce the time or heat needed for the product to work.

In that instance you could do just as well with a wool or terry bonnet, as it will not heat up the fibers as much as a brush. The fibers ina car are very heat sensitive.

Now if you wanted to aid your drying process after you cleaned the fiber, take a clean dry bonnet or wool padd an run it over the top of the fibers, switching bonnets when it becomes too wet.

This is commonly refered to as bonnet cleaning, In many cases i have used it in comercial buisness to keep the fiber from wicking caked in dirt up to the surface. Carpet and fiber dries top bottom up. It evaporates from the surface drawing the remaining moisture to the surface, in many cases bring the dirt and grime with it. It's rare for it to bring dirt from the backing, or pad. It's possible but you'd have to basically flood the car.

In reality even with the best combo of systems you can only clean about 70-80% of the fiber carpet surface, so you will have grime and soils left in the carpet. The key is to leave so little moisture that the carpet does not have time to migrate those soils to the surface.

To do this you should follow a very tight regimn of cleaning proceedures.

1) dry vac

2) dry vac again.

90-95% of the soils in the fiber are dry particulate dirt, best removed by dry vacuuming. if you add moisture to a poorly vacuumed fiber/carpet you have to work 10 times harder than needed with 10 times the amount of chemical and water than is needed. With 3-4 times the drying time. So dry vac very thoroughly. Use multiple attachments.

3)Pre condition stains and spots.

Why do this now? Because stain removers work best when applied to virgin stains, In many cases if not all that i can think of right now detergents will inhibit the stain removers if applied before the stain remover. So spot treat trouble areas first, Buy specific products for those areas. lightly rub them in and let them sit while you prepare you chemicals for the main area.

4) Pre treat the fiber/carpet with cleaner.

use a proper cleaning product. Read the dilution ratio's More product is not better or, lower dilution. These products work in conjunction with water, improperly mixing them will provide very poor results. Normal carpet cleaning agents are 32 parts water to 1 part solution. Once applied Brush in with your brush or PC if you feel the need. Despite what you think agitation will not improve your dirt removal. In many cases you'll keep the detergent from working by agitating too much. In some cases you will distort the fiber. (velvet it) The purpose of agitation is not to break dirt free, but to get your cleaning product to as much surface of the fiber as possible. So light agitation will suffice.

5) Extraction,
You can use a bonnet method i mentioned above, think Chem-dry the nationally owned chain.
You can extract with shop vac and 1/2 gallon pump sprayer of clean water or water 1ith 1/2 oz of vinager mixed itn
You can extract with LGCM or similar tool.
You can extract by buffing with a towel.
You can use a HW extractor.

The key is to get the fiber clean, then get it dry as possible, then get it set up for the shortest drying time as possible.

6) Drying.
There is little air movement in a car, So turn the fans on crack the windows, set up small portable blowers. The faster you get this dry the less soil wicking you will have. Adding significant air movement and ventalation will cut drying time in half if not by 3/4. Adding the bonnet buffing i mentioned befor can make even a HW extracted carpet dry with in 45-1 hour of finishing.

PhaRO · 07-05-06, 12:58

What is the vinegar for?

Grouse · 07-05-06, 01:08

Depending on the PH of the product you use you'll want to bring that ph back to Neuatral before you apply any protectants.

Neutral detergents make for (in general) poor cleaners, They make better specific spot removers.

alkaline cleaners make for great dirt and grime cleaners. but do very poorly on tanins, urines, and protien based soils.

Acidic detergents make for poor dirt removals, but do very well on urines, tanin, some protien based stains, and some food based dyes.

Enzymes are usually reserved for organics like foodstuffs, grass, and others.

Solvents, make for very poor detergents as they have almost no cleaning ability. However wehn combined with an alkaline detergent you will finde a combo that will defeat many oily soils found in cars. Apply the solvent to fiber first, work in with brush, then apply AK detergent.

The kicker is nearly every car is going to have a combo of this mess. So you need to be knowledgeable to address each with the propper product so you will have the best chance of sucess.

Scottwax · 07-05-06, 01:37

I've been using my Cyclo and the brush attachments. Very fast, cleans very deep.

PhaRO · 07-05-06, 01:42

Another method of agitation I employ is my old wash mitts. Two of those puppies can cover some ground fast and helps protect when you hit a seat track DOH

Grouse · 07-05-06, 01:43

scottwax that thump you heard was god killing a kitten.....

Please don't say woolite.

Pb2theMax · 07-05-06, 04:38

Thanks for the great info.

I think a PC and a LGM should work pretty good for me, for a while.

Should I get different grades of brushes or can one or two do the job?

Will cyclo brushes work good with my PC? I like ordering from Autogeek.

Grouse · 07-05-06, 04:41

the cars i did this weekend i used a 1/2 gallon sprayer, megs brush, shopvac and spotting chemicals.

If your going PC try using a bonnet first. I bet you will find it meets your needs.