Cleaning interior carpeting, am I nuts?

[ZoomBoy]

I recently tried cleaning the interior carpets in my car (not the mats) with some Folex and my LGM which isn`t ideal but I`ll use what I have before I purchase a true extractor.



I found no matter how much I sprayed Folex onto my carpets, it just wasn`t making it wet enough to extract. I actually ended up spraying a bit of water onto the carpets with the garden hose to actually have some substance for the LGM to pick up.



Is there a better way of deep cleaning my carpets without removing them?

[AeroCleanse]

If you use Folex and read the instructions, you will find that you blot up the stains, not try to extract them.

[Street5927]

No matter what carpet cleaner I use (Folex, ZEP, whatever) I always apply with a "foaming" sprayer trying not to wet the carpet too much. I picked up a tip from a detailer who only scrubbed carpets with the foam from soap; scrubbing and then extracting. I must say, this process works very well. Needless to say that the less soap you use, the less you have to extract out and the less water you use the less chances of mold and mildew growing and again, less water to extract which also results in quicker drying time.

[citizen arcane]

AeroCleanse & Street5927 are spot on. I`ve learned *lots* in this forum, including the proper way to clean carpet. I can`t say it any better than these tutorials!



This from David Fermani:



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/106012-my-process-manually-cleaning-carpets.html



and from Grouse:



http://www.autopia.org/forum/professional-detailer-general-discussion/86721-just-purchases-mytee-lite-ii-any-tips-using-3.html





HTH

[Setec Astronomy]

Folex is a stain treatment, not a carpet shampoo.

[David Fermani]

If you`re able to work in a controlled environment with the right tools/process, blasting the carpets with a powerwasher can do wonders. Think of it as an extraction on steroids.

[imported_Jakerooni]

Also never underestimate the power of a washmit ;) there`s TON`s of info purposely NOT shared on here specifically because it would freak the crap out of novice readers and weekend warriors.

[ZoomBoy]

Thanks for the tips guys, I`ll read those write ups linked :)

[AeroCleanse]

I treat the stains first with Folex, then spray a mist of Folex over the area then hit it with my steamer. Works great!

[Accumulator]

Also ..there`s TON`s of info purposely NOT shared on here specifically because it would freak the crap out of novice readers and weekend warriors.



Some of those "don`t try this at home, kids!" approaches can work very well, but they can also bite you and then it`s a "gee, I tried that and messed up my car.." thing where the person making the suggestion gets blamed despite any "YMMV" disclaimers.

[DaGonz]

If you`re able to work in a controlled environment with the right tools/process, blasting the carpets with a powerwasher can do wonders. Think of it as an extraction on steroids.



My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel left a "deposit" on one of the scatter rugs outside of the kitchen/garage entryway. I took both of the scatter rugs from the kitchen area (my kitchen has hardwood flootring) and brought both of them into the driveway and used my pressure washer on them .. you wouldn`t belive the dirt that came out from both of them...and they get vaccumed regularly!



I extracted what I could using our Hoover steam vac and then put them out to dry and air out.



I can see someone trying to pressure wash the carpets.. while they are still inside the car! :werd:



I use my LGM abnd a bottle of carpet shampoo spray solution. I spray the carper first, then take a brush I use for carpets, dip it in water and go over it. Then I extract, using water spray from the LGM a a rinse agent. That process works for me.

[gqmd]

No matter what carpet cleaner I use (Folex, ZEP, whatever) I always apply with a "foaming" sprayer trying not to wet the carpet too much. I picked up a tip from a detailer who only scrubbed carpets with the foam from soap; scrubbing and then extracting. I must say, this process works very well. Needless to say that the less soap you use, the less you have to extract out and the less water you use the less chances of mold and mildew growing and again, less water to extract which also results in quicker drying time.



After reading the above posts, I also agree with the "foaming" methos mentioned by the above poster. No need to "drench" the fabric. Been doing it for many years now and works great.

[Alexia]

I use Turtle Wax`s Oxy foaming carpet cleaner. It works great for the carpets, seats, roll bar padding, and the soft top.

[ZoomBoy]

So you guys that are using extractor or LGM`s, are you spraying the liquid in the tank while extracting?

[Street5927]

So you guys that are using extractor or LGM`s, are you spraying the liquid in the tank while extracting?



I`m not quite sure what you mean here, but I never use anything other than water in my Mytee Extractor Tank. I manually apply the "foaming" soap or pre treater, blot or scrub (whichever is applicable) and then extract with only water in the tank by using minimal amounts of water...just enough to get all of the soap out of the carpets.



Here is a before and after photo of using the "foaming" method with minimal amounts of water extraction.



http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/street5927/DSCN2875.jpg



http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/street5927/DSCN2886.jpg