Carpet Cleaning?
02-05-2012, 10:44 AM
#16
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With all of that said. I really don' think new carpet is that expensive. Classic9leather has it available
in a selection of prices for every budget. My carpet is such a light color that I didnt even attempt to clean
it. Replaced it all with new from Classic9.
in a selection of prices for every budget. My carpet is such a light color that I didnt even attempt to clean
it. Replaced it all with new from Classic9.
02-05-2012, 11:08 AM
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02-05-2012, 11:29 AM
#18
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I'm with Jay. This is the time to replace the carpet - you have already done a large part of the labor, and no matter what you do, the old carpet will never come out as nice. After 20+ years, it's OK to replace it - you probably wouldn't keep carpet in your bedroom for that long... 
02-06-2012, 11:04 PM
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Great advice here from Afshin. For rinsing, I use distilled water in a spray bottle, followed closely by the wet-vac. When it stops foaming completely, pretty much all the detergent is out.
02-12-2012, 08:49 PM
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Guys, I've got to tell you that running the smaller glued in pieces through the washer on the gentle cycle really works. And it works well.
The wife was out of the house most of the day today...
I used gentle cycle, cold wash, cold rinse and let them air dry. The pile looks great and it is extremely clean.
I don't think you would come even close cleaning them in the car. Of course, the foam backed pieces won't go in the wash. They'll get done as some of you suggested as time permits. Will keep you posted.
Thanks for the excellent advice dr bob!
The wife was out of the house most of the day today...
I used gentle cycle, cold wash, cold rinse and let them air dry. The pile looks great and it is extremely clean.
I don't think you would come even close cleaning them in the car. Of course, the foam backed pieces won't go in the wash. They'll get done as some of you suggested as time permits. Will keep you posted.
Thanks for the excellent advice dr bob!
02-27-2012, 10:09 PM
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Try using a carpet cleaning powder. You'll be amazed at the results.
It's a dry process, so after vacuuming the powder up, the carpet is dry. A 4 lb kit at Home Depot is only about $20. Wear rubber gloves and drape under vertical surfaces to minimize waste. Change your vacuum filter before and after use.
It's a dry process, so after vacuuming the powder up, the carpet is dry. A 4 lb kit at Home Depot is only about $20. Wear rubber gloves and drape under vertical surfaces to minimize waste. Change your vacuum filter before and after use.
carpet cleaning Potomac MD
carpet cleaning Herndon VA
02-27-2012, 10:30 PM
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02-27-2012, 10:38 PM
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Try using a carpet cleaning powder. You'll be amazed at the results.
It's a dry process, so after vacuuming the powder up, the carpet is dry. A 4 lb kit at Home Depot is only about $20. Wear rubber gloves and drape under vertical surfaces to minimize waste. Change your vacuum filter before and after use.
It's a dry process, so after vacuuming the powder up, the carpet is dry. A 4 lb kit at Home Depot is only about $20. Wear rubber gloves and drape under vertical surfaces to minimize waste. Change your vacuum filter before and after use.
RESOLVE Deep Clean Powder is another similar, readily available product. Used it for years on various vehicles.
08-25-2012, 09:10 AM
#24
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Yesterday I finally got around to taking the carpets from my 924 to the local car-wash. These have been removed owing to 'full' restoration. Anyways, I hung 'em up on the carpet clamps and let them have it. Now they look newer than new, cleaner than clean...
OK, I'll admit that the hot water softened the glue holding the insulation a bit but all is well now. Just not sure how you can get some of the larger pieces into a washing machine.
OK, I'll admit that the hot water softened the glue holding the insulation a bit but all is well now. Just not sure how you can get some of the larger pieces into a washing machine.
Last edited by curtisr; 11-04-2012 at 10:12 PM.
07-11-2019, 12:48 PM
#25
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Hi Anton, and welcome to Rennlist!
You don't share your location, so I'll make an assumption that you are in the US and have access to popular consumer products here.
-- For in-place cleaning, your local auto parts store and even the auto care section at Wal-Mart offers an array of carpet cleaning products made for in-place cleaning. The challenge with in-place cleaning is always getting the detergent and dirt residue out of the carpet.
The carpet typically has dirt that's fallen on the pile, and that comes out easily with a good vacuum cleaner so long as it all stays dry. Some of that loose dirt will sift down into the pile and may be trapped there a bit, so my next normal step is to add some compressed air to the mix, working to dislodge particles still wedged in the fibers. Use the vacuum concurrently to suck up the dirt particles as the compressed air gets them loose and moving.
The carpet may also have had water on it after dirt was trapped, so the dirt is bound to the fiber more securely. In this case, you'd want to use water to soften loosen the tiny mud clumps in the fiber, I use a spray bottle of distilled water for this, working section by section. Add just enough water to wet the fibers but not so much that the backing is saturated. Then repeat the vacuum and then the compressed air and vacuum steps to get the mud out. It might take a few cycles of this to get the dirt out completely, so plan on at least two or three at minimum just like you would when cleaning any other fabric. The vacuum cleaner will pull the water out, but tends to dry out the fibers slightly; You'll be re-wetting them and rinsing them until the top of the pile is clean.
Some carpets have had water-based contamination, maybe coffee or a soft drink. Coffee will temporarily "stain" a carpet fiber, but will wash out with the same hot water treatment that made the coffee beverage initially. Soft drinks, especially sugary drinks, add another dimension to removal. Fortunately the sugary remains will come out with hot water too. For this you want to find something like a dedicated extraction-type carpet cleaner. You can buy a small one for well under $100, but the challenge is keeping the water hot all the way to the fibers. As others shared in this thread previously, you can heat water in pots on the stove then pour it on. My experience doing that is mixed, as the hot water risk damage to the backing. If you spray it on it will cool off before it can do much work. The compromise is almost-boiling water in a mini extraction machine, so the hot water goes in and is drawn out fairly quickly. You'll adjust the speed and the number pf passes you use with the extraction machine to clean the pile fibers but avoid soaking or damaging the backing.
The toughest stains and deposits on the carpets are those that aren't readily water-soluble. This is where a carpet cleaning detergent product is needed. We haven't used anything but water to this point, and for a good reason -- Getting the detergent out is a chore. Detergent residue left in the carpet looks less than perfect, and it continues to work long after your cleaning project seems complete. That includes grabbing dirt from shoes at a rate much faster tan otherwise-clean carpet might. That's why you will be using a carpet cleaning product that's just barely strong enough to get the job done but no more. It needs to come out completely if at all possible.
Many carpet cleaning products suggest that you use a brush to "agitate" the fibers and dirt to improve the extraction process. Use extreme care if/when you do this, as that same brushing will tend to tear and unravel the fibers in the nap. I'm much more comfortable using my compressed-air blowgun for this, knowing that some of the contaminated solution will be pushed into the backing if I'm not really careful. So air blows across the fibers concurrent with the vacuum extraction. I save the brush for gentle grooming of the pile at the end of the process as it dries.
-----
Removing the carpet, especially in cars that came with Sliverknit from the factory, is by far the most effective way to clean it. As described in this thread earlier, the pieces go into my garage clothes washing machine on gentle cycle with a good laundry detergent. The only critical step is that the pieces of carpet need to be carefully placed on the drum wall, pile face out, prior to any spinning. After that, the pieces are air-dried and brushed very gently gently with a dedicated soft brush to even and separate the pile fibers back to like-new appearance.
As far as products to use for the extraction cleaning, start with the chems that are usually supplied with the machine, but use chems only if a distilled-water doesn't get them clean. If you decide to use chemicals, use as little as possible so you reduce the amount you'll need to remove.
I've used Blue Coral spray carpet cleaner with success, following the instructions to apply, gently brush into the fibers, then allow the foam to dry completely before vacuuming out the dried residue. There are others who recommend Resolve spray products the same way. I haven't used any of the dry powder chems others recommended here, but they are worth a good look.
Looking forward, the best way to clean carpets is to not get them dirty. Removable mats help a lot with this. Don't Eat Or Drink In The Car means that spilled drinks and casual food particles don't have a chance to get into the carpet. Frequent vacuuming removes dirt particles before that fall deep in the pile and get wedged in where they can cut the fibers. A mild distilled-water extraction once in a while will help with any damp dirt that might have been tracked in.
Do Not Use "protectant" products like Scotch-Guard on anything but brand new carpet. And then only if you anticipate a life of carpet abuse. They glue the fibers closed so that dirt has a lesser chance of getting bound up. My gripe is that they discolor light carpet and ruin the feel and appearance of premium carpet like the Sliverknit.
You don't share your location, so I'll make an assumption that you are in the US and have access to popular consumer products here.
-- For in-place cleaning, your local auto parts store and even the auto care section at Wal-Mart offers an array of carpet cleaning products made for in-place cleaning. The challenge with in-place cleaning is always getting the detergent and dirt residue out of the carpet.
The carpet typically has dirt that's fallen on the pile, and that comes out easily with a good vacuum cleaner so long as it all stays dry. Some of that loose dirt will sift down into the pile and may be trapped there a bit, so my next normal step is to add some compressed air to the mix, working to dislodge particles still wedged in the fibers. Use the vacuum concurrently to suck up the dirt particles as the compressed air gets them loose and moving.
The carpet may also have had water on it after dirt was trapped, so the dirt is bound to the fiber more securely. In this case, you'd want to use water to soften loosen the tiny mud clumps in the fiber, I use a spray bottle of distilled water for this, working section by section. Add just enough water to wet the fibers but not so much that the backing is saturated. Then repeat the vacuum and then the compressed air and vacuum steps to get the mud out. It might take a few cycles of this to get the dirt out completely, so plan on at least two or three at minimum just like you would when cleaning any other fabric. The vacuum cleaner will pull the water out, but tends to dry out the fibers slightly; You'll be re-wetting them and rinsing them until the top of the pile is clean.
Some carpets have had water-based contamination, maybe coffee or a soft drink. Coffee will temporarily "stain" a carpet fiber, but will wash out with the same hot water treatment that made the coffee beverage initially. Soft drinks, especially sugary drinks, add another dimension to removal. Fortunately the sugary remains will come out with hot water too. For this you want to find something like a dedicated extraction-type carpet cleaner. You can buy a small one for well under $100, but the challenge is keeping the water hot all the way to the fibers. As others shared in this thread previously, you can heat water in pots on the stove then pour it on. My experience doing that is mixed, as the hot water risk damage to the backing. If you spray it on it will cool off before it can do much work. The compromise is almost-boiling water in a mini extraction machine, so the hot water goes in and is drawn out fairly quickly. You'll adjust the speed and the number pf passes you use with the extraction machine to clean the pile fibers but avoid soaking or damaging the backing.
The toughest stains and deposits on the carpets are those that aren't readily water-soluble. This is where a carpet cleaning detergent product is needed. We haven't used anything but water to this point, and for a good reason -- Getting the detergent out is a chore. Detergent residue left in the carpet looks less than perfect, and it continues to work long after your cleaning project seems complete. That includes grabbing dirt from shoes at a rate much faster tan otherwise-clean carpet might. That's why you will be using a carpet cleaning product that's just barely strong enough to get the job done but no more. It needs to come out completely if at all possible.
Many carpet cleaning products suggest that you use a brush to "agitate" the fibers and dirt to improve the extraction process. Use extreme care if/when you do this, as that same brushing will tend to tear and unravel the fibers in the nap. I'm much more comfortable using my compressed-air blowgun for this, knowing that some of the contaminated solution will be pushed into the backing if I'm not really careful. So air blows across the fibers concurrent with the vacuum extraction. I save the brush for gentle grooming of the pile at the end of the process as it dries.
-----
Removing the carpet, especially in cars that came with Sliverknit from the factory, is by far the most effective way to clean it. As described in this thread earlier, the pieces go into my garage clothes washing machine on gentle cycle with a good laundry detergent. The only critical step is that the pieces of carpet need to be carefully placed on the drum wall, pile face out, prior to any spinning. After that, the pieces are air-dried and brushed very gently gently with a dedicated soft brush to even and separate the pile fibers back to like-new appearance.
As far as products to use for the extraction cleaning, start with the chems that are usually supplied with the machine, but use chems only if a distilled-water doesn't get them clean. If you decide to use chemicals, use as little as possible so you reduce the amount you'll need to remove.
I've used Blue Coral spray carpet cleaner with success, following the instructions to apply, gently brush into the fibers, then allow the foam to dry completely before vacuuming out the dried residue. There are others who recommend Resolve spray products the same way. I haven't used any of the dry powder chems others recommended here, but they are worth a good look.
Looking forward, the best way to clean carpets is to not get them dirty. Removable mats help a lot with this. Don't Eat Or Drink In The Car means that spilled drinks and casual food particles don't have a chance to get into the carpet. Frequent vacuuming removes dirt particles before that fall deep in the pile and get wedged in where they can cut the fibers. A mild distilled-water extraction once in a while will help with any damp dirt that might have been tracked in.
Do Not Use "protectant" products like Scotch-Guard on anything but brand new carpet. And then only if you anticipate a life of carpet abuse. They glue the fibers closed so that dirt has a lesser chance of getting bound up. My gripe is that they discolor light carpet and ruin the feel and appearance of premium carpet like the Sliverknit.
08-30-2019, 09:22 AM
#26
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+1 carpet shampooer for glued-in-place carpet. The rest, lay out and run simple green and HOT HOT water through it - mine was near boiling. I tied up a lot of pots for a couple hours.
I did this with the rear carpet in the cargo area - the one you can remove - after a melted crayon incident and it turned out AWESOME. 25 years of crud and 4 two day old melted crayons came right out.
I did this with the rear carpet in the cargo area - the one you can remove - after a melted crayon incident and it turned out AWESOME. 25 years of crud and 4 two day old melted crayons came right out.
Last edited by dr bob; 08-31-2019 at 01:29 AM. Reason: removed vendor link
07-05-2021, 08:17 AM
#27
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I stipped off all the carpet in my 88 it went into the washer on cold then add a cup of tide then drip dry, dont try washing any of the carpet that has backing as it will stain the carpet when its drying.
dont use any hot water or put the carpets into the dryer as the adhesive will come alive and ruing the machine and transfer the adhesive
dont use any hot water or put the carpets into the dryer as the adhesive will come alive and ruing the machine and transfer the adhesive
I pulled the light beige out of the ‘89 threw the pieces in the washer with tide. Was amazed at the difference. No damage or shrinkage. Line dry.
Last edited by buccicone; 07-05-2021 at 08:41 AM.
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