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please help
Posted by emdee002
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please help July 14, 2005 09:24PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 2 |
<HTML>Anyone know of any good ways to clean carpets besides buying a 300$ steamer or anything of the sort? I'm 22 and have been detailing at car dealerships and bodyshops for a while and am starting a small detailing business on the side. Anyway I don't quite have the funds yet to buy any expensive equipment. Any methods or cheap products anyone could recomend for carpets would be greatly appreciated thank you.</HTML>
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Re: please help July 14, 2005 10:13PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 466 |
<HTML>You can clean carpets without an extractor but they wont stay clean, they'll only appear clean for a short time.
Reason being is that when you spray them with shampoo and then scrub them how will you remove the loosened dirt and soap? Well you can use a wet/dry vac but this only removes a portion of the loose dirt and only a fraction of the soap. This means the deep dirt stays in as well as the soap which in turn only attracts more dirt which in turn gets the carpets dirty again faster.
An extractor injects water deep into the carpet fibers, loosens the grime and then sucks it all up and out before it can settle back in.
You can, if you have a wet/dry vac with a good amount of lift, not horsepower, but "lift", use a spray bottle filled with clean (no soap) water and after adding your carpet shampoo and scrubing the carpets, use your water rinse bottle to wet the carpets lightly and now extract them with your wet/dry vac.
If they are mats you can use a pressure washer on them, just be careful not to get the nozzle to close to the carpet as you may jack up the carpet.
Anthony</HTML>
Details, Details, Details....It's all in the details!
www.UltimateReflections.NET
Reason being is that when you spray them with shampoo and then scrub them how will you remove the loosened dirt and soap? Well you can use a wet/dry vac but this only removes a portion of the loose dirt and only a fraction of the soap. This means the deep dirt stays in as well as the soap which in turn only attracts more dirt which in turn gets the carpets dirty again faster.
An extractor injects water deep into the carpet fibers, loosens the grime and then sucks it all up and out before it can settle back in.
You can, if you have a wet/dry vac with a good amount of lift, not horsepower, but "lift", use a spray bottle filled with clean (no soap) water and after adding your carpet shampoo and scrubing the carpets, use your water rinse bottle to wet the carpets lightly and now extract them with your wet/dry vac.
If they are mats you can use a pressure washer on them, just be careful not to get the nozzle to close to the carpet as you may jack up the carpet.
Anthony</HTML>
Details, Details, Details....It's all in the details!
www.UltimateReflections.NET
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Re: please help July 15, 2005 12:11PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 112 |
<HTML>Oxy Clean, water and fellow Anthomy's directions.
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Martin Hernandez
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Martin Hernandez
210.213.3782
[www.saMobileCarWash.com]
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Re: please help January 28, 2007 02:31AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 6 |
I have been detailing for three years now and have a technique that I have used for cleaning carpets and mats without an extracter and it has worked absolutely flawless for me. I don't have a extracter either and don't need one. I have a Karcher pressure washer, 1800 psi, they are great and extremely dependable. I have hot and cold water available to it. Their is a wand on it that creates a tornado effect, it is incredible, it will loosen and remove the most filthy dirt and grime from carpets and mats you can imagine. Get yourself a Shop Vac industrial model about $300, it is the only model that has a chrome finish. This vacuum is also incredible, very powerfull, I have used it for 3 years allmost daily and never a problem. Ok,there is an attachment that you buy seperately(all stores have them), it looks like the attatchment on the end of an extracter, its very thin at the mouth and can suck extremely deep down. I usually take the seats out of all my vehicles so that the whole carpets get cleaned and its easier to clean the seats when their out. However if you can't take them out just cover the seats with plastic,(however if you do it right hardly any water will get on the seats) also I cover all the wires under the dash and the seat wires carefully in plastic, this is very important, those big clear leaf bags work great and the seat wires (if your removing the seats) use those glad freezer bags cover the wires and tie them air tight with plastic ties, if not taking seats out use the leaf bags and cover the front and back of the seat underneath snugly so the wires cannot get wet. Now make sure your water is steaming hot in your pressure washer and your vac is ready. This takes skill. I first spray a fine mist of soap(Gain works great and smells wondefull) with a different setting on the pressure washer on all the carpet area, then I switch to the tornado setting and start blasting(its like a million scrubbing brushes going at once), doing small sections at a time, don't go to close to the carpet and not to far(good to practice on a old piece of carpet first to get the feel) I suck the water up immediately, then move on to the next section. You can actually see the color of the water going into the vac, at first its black and dark but then it will get clearer, depending on how dirty the carpet is. When its clear you know that area is clean. It takes no time at all and you don't have to scrub and scrub all day like other systems. It works great for vans, they are huge and take forever if you scrub with a brush and the results are never good. I have used this technique on thousands of cars and never had a problem and everyone is allways amazed at the results and can't believe how clean I get the carpets and mats.(I work for the biggest dealerships around my city and allways will) Also for mats, just hang them up on the wall and spray fine mist with Gain soap and then blast away with the tornado setting, you will see the water sheeting off the bottom and in a minute or so the water will turn clear and the mats will be spotless, just vacuum up the excess and let dry. I also use a air mover to dry the carpets(these things are great about$250), all you do is start the vehicle turn on all the heat full blast to the floor and within an hour the air mover and the heat from the vehicle will dry the carpets like a bone. I know some guys will frown upon this technique and say its not the right way but believe me if you folow my instructions to the letter and are carefull you will get perfect results every time and won't spend all day doing it.
I know this was a bit long but I hoped I helped you and anybody else out there. I have just come to this site today and have read many questions from new detailers, very interesting. I have many techniques and tricks that I created over the years from custom tools I made to products that I know can help many guys on here that need advice to attain that perfect detail. Please feel free to contact me leggy6@rogers.com, Allan Here's a few tips!
TAR-Simple Green scrub pads,100% not to scratch paint. They work incredible,on tar and those yellow spots on paint and plastic, never a scratch never a mark. Also water spots on glass can be a real pain, bit of Stoner invisible and this pad will take off the most heavy water spots you can imagine leaving your windows crystal clear.
GREASE ON CARPET,MAT,SEAT-Ever try scrubbing tar or grease out of carpet,seat or mats wth a brush and soap based product, forget it. Parts Cleaner by Ford, one spray and it's gone, no residue no kidding, this stuff is incredible.
RUBBER SEALS ON DOORS-The Simple Green pad with a good cleaner will clean them perfectly, removing that hard to clean white residue. However tire dressing the Meguires brand is great, Soak a small sponge with it and it will get in every nook and cranny and your seals will look better than new, try it.
I know this was a bit long but I hoped I helped you and anybody else out there. I have just come to this site today and have read many questions from new detailers, very interesting. I have many techniques and tricks that I created over the years from custom tools I made to products that I know can help many guys on here that need advice to attain that perfect detail. Please feel free to contact me leggy6@rogers.com, Allan Here's a few tips!
TAR-Simple Green scrub pads,100% not to scratch paint. They work incredible,on tar and those yellow spots on paint and plastic, never a scratch never a mark. Also water spots on glass can be a real pain, bit of Stoner invisible and this pad will take off the most heavy water spots you can imagine leaving your windows crystal clear.
GREASE ON CARPET,MAT,SEAT-Ever try scrubbing tar or grease out of carpet,seat or mats wth a brush and soap based product, forget it. Parts Cleaner by Ford, one spray and it's gone, no residue no kidding, this stuff is incredible.
RUBBER SEALS ON DOORS-The Simple Green pad with a good cleaner will clean them perfectly, removing that hard to clean white residue. However tire dressing the Meguires brand is great, Soak a small sponge with it and it will get in every nook and cranny and your seals will look better than new, try it.
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Re: please help January 28, 2007 10:54PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,182 |
Emdee 002-
Most detailers do not deep clean the way Spotless Guy does, although I can imagine he produces better results than everyone else. The following is an alternative and not intended to challenge his methods... The extraction process is intended to clean the upper areas of the carpeting and not to wet the fibers enough to wick more dirt up to the surface. Here's a cheap way to go:
* Remove spots with cotton towels and chemicals of your choice.
* Spray carpet shampoo onto carpets and brush with a hand brush .
* Extract with a home carpet shampooer such as a Bissel Big Green Machine and water.
* Accelerate the drying with a hair dryer or Fan-equipped utility heater.
* Spray the mats with Simple Green, brush and pressure wash. Sun dry.
That should yield quick and professional results on the cheap. ( Obviously, inferior equipment will wear out quickly if you use it often). You can buy a gallon of AutoMagic Carpet Shampoo ( red stuff ) at a reasonable price and use a weak solution to stretch it and minimize the residue. It is a Glycol Ether solution so wear gloves and goggles and insure proper ventilation. The stuff works.
Bud says if you do without good equipment and therefore lose time, you are paying for the equipment without having it. If you are a risk taker, you may wish to borrow money to get started with everything you need. In that case, check out Daimer's site. Their steam and pressure wash equipment has been praised on various forums.
Spotless Guy-
Your contribution above is exactly what this forum needs. Thanks !
Doug
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2007 10:56PM by Doug Delmont.
Most detailers do not deep clean the way Spotless Guy does, although I can imagine he produces better results than everyone else. The following is an alternative and not intended to challenge his methods... The extraction process is intended to clean the upper areas of the carpeting and not to wet the fibers enough to wick more dirt up to the surface. Here's a cheap way to go:
* Remove spots with cotton towels and chemicals of your choice.
* Spray carpet shampoo onto carpets and brush with a hand brush .
* Extract with a home carpet shampooer such as a Bissel Big Green Machine and water.
* Accelerate the drying with a hair dryer or Fan-equipped utility heater.
* Spray the mats with Simple Green, brush and pressure wash. Sun dry.
That should yield quick and professional results on the cheap. ( Obviously, inferior equipment will wear out quickly if you use it often). You can buy a gallon of AutoMagic Carpet Shampoo ( red stuff ) at a reasonable price and use a weak solution to stretch it and minimize the residue. It is a Glycol Ether solution so wear gloves and goggles and insure proper ventilation. The stuff works.
Bud says if you do without good equipment and therefore lose time, you are paying for the equipment without having it. If you are a risk taker, you may wish to borrow money to get started with everything you need. In that case, check out Daimer's site. Their steam and pressure wash equipment has been praised on various forums.
Spotless Guy-
Your contribution above is exactly what this forum needs. Thanks !
Doug
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2007 10:56PM by Doug Delmont.
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Re: please help January 29, 2007 01:13AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,182 |
Here is a speedy procedure that I don't approve of . I offer it for information purposes only as something done by some who do wholesale work :
1) Spritz the carpets with a little Knight's Spray Nine or a degreaser product.
2) Rub the carpets with wet cotton towels to clean and remove the chemical.
3) Rub with dry cotton towels to remove as much water and chemical residue as possible.
4) Open the windows and let everything dry. It won't take long.
If a certain person reads this in a hurry and lambasts me for even mentioning it, don't be surprised. ( and I'm not talking about Anthony )
Doug
1) Spritz the carpets with a little Knight's Spray Nine or a degreaser product.
2) Rub the carpets with wet cotton towels to clean and remove the chemical.
3) Rub with dry cotton towels to remove as much water and chemical residue as possible.
4) Open the windows and let everything dry. It won't take long.
If a certain person reads this in a hurry and lambasts me for even mentioning it, don't be surprised. ( and I'm not talking about Anthony )
Doug
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Re: please help January 30, 2007 08:41PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 18 |
I worked for a dealer who refused to invest in an extractor, we did it the really old fashioned (bad) way. Sprayed foam shampoo or degreaser on the carpet, agitated w/ a brush, spritzed with water and sucked it out. The results sucked, but it was not my position to buy him an extractor. We always had wicking going on.. Since then, I have my own shop and we use an extractor mainly for heavy stuff now. I have invested in a Vapor Clean Desiderio machine and my results have been phenomenal. I realize not everyone has the $$ to buy one of these, but down the road, it will really cut down your working/drying time. Your best bet is to try out what other people tell you and decide for yourself which method yeilds the best results for you and your customer. There is a lot of good knowledge on this forum. A little trial and error with some common sense will teach you a lot.
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Re: please help January 31, 2007 02:38PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 44 |
Emdee, follow Anthony's advice. Until you are able to purchase yourself an extractor DO NOT PRESSURE WASH THE INSIDE OF A CAR! I know some guys who have used this method and lets just say you better have good insurance. It sounds like Spotless Guy takes some good precautions, but even still spraying a pressure washer inside of any halfway decent car is crazy. At Street Legal Detailing we do not do any vehicles under 50 Grand. And in these highly electronic cars one stray drop to cause thousands of dollars of damage. Now having said that I'm sure you do get great results from pressure washing the inside of a car but if was a smart idea then the best craftsmen in the world would use this method and trust me they don't. Put a little money aside each week in the "extactor fund" and before you know it youll have enough to get a quality machine. I paid around $2000 for my extractor. It shouldnt take long to raise this money putting back a little each week. And another thing, I can only speak for my customers but if any of them saw me spraying the inside of any of the cars you see on my web site I would be fired. It gives the impression that you dont know what your doing. it's like hey you do know they make machines for this! And one last thing, when you blast water into the carpet you are pushing water through the carpet and it dosent matter how fast you vaccum it, there is no such thing as a vaccum that can pull that water back thru. So you got water under the carpet. That could mean mold, mildew, smell, take your pick. Thats my professional opinion but please dont substitute my opinion for yours until you've researched the topic for yourself. Believe it or not there are some pros on this forum and Anthony is one of them so keep coming back to this thread after Bud, Ketch, Gina, and some others have had a chance to read it.
Philip
Manager of detail Depmnt, Hadwin White Buick, GMC
Myrtle Beach, SC
E-mail: philipwsuggs@hotmail.com
Philip
Manager of detail Depmnt, Hadwin White Buick, GMC
Myrtle Beach, SC
E-mail: philipwsuggs@hotmail.com
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