Carpet cleaning

[jsimpson]

Any thoughts on what brand of cleaner & spot remover to use on carpet in boat :?:

[scottrob]

RE: Carpet cleaning

I'd like to know also - I got a bunch of dried mud that I want to get out and have been afraid of what to use and not have it bleech it out

[ryanandrews]

buy a gallon of simple green for 8 bucks and a 2 scrub brushes....take a five gallon bucket fill 3/4 with hot water 1/4 gallon of simple green.....scrub your *** off..........pressure rinse.........will take some work but works wonders!...........pressure washer helps alot but not needed........grab a buddy so it goes faster! :mrgreen:

[G-man]

I wet it down and wet vac it out. You have so do it several times to get it all the dirt or most of it all out. If you use soap and don't get all the soap out dirt will really stick to the carpet.

[jhiestand]

The main reason to use bleach is if you get the notorius smell that won't go away in your carpet. Getting caught in rain, the odd times I've taken water over the stern (or bow) plus the accumulated river water from people getting in/out eventually gets my carpet really smelly. I tried normal carpet cleaners and it looked like it got the carpet clean, but inevitably the sun would be proof in the pudding. When the carpet started heating up from the sun, PEEE-YEW!!! Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

I pulled as much interior out as I could, mixed color-safe bleach 50/50 with water and started with an inconspicuous spot just to make sure I didn't lose carpet color. No problem. I then brushed it in, took it to a carwash and power-sprayed the bleach solution out. I followed up with a wetvac.

Bottom line is, if you have carpet smell the only way to fully get rid of it is to kill the bacteria. For regular stains such as mud, I've used foaming carpet cleaner and a brush with good results.

[Rick]

I use a Bissel Little Green Machine. Use the spotter on really dirty spots and the general shampoo for the whole thing. They make 2 models, one that heats the water and one that doesn't . I use the cheaper one (about 65.00 at Wal Mart). Just keep going over a spot and it will come clean.

[jhiestand]

Same as Rick, I also use the Bissell Little Green (the non-heater model). It works pretty well in that you can spot-apply shampoo, work it in and suck it out. It's also nice that the Little Green isn't huge like my wet vac, plus you get to see all the dirt in its clear reservoir, so you feel like you're making progress. :grin:

[DougPhillips]

If it is really bad you might want to just have it steam cleaned progfessionally. IT COMES UP JUST LIKE NEW.

[wakejunky]

In order to avoid having to worry about cleaning my carpet, I made a snap in carpet piece that goes over my current carpeting. It's basically the factory carpet which I cut to size and had the edges bound. I then screwed in snaps in the floor and put snaps on the carpeting.
It lasted about 3 seasons and I'm in the process of remaking it over again. When I pulled it up to do some work on the boat, the underlying factory carpet is as new as the day it left the factory. No stains and the pile is still is pretty good condition too.
I'll tell you it has saved me plenty of hours of cleaning, especially having two young kids who, oh so manage to spill and drop all sorts of food and drink.
I figure for the $100 or so to make them it's worth the option of pulling it out, hosing it off and putting it back in.

I picked up the carpeting from this place and I'm having it bound by a local upolstery shop.
http://a1foamandfabrics.com/site/carpet.cfm

Chris

[BHog]

Vac your carpet. Spray TUff Stuff all over carpet. Get a bucket of water and dip your scrub brush and brush away. After done dab with dry towel. Did mine this weekend and looks mighty nice.

[brichart]

Simple Green indeed

The carpet in my '95 SN was poorly cared floor in the AZ sun and dust prior to my purchase last year. last weekend I power sprayed the carpet with a relatively low pressure washer, scrubbed the heck out of it with a 50-50 Simple Green mixture, power washed the product out and vacummed with the shop vac.....After all that, it's better but not great. I don't think anything will fix years of neglect. Next winter it's replacement time....(see replacement thread - looks like fun)

[Daytomann]

RE: Simple Green indeed

Go to your local janitorial supply house and get some good peroxide based tile or carpet cleaner...sometimes it will be called tile cleaner...but you must get the stuff that has peroxide, not any acids.!!

This product will get rid of any mold and mildew with out the hazards of Bleach. If you clean your carpets with alot of alkaline chemicals or over the counter cleaners, your going to have a buildup of alkalinity or chemical residue. This will cause you carpets to resoil faster.

Best bet is to rent or buy a little carpet spotter to rinse out anything that you are puttin onto your carpets to clean them with.
The peroxide cleaner in the solution tank of the spotter works GREAT as a rinse agent to help nuetralize the alkalenity and rinse out chemical residue.

If you have some small spots of mold or mildew, regular old over the counter peroxide will kill mold and mildew and is MUCH MUCH MUCH safer than bleach. Peroxide will also safely bleach out coke, coffee and blood stains....

[RIPnSIX]

RE: Simple Green indeed

I have a few ski buddies that pressure was the carpet, I use Resolve carpet cleaner and stiff bristled brush, scrub, let dry and vacuum. Works great for me.

[mcbridek]

RE: Simple Green indeed

We also use Resolve for spots and real dirty areas. But if you need to get the smell out - try "Capture" carpet cleaner. You sprinkle on the white power, then brush it into the dry carpet. We leave it over night, then vac. it up in the morning (don't let it get wet). Gets the smell out.