Carpet cleaning

[maziestriton]

Anybody got an idea about how to make that tired looking carpet pop back up again???

[BASSCAT7]

Do not use any soap to soap up the carpet , you'll have a hard time rinsing all the soap out and what is left will attract dirt faster.

Soaps will do more long term damage to boat carpet than almost anything else.......because most soaps are a waxy solid or liquid made from sodium hydroxide mixed with fats, and most detergent soaps are petroleum based.........they will leave a surfactant residue sticking to the nylon /olefin carpet fibers....these surfactants will attract dirt faster to the fibers, almost like a sticky surface. Grinding the dirt into carpet is what wears out the fibers , leaving bare spots.

Don't use any type of pressure washer, even the ones at the car wash have enough force to lift up some worn carpet off the deck

Hose the carpet down real good then scrub it with a stiff bristle brush to loosen up the dirt.
Saturate the carpet real good, take the nozzle off your hose and let the water flow on it.

Make a mixture of 1 pint of plain white vinegar to 7 pints of water. Use a garden sprayer or spray bottle to saturate the carpet.

Scrub it with the brush again, the vinegar will loosen up the rest of the dirt and residue in the carpet. Turn the hose on and rinse real good while scrubbing.

Use a shop Vac to suck up the water or let air dry. Fluff the carpet up with a brush and it will look like it's new again.

If you have some real bad stains or worn spots, Resolve carpet cleaner is great for cleaning up spot stains or real dirty areas. You can get it at any grocery store.
I had a rider get in my boat last year with some tar residue on his shoe, spot about the size of a quarter, my back deck was covered with these spots, must have been 100 of 'em.
took some scrubbing with a small brush and the resolve , but the light gray carpet came up looking new....good stuff to keep in your boat cleaning supplies.

[maziestriton]

Thanks....I will try that.....I hope you had some help from your rider with the tar spots.....

[Ballistik]

Becareful of the spay on carpet cleaners the work great but if not dried or rinced in time they can break down the glue and cause the carpet to seperat from the backing.

[BASSCAT7]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ballistik &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Becareful of the spay on carpet cleaners the work great but if not dried or rinced in time they can break down the glue and cause the carpet to seperat from the backing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Resolve works well, when you spray it on you only need to let it sit a few seconds and rub out the stain with a clean rag. No need to let it soak into the carpet.

[MisterE]

What are your thoughts on using a ScotchGuard type spray after cleaning? I was thinking about doing this like twice a year or as needed.

[leckbass]

i tried the vinegar but my carpet smelled like pickles every time the sun was out, i use those spray on vacuum off foam carpet cleaners, works pretty good

[John L]

I use Downy fabric softner. You wet your carpet and spray some downy and using a brush you swirl it in and then rinse. After you rinse you take that brush and brush the water to drain and it take less time for the carpet to dry. It takes all the smell out and I have been doing this on my last 3 rangers. Good luck

[moose288]

use scrubbing bubbles bathroom clear(1.99 walmart). the can with the green lid.works miracles on carpet and it will also take mildew off ur seats too.and it dont take away the uv rays.give it a try u want be disappointed. ive used it for years on my boats and cars

[T-SHRED]

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I use a 3 gallon bucket of hot water mixed with a splash or two of "Simple Green".
A stiff bristled plastic brush works the stains and dirt out.
Then I wet vacuum.

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[DudeLebowski]

What about using a carpet cleaning machine like the ones for the house.. Hoover, Dirt Devil or any of the non-commercial type?

-Dude

[ribbit_man]

I've used the bissell carpet machine with the carpet cleaner liquid from Sam's. Did a great job on my 1984 Champion with original carpet. I finished it using fabric softner and diluted with water, spray it on,brush up the nap, and let it dry. Darn near looks new.

[dfishin]

Folex carpet cleaner (Home Depot). The best I have found. You spray it on, rub with rag or soft brush, tap with rag and done. If you have tuffer spots spray more there let soak and repeat above. I have tried all kinds of things and this works. I tend to get some sent, spill a drink and grind in some scum once in a while. Works for me, very easy, I'm happy.


Modified by dfishin at 9:51 AM 4/29/2008