I just bought a Bissel Little Green Machine: Amazon.com: Bissell Little Green ProHeat Compact Multi-Purpose Deep Cleaner, 14259: Home & Garden I got it mainly because my DD car's carpet is in HORRIBLE shape. I know this is not gonna get it perfect, but it will help. It has major stains and water damage. Somehow water got under the carpet and built up, leaving it with a major mildew smell. I am still trying to figure out where the water came from (the entire carpet is out of the car, along with the seats atm). I am looking for a good product that will work well with heated water and this machine. I am currently using Purple Power diluted with the machine. It is working a good bit. Lots of dirty water is coming back from the carpet and being dumped out. However, I feel like its not enough, and I feel like this method suds to much. So, what products would be good paired with heated water for this job? I am looking for a gallon most likely, or something that can be diluted to make a good portion.
I usually use Folex ( you can find the gallon at Lowes are HD) and APC+. Then, I sprinkle some hot water out of the extractor and use a brush to agitate. After a minute or two I suck it all up.
I have been doing nothing but the machine on the carpet. I plan to go back over the problem areas (foot wells) with the Purple Power and brush, then use the machine to suck it all back up, followed by another round of cleaning with the machine. I will look into the folex for sure on Friday when I am near a lowes/hd.
I hate stuff that foams a lot because now you have to remove all that foamy soap which means more rinsing, more extracting, and hopefully, you will get all the moisture out along with all the dirt. For those reasons, I try to stick with Meguiars APC+ which is low foaming and cleans reasonably good and leaves a clean smell. If you have the carpet out of the car, then you can do just about anything to it and still be able completely rinse it out, right ?? There has to be an end to all the dirt in the carpet, so get it all out and see how it looks after it dries. Good Luck ! Dan F
I could get the APC+ from DI with their shipping special right now... would that be a better cleaner than the Purple Power, or should I try to aim for a carpet/fabric specific cleaner? I want something that is made to work with hot water, low foaming, and leaves a good smell.
Try Adam's carpet and upholstery cleaner, does not foam. I got it from Phil Adam's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
Chemical guys lightning fast or fabric clean will be next on my list to try. I've heard great things.
With the carpet out of the car you could save a lot of headaches by using a pressure washer or hose to rinse a lot of the dirt out without overworking the machine. The mildew will be hard to get rid of. About a year ago I had a 12 pack of soda explode in my car on a 100+ degree day. I managed to clean it all up, but it didn't dry quickly enough because of rain so I got mildew. After doing another thorough cleaning I put silica gel in the car (available at Michael's for $15 wrapped in bags made of old Tshirts) for a few days to make sure all moisture was eliminated. Then I took it for an ozone treatment. The ozone will kill all mold and mildew. Some shops offer the service or you can rent a machine for a day. It is critical, though, to make sure there is no moisture left in the car. When water (H2O) reacts with ozone (O3) you get peroxide (H2O2) and will bleach many materials. While the carpet is out I recommend washing the car and give it a good rinse. If there is a leak this is the best time to try to find it to prevent a repeat.
Well, I have the carpet back in the car now. I did 2 good cleanings with the LGM and Purple Power, followed by a third cleaning with just water. I then let the carpet sit in the garage for 2 days with a fan blowing on it. After reinstalling the carpet, I again left a fan blowing air into the car overnight. I can not find the leak on the passenger side. I rinsed the car 4 times and no leaking occured. The only thing I can think of, is that during the week that this happened I was out of town. It rained very heavily every day for 5 days straight. I am guessing that somehow moisture got inside the car, on the side, and somehow got trapped under the carpet thus causing it to build up in the hit humid enviroment. There was also a leak in the trunk. I have went over every rubber seam with a clear silicone to prevent this from happeneing. I am not drasticly worried about the silicone showing on the outside since its an old beater anyways. I care more about the leaking Lol. Also, nth degree, you gave me an idea about the Silica. would putting a few 3-gram packets though out the car help with moisture? The trunk smells bad, even tho i have all the water out. I am thinking some silica to absorb whatever moisture is left would help this, and prevent more build up. As for the cleaner, gonna pick up a bottle of Folex at Home Depot tomorrow and see how that works.
That's probably not enough silica for the size space. Rice can be a good, cheap alternative. You could even just dump some in the trunk and vacuum it up after a couple of days. A good ozone treatment would likely help with the smell, but, again, must be completely dry first. A large box of Baking Soda might help too. If you are driving the car during this process it is helpful to run the AC but not at the coldest temp. AC does help remove moisture from the air.
Well, all is mute now since I am probally trading the car in for a 2004 Dodge Dakota tomorrow Lol. However, I did get a gallon of Folex the other day from Home Depot. Gonna use that on my initial detail of the Dakota. It has that "sun baked interior on a car lot" smell atm Lol.
To reduce or prevent foaming of a cleaning agent put @1 oz of white vinegar in both tanks. Give it a try along with the Folex. I usually spot clena and scrub with brushes and use the machine merely for rinsing/extraction myself. I have an LGM as well.
