[bschaef95]

The carpets in my '95 are absolutely TRASHED! They are stained, discolored, and smell weird (helped only with a huge amount of air freshener). I have a Shop-Vac 20 gallon wet/dry which has super suction. I wanted to shampoo my carpets and pull the shampoo with the shop-vac. However, I have never shampooed carpets and couldn't find a tutorial anywhere. I have a ton of questions, like how to rinse without getting mold, what kind of shampoo to use... I am super confused and I just need a tutorial badly. Help is really appreciated, thanks guys!

 

[Saltlife]

The carpets in my '95 are absolutely TRASHED! They are stained, discolored, and smell weird (helped only with a huge amount of air freshener). I have a Shop-Vac 20 gallon wet/dry which has super suction. I wanted to shampoo my carpets and pull the shampoo with the shop-vac. However, I have never shampooed carpets and couldn't find a tutorial anywhere. I have a ton of questions, like how to rinse without getting mold, what kind of shampoo to use... I am super confused and I just need a tutorial badly. Help is really appreciated, thanks guys!

Do you have a leak in the truck? If so fix that first.

 

[phobos2deimos]

I've done a few different ways in my VW... You can use the carpet cleaner shampoo from walmart, or (what I did) just use liquid laundry detergent on the floors, scrub, soak, then vacuum. May need to do it a couple times. I've never had mold/mildew issues, but if it's a concern then just put a box fan in the truck overnight.
Fabric softener worked well to get smells out as well.

(oh yeah,:stupid, fix the leak if there is one. Specifically check your rain gutters above the windows. They can crack and send water down the inside of the B pillar.)

 

[bschaef95]

"Do you have a leak in the truck? If so fix that first."

Its not a leak that causes the smell, it is from me putting my surfboard and wetsuit in there while still wet.

 

[phobos2deimos]

Its not a leak that causes the smell, it is from me putting my surfboard and wetsuit in there while still wet.

Maybe stop doing that then :goodfinge:goodfinge:goodfinge

 

[sling]

take out the carpet and use a pressure washer, it works better than any shampoo

 

[RazrRebel]

The best thing to do would be to take it out and do it. If you can't or don't want to take it out make sure you keep alot of air going through the cab so it will dry thoroughly. Shampooing with a standard shampooer is a pain in the A**. I always got good results with some carpet cleaner and a stiff scrub brush, then suck it out with the shop vac. Depending how bad you may never get it clean. Alot of times what is underneath is ruined and you can't clean the padding or sound deadening material. Good luck I know its alot of work.

 

[bschaef95]

Maybe stop doing that then :goodfinge:goodfinge:goodfinge

There is really no way around it, it is wet on the ride home, but the smell is from when I left it in there over one weekend and forgot about it :barf

As for the stains, they just accumulate. Coffee, food, my dog...

As for the pressure washer... I am also doing the interior carpets, not just the removable rugs. I don't think I would bring my power washer inside of my car...

EDIT: I want to do all of the carpets, not just the removable ones. All of the carpet in the car, just not the upholstery, as I have seat covers.

 

[Saltlife]

"Do you have a leak in the truck? If so fix that first."

Its not a leak that causes the smell, it is from me putting my surfboard and wetsuit in there while still wet.

Yo man I just ripped mine out that saved my problem to this. Bedliner will be put in next for me.
I would not clean the carpet if you hit the beach any. That was one of the first things to go because im at the beach and water sports too much.

 

[sling]

thats why i said take it out:rofl: its not that hard to do. it just can take a day or two to dry

 

[bschaef95]

I didn't know that it came out. Still, I just want to leave it in so I don't have to pull it then put it back in.

 

[Saltlife]

I didn't know that it came out. Still, I just want to leave it in so I don't have to pull it then put it back in.

Im going to say best why would be take it out and leave it. But if you want to keep the carpet then take it out clean it let it dry (like mentioned) then put it back in.

You can also take it out and look into rubber fitted mats for the floor.

 

[bschaef95]

I have a fitted mat for my cargo bay, but it is also carpet, not rubber. I am just going to keep it, and clean it every so often in the summer. My real issue is that I need a tutorial on how to shampoo carpets using my shop-vac.

 

[Saltlife]

You can read up here: http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/125622-how-shampoo-carpets-use-shop-vac-extract.html

 

[bschaef95]

Thank you SaltLife, that was super helpful. Do I need to get carpet shampoo, or will other stuff work? Also, should I really soak the carpets and then let them dry or just mist them?

 

[phobos2deimos]

Thank you SaltLife, that was super helpful. Do I need to get carpet shampoo, or will other stuff work? Also, should I really soak the carpets and then let them dry or just mist them?

Soakings always worked for me.

 

[JKossarides]

OxyClean/power wash, hang out to dry in hot sun....done!


Good Luck ~ :thumbup

 

[quikmcw]

I've done 3 different ways, all have worked for me:
1-soaked and scrubbed with hot water, brush, oxyclean and detergent.
2-bissell carpet cleaner with their stuff
3-took carpet out and hozed it down and let it dry in the sun.

My preference was the bissell carpet cleaner, worked the best and the easiest...presoaked bad stains and spots with Krud Kutter or similar cleaner, then let the Bronco air dry in some good sun with the windows open.

 

[thin blue line]

pull it out and use a pressure washer on it best way by far. very easy to do

 

[offroadkarter]

I cleaned the carpets in my bronco and the explorer. For the explorer, I just cleaned it in the truck with a bissel spotbot, worked awesome...

For my bronco, I gutted the interior and did a mix of spotbotting and simple green / scrubbing. It didn't get everything out but it made the carpet about 90% better...

Here is my posts on that

http://fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172412&page=21

I guarantee that wet smell is coming from water in the carpet padding. That padding will NEVER dry out, unless you expose it to air. My advice to you would be grab some wrenches and gut your interior, or the smell will never go away.