carpet & uphostery cleaning

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powwowron

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Hello,
:help:I just bought a 2009 Toyota RAV4 and it is in very good running condition, the exterior looks pretty good too and for the most part the interior looks okay. There are two trouble spots I am wanting to clear up though. The driver's seat looks like someone spilled something on it and didn't clean it up, I don't know what it is but before I start just trying things to clean it, I thought I'd come on here to ask. ALSO in the back floorboard on both sides it looks as if there was soda(coke) or something similar spilled there and never cleaned up and I don't know how long that has been set in. AGAIN, I wanted to ask advice on here before I jumped in and started trying things to clean it. I don't have alot of money to go and start just trying different items. As you know, if you read my introduction, I have one of my grown daughters and her three children living with me now and she doesn't have a job yet so money is VERY tight. I do want to get this vehicle cleaned up so my wife and I can get around while :thankyousign: in advance for any and all help, Ron.
 
Try folex you can buy it from home depot or lowes you can use it both on carpets and cloth seating. also welcome to autogeek
 
Heard alot about Folex and havent had a chance to try it, I can recommend Chemical Guys Fabric cleaner it works awesome on each stain I have tried it on so far.
 
dcjredline said:
Heard alot about Folex and havent had a chance to try it, I can recommend Chemical Guys Fabric cleaner it works awesome on each stain I have tried it on so far.
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I second the Fabric Clean, works very well and leaves a nice lemon scent behind.
 
I like fabric clean but had trouble removing coke stains completely.
 
A real simple approach....


Get your cleaner, mix as directed. Apply and agitate with a brush or terry cloth towel.

If you have a Wet/Dry Vac start vacuuming immediately to extract any excess liquid.

Next rub a clean, terry cloth towel over the wet area and press the towel into the material and hold it there for a few minutes to allow any liquids to transfer out of the seat/carpet and into the towel.

You'll see the towel turning the color of whatever was spilled.

Repeat the above till you're happy.

You can also remove some carpets and wash in your driveway, that way you can rinse better and more fully and then let drip dry before installing.

Another option is to rent an extractor. Another option is to take your car to an established detailer or detail shop and let them do it for you.


Here's your "Intro Thread"


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/introduce-yourself/75548-introduction-new-guy.html


You did what is called tagging, that is you replied to another person's "Intro Thread" and introduced yourself. I moved your "post" out of the other guy's thread and created for you your very own "Intro Thread".


Forums can be kind of confusing if you're new to them but hang out a while, do some reading and posting and you'll get the hang of it. Lots of nice people here too...



:)
 
Hi all, Thanks for all the info and advice. I fogot to mention in my initial post that the coke "stain" in the rear carpet is "hard" like whomever spilled it never even tried to soak ANY of it up or get rid of it. I don't know if they weren't told about it when it happened or didn't want to mess with it or what, but the carpet is "hard". The driver's seat I can try the Folex or the Fabric Clean on BUT I wonder how they will work on the "hard" coke stain in the rear carpet. Thanks again, Ron.
 
Soak the Coke stain with Folex and see if it will break it down at all. Do you have access to a steamer? If not, soak a microfiber towel is very hot water and let it sit on the Coke for a while. That should soften it up.
 
powwowron said:
Hi all, Thanks for all the info and advice. I fogot to mention in my initial post that the coke "stain" in the rear carpet is "hard" like whomever spilled it never even tried to soak ANY of it up or get rid of it. I don't know if they weren't told about it when it happened or didn't want to mess with it or what, but the carpet is "hard". The driver's seat I can try the Folex or the Fabric Clean on BUT I wonder how they will work on the "hard" coke stain in the rear carpet. Thanks again, Ron.
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I hate to tell you but if it's hard it's more than likely not all going to come out. Coke is nasty stuff. You'll need something to extract it.
 
powwowron said:
Hi all, Thanks for all the info and advice. I forgot to mention in my initial post that the coke "stain" in the rear carpet is "hard" like whomever spilled it never even tried to soak ANY of it up or get rid of it.
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WillWashesCars said:
soak a microfiber towel is very hot water and let it sit on the Coke for a while.

That should soften it up.
Click to expand...

Or a terry cloth hand towel. Soak either in water dill they are completely drenched, squeeze out just enough that it's not ridiculously wet then place it over the stained area.

If the towel is larger than the stained area fold it to create a thick, wet towel sitting over the stained carpet fibers.

Let this set for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Then remove the towel and inspect. Ring out all the excess water from the towel and then use the towel to scrub the stained area. See if this starts to remove the stain.

If not, replace the towel folded flat over the area and get a clothes Iron.

Turn the Iron to the steam setting but not the highest setting. The highest setting is usually for cotton which by nature won't melt. Auto fabrics are acrylic a type of plastic and too hot of an Iron setting could deform the carpet IF you leave the iron in one place for too long.

Begin ironing the towel. The steam coming out of the iron will penetrate past the towel and into the carpet and the hot moist steam my do the trick.

The set the iron aside and go back to scrubbing with the wet towel or a different wet towel. If this working, repeat till your happy and then use a dry towel to scrub the area and draw out as much water as possible. Blot the area by pushing a dry towel INTO the carpet and holding it there for about a minute to give the water/coke residue TIME to travel via capillary action from the carpet fibers into the cotton fibers of the towel.

When you've done the best you can working with the towel place a box fan in the area for an hour or so and the air flow will finish the drying job.


Or take it to an established detail shop and for about 30.00 to $40.00 they will extract the stain or tell you it's past the point of no return.

Other options...

Replace the carpet with new carpet. Visit an auto upholstery shop.

Replace the carpet with an UN-stained carpet from a similar car from a salvage yard. I've been into hundreds of salvage yards and often times rear carpeting is either trashed or there's nothing wrong with it at all and you can get it for pennies on the dollar. Then clean it and install it.


:)
 
allenk4 said:
You could try chopping it up with a credit card
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:laughing:NOT saying I did anything like that in my youth BUT if I did I'm LONG past that now. Cute suggestion though.:laughing:
I had thought about using hot water on it and seeing if that would work since I don't have anything to generate steam.:dunno: Thanks, Ron.
 
Like others have said, I love Folex. Works really well for me if I scrub with a terry cloth towel. As for the stiff carpet, I have no experience with any of that so I can't really recommend any ideas.
 
Coke stain---because of the sugar content the only thing that will break it down is HOT WATER.
 
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