Upholstery cleaning shiz

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Alright shiters, what is your preferred technology for cleaning seats and carpets in your old knackers?

 

I ask because I've had in the back of my mind that you really need some sort of hot, soap-filled wet vac thing to clean upholstery properly, hot water and scrubbing can get you so far but it doesn't seem to really do the biz once seats get to a certain level of 'ingrained-ness'. I have never had such a device at my disposal but often wished I had.

 

I wandered into B&Q today and they were selling a Karcher wet vac for £50:

 

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?fh_search=4039784449800&x=0&y=05&icamp=HP_ProductBox4

 

AND a slightly camp-looking morphy richards steam cleaner for £60:

 

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?fh_search=5011832043474&x=0&y=0&icamp=HP_ProductBox5

 

 

Both of which would probably make a decent fist of cleaning up manky car seats etc. Obv I didn't buy them because walking into B&Q and then coming out with some flipping gizmo that you didn't expect means that THEY HAVE WON and YOU LOST. But Ms_Ba11s said i could get one if i wanted (I think she had designs on it herself) then pulled a face when i said no thanks so there could be an opportunity to add to my shiters' armoury if i see a device that looks like a good buy. What do you think?

[HillmanImp]

I am too scared to answer in case Wat rips into me as the last car seats i cleaned were not on an old car, they were on a Mazda 2.

[Inspector Morose]

Yeah, things like that do save a bit of elbow work. I use an old Bissel carpet cleaner for seats and carpets and it keeps on top of the dirt and crap that my seats seem to gather. For really deep cleaning you still need to do a bit of scrubbing though.

Don't know about how useful steam cleaners are though. I'm still out on deciding if ones worth it or not.

 

What am a spouting all this though. Where's vulgalor when you need him?

[Shep Shepherd]

I bought a Vax jobbie from Argos which I used to semi-clean TV2's carpets and upholstery in the summer:

 

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4067991.htm

 

I intend to subject The Volvo's seats to it in the spring

 

I also have a Thane Direct 'X5' steam cleaner which I am too scared to use on anything automotive, lest things get melty...

[vulgalour]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works every time, costs nearly nothing.  But the B&Q thing is probably less effort.

[Shep Shepherd]

^

 

I love Stardrops. I've even used it lieu of shower gel

[trigger]

I bought a upright Vax thing a few years back for silly money (£200 IIRC but i had some Argos vouchers to use) as we had some stains on the living room carpet (not cum before asks), It has a nifty attachment for doing car interiors which works well and I've used it a few times now with good results, It didn't justify the outlay though.

[NorthernMonkey]

Get hold of some all purpose G101 cleaner from Autosmart. Either follow/flag down one of their vans or failing that, there's usual someone flogging it on the bay. From the rep, it's about a tenner for five litres and it needs to be watered down.... About 20:1 for normal use up to around 8:1 for heavy stains. Spray it on, brush it in and it'll shift just about anything. Use it before wet vacuuming with a vax or something and miracles are possible.

I was cleaning out the egr valve on the diseasel'd Volvo and managed to tread some crap into the pale grey carpet....5 minutes with the aforementioned and it's good as new. Actually not quite true as the bits I treated are now significantly cleaner than the rest of the carpet but you get the idea.....

[Vince70]

In true Autoshite fashion I always go for the cheapest option and have found that pound land carpet foam cleaner brings the seats up lovely it works as well as the autoglym interior foam cleaner the only difference is it doesn't smell as nice as the autoglym product.

 

These seats were brown before I used the poundshop foam cleaner but now that the seats are back looking like new I keep them covered up as I find that the seagulls love shiteing on my car interior when the roof is down.

[Spiny Norman]

I've always had good results with Ambersil Groom. Halfrauds do it, but don't let that put you off.

[dugong]

I am too scared to answer in case Wat rips into me as the last car seats i cleaned were not on an old car, they were on a Mazda 2.

Yeah, but you didn't post up pictures of you cleaning said modern car or come across all dismissive either so fair game to you with some kind of polished cherry on top.

[PhilA]

The old man bought a steam cleaner thing (some German affair that came with interlocking pipework and all manner of crap that makes it look like a small boiler on castors) which has the main attachment like a vacuum cleaner pipe. He fires it up and wraps old Terylene* cloths around the floor mopping bit. Works great at getting deep down crap dislodged, then a scrub with clothes soap/stardrops/[insert surfactant here] and then a quick steam over again before letting it dry.

 

That combination got Old Man Grime** out of the blue trim and velour-ish in my Bluebird and made it a considerably more pleasant place to be.

 

Also, it strips wallpaper off walls like nobody's business, actually does work on cleaning crap off engines and their immediate surroundings. I've also used it to run my model steam engine too.

 

They're spendy but fairly versatile.

 

--Phil

 

*In true shite fashion these were initially used to wrap my butt when I was a babby. They have since been washed, though the Servis washing machine with the Terylene setting has long since departed, been turned into several Fiestas, scrapped and turned back into washing machines. The cloths live on.

 

**You know, that slick brown stuff that you can't really determine if it's snot or dried Werther's-drool or old toffee.

[Lord Sterling]

Some years ago I bought some W5 Gel all-purpose cleaner from Lidl, it was a Blue wax/gel like stuff that smelt like a freshly cleaned toilet. This stuff was amazing, I would take anything off, I initially tried to use it on my old Sterling's leather seats to which I got most of the grime off.

 

All the other car shiz I tried was simply rubbish, basically nice smelling stuff in a fancy bottle that did arse-all to remove dirt and grime.

 

Then I used the W5 gel stuff on the Micra's cloth seats. This really showed me how good the stuff was, the Micra's seats had about 12 years worth of ground-in muck and grime, I applied the stuff on, scrubbed a bit and wiped off with warm damp cloth. The seats came up almost like new, you could actually see the colours in the patterns again.

 

Sadly I ran out of this stuff, upon returning to Lidl I was told that they no longer made this stuff. I wish I'd stocked up on it.

[Junkman]

Simple Green is best. But hard to find on these shores.

[dugong]

Simple Green is best. But hard to find on these shores.

You are Ice Cube and I claim the Goodyear blimp.

[Cavcraft]

Brown Brothers (if they're still going) did a brilliant interior cleaner. Diluted in hot water then gentle use of one of these...

 

 

...gets great results.

 

[purplebargeken]

I used to utilise the Ambersil product but found it less effective as time went on. Don't know if they tweaked the formula.

 

I think I used Stadrops in the early 80's but was never that impressed, maybe I didn't scrub enough.

 

I then went on to the Halfrauds own stuff in the blue trigger bottle which was actually rather good.

 

Cif and a nail brush is good for vinyl and wipes off easy and gives a sort of satin sheen.

 

1001 upholstery spray (in a yellow trigger bottle) is what I use currently and it gives quite decent results.

 

I've found the Meguires and Autoglym stuff to be shite at shifting heavy grime. 

 

I used the Vax on the sofa at home and it worked well, might be worth a punt at that price and would also give you some points with the missus.

[HMC]

Martin Buckley told me he'd lobbed maserati engine parts about in his old w123 as away of explaining the oil stains over the seats and the grubby interior generally. Thanks Martin!

 

Thought id rent the red rug cleaner that you see at supermarkets, give it a try. Didnt hold out much hope, but the results on the 'date' cloth (stain showing beige to you and I) were brilliant.

[HMC]

I tend to be suspicious of all car upholstery products, on the basis that they tend to be mega expensive compaired to household sfuff and all about the marketing. If its good enough for the hallway carpet etc

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I agree, i strongly suspect theyre all much of a much, I reckon Vulg's bottle of stardrops will be as good as owt else. My question was more about whether some sort of machine is a good idea and folks' experience with 'em.

[FredTransit]

I always try dry brushing first with a poundshop upholstrry brush. This gets the first layer off! then wait for a very hot day, take the seats out, put very cheap washing up liquid on the dry seat and scrub. Dump a bucket of hot water over it and scrub again. Repete if need be. Rinse with another bucket of hot clean water. Leave in the hot sun to dry.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Sounds good but sometimes i might wanna do it without waiting 4 or 5 months for a hot sunny day!!!

[cort16]

All the wet and dry does is sook the dirty water out of what ever your cleaning itt's the agent you use to remove the stains that's the important bit

 

This stuff is good as you can just scoot it everywhere then rub it in with a damp (not wet) cloth. I spotted tonybmw bigging it up on one of his threads so I tried it and it worked well.

 

 

 

http://www.vanish.co.uk/products/vanish-for-carpets-and-upholstery/vanish-powerfoam-high-traffic-carpet-cleaner

[brickwall]

Simple Green is best. But hard to find on these shores.

 

 

It's available on line and is indeed good. I also use one of those hand held steam things for cleaning kitchen tiles etc.

 

http://www.encleansols.co.uk/3/index.php for simply green

[Anglevan]

I use a wet and dry vac with about 10% stardrops in warm water. (too much stardrops and it foams like hell)

Always like to clean em in the better weather to help dry but sometimes needs must and all that.

 

For the stubborn spots I just brush in a more concentrated solution.  

[Pillock]

Don't get one of the steam cleaners without suction. I got a cheap one, it's great for doing the cooker and windows and stuff but on upholstery it just embeds dirt further in. You need to loosen it and suck it out with a vax type thing.

[FredTransit]

Sounds good but sometimes i might wanna do it without waiting 4 or 5 months for a hot sunny day!!!

thats a fair point but even if you get 90% of the water out with a wet and dry vac (which I dont have) you are gonna get a damp bum and mouldy seats if you wash em in winter....

[Vince70]

As Phil A said the steam cleaners work very well and really can't be beaten if you can get your hands on one...

 

I had an old fiesta van which I basically used as a skip while I was doing up the house which only got used once a week for tip duties and when I sold it on once i finished the house I borrowed a friends steam cleaner to clean the interior..

 

I used a bit of 1001 carpet cleaner on the interior and the vans interior came up as new.. I even did the dash which came out a light grey colour which I wasn't expecting.

 

The only down side I find with steam cleaners are if you go to mad with one and can't get the interior bone dry is your plagued with condensation afterwards..

 

You can buy the little ones which are about the size of a small kettle for about £15 which work ok but there nowhere as good as a decent full size one.

[Station]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works every time, costs nearly nothing.  But the B&Q thing is probably less effort.

 

Stardrops is great and the only cleaning product from poundland that works.

 

A Rug Doctor from B&Q for two days is £25 well spent. It gets every spot of dirt from your carpets.

[crapcarcollector]

Had a butchers at the wet vac at B&Q in Crewe, looked like an epic tool. If I hadn't just spent £150 on tiles for a house I don't yet have I'd've been all over it for shitty interior cleaning duty on the CRV.