I use a piece of hose as a siphon then I can use LOTS of water without worrying how to get it out.

ok here's my secret for getting carpets in as new condition. Use any of the soaps previously mentioned, they'll all work well. The best thing to do is to remove the carpets from the vehicle, take them to the nearest carwash, clip them to the wall or hold them, lean them, whatever, pump in those quarters and blast the heck out of those carpets with the do it yourself high pressure hose. Take them home and hang them out to dry. I've always had great results. The carpets I can't remove, I use the spray cleaner, water and wet vac. good luck cheers, Mark.

Big Green Clean Machine from Bissell.com 150 bones and worth every penny. I have used it on over 100 cars....very nice high pressure steam cleaner and detergent can be purchased at WalMarts.

Oxiclean, a stiff brush, and elbow grease...followed by the carwash and quarters routine...throw 'em on the hammock and let the sun dry them out. Gotta love that Fabrez smell.

__________________
Mark
1983 300TD Wagon
Even a broken watch is right twice a day

Buy new ones, they are cheap

You want to use professional products. Open the phone book and find the nearest janitorial supply house. They are a wealth of information on products and their use.
My 2 favorite manufacturers are "Pro's Choice" and "Chem Spec."

Pro's choice OSR (odor & stain remover) is a kick ass product. You have to be able to remove the carpet and the place it in a tub ( I used a construction grade plastic garbage bag). Using the hottest water possible, this product actually starts bubbling like alka seltzer. Soak and rinse, thats it. It may remove a little color, but if your that concerned, they will be clean enough to dye.

Carpet in the car that can't be removed should be cleaned with a product that actually will kill the mildew (mold).
http://www.topoftheline.com/32ozmicroban.html

A good quality carpet extractor is expensive. If you own a strong shop vac, your 1/2 way there already. Sears sells an accessory kit that turns your shop vac into a carpet/upholstery cleaner (like $40.00) That is as good as any Hoover or Bissel product. You can also use a spray bottle or garden type sprayer. The trick is get the cleaning solution on the carpet and then vacuume it out.
A power washer works well also, but you have to be careful not to blow the carpet apart if it's a strong one.
http://www.topoftheline.com

__________________
1999 E300DT (131,800) 154,000 Black on Black SOLD

2006 CLK 500 coupe Capri Blue on Grey (zoom,zoom)
47,000mi

04 VW TDI Passat 80,000mi
(Techno)

How to eliminate oil dependency through market-driven approaches.
“We could cut oil use in half by 2025, and by 2040, oil use could be zero,”
The Sound of Diesel Speed
Ode to MB

You mentioned the accessory kit for the shop vac earlier. I've been all over the Craftsman site and can't find it. sounds good....part # or hint please. Thanks.

__________________
The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

i use 409 mixed in water an use my wet vac to suck up excess