im trying to clean-up the carpets in a new purchase, a mid-sized SUV.

nothing too terrible, but not in the condition that i would like. the interior is beige cloth. seats are OK, but carpets show some stains, especially in areas not covered by mats. lots of nasty crud between the font seats and the console such as food and beverage gunk. probably mostly coke/coffee stains.

i talked to several detail shops about the carpets and received 2 opposing opinions. #1 was that the carpets must be "wet" cleaned and dryed with a high powered extractor that would leave the carpets essentially dry. recommended for all areas except the headliner. #2 was to NOT wet any areas except for areas/stains that dry-buffing could not remove.

i tried some consumer product (blue coral) foam yesterday that seems to do a pretty decent job. i did the rear cargo area and the rear seats floor, but think i will remove the front seats to gain a much easier access for the front areas. looks like the seats will come out very easily. i would say this got it clean to approx 80% of what i would like to see as an end result. even mostly removed 2 ink stains in the cargo area.

the "good" detail shops i talked to want between $75-$125 to "professionally" detail the interior.

any insights as to the "wet or dry" cleaning debate?

thanks in advance, - thrillbilly

T,

I hear two things about "wet" carpet cleaning but am not an expert so take it for what it's worth....

1) "wet" cleaning like shampooing can get the carpetbacking wet. When this happens, mold growth is the likely result, especially if there is mold in your AC system.

2) it is nearly impossible to get all the "soap" out of your carpet after a "wet" cleaning. The result is that your carpet picks up even more dirt in the future because of the residue left behind by the carpet cleaning solution/detergent.

As for my cars, I prefer the dry method or if the job is not too large, a light spray of citrus cleaner and a damp rag to pickup all the dirt and grime. This works well and doesn't get the carpet all wet.

Best of luck!

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