DIY Carpet Shampoo Project

[AlabamaDan]

I've owned my QX4 for 18 years or so and it has gone from our best, primary vehicle, to the daily driver, and on down the line to eventually sitting on the edge of the driveway being neglected for several years.  It has been a long distance driver from Tennessee to North Carolina to Texas to Miami, Florida and lots of places in between.  It's hauled children and all the things that go with them, hunting camp, camping, and off roading, and trash and building supplies.  I've eaten in it.  I've slept in it.  In other words it's been heavily used.  Over the years despite trying to keep it clean it collected lots of stains and such in the carpet.  Now I'm giving it some TLC and it's time to clean the carpet and get that musty smell out.

 

I may not know how to lift the suspension or do some heavy duty engine repair, but cleaning is right up my ally!  Shampooing the carpet is a simple afternoon project with a few cans of carpet cleaner, a brush, some old towels, and lots of elbow grease.  I've been doing this same approach for over 30 years and it is tried and true.  You will need some foaming carpet cleaner and lots of it.  I used three cans of Resolve High Traffic Carpet Foam, about $10.

 

Start by vacuuming all the loose dirt and such from the carpet.  It's hard to see in the photo, but overall this carpet is a little dingy and there are lots of little spots from various things.

 

Then spray generous amounts of carpet foam over the area.

 

Next I use a small brush and scrub the carpet aggressively.  I use my hand and fingernails for small places the brush can't reach into.

 

They suds and foam will disappear, but you're not done.  After you've scrubbed it, use a clean towel and rub all over to get the dirty foam out of the carpet.  You'll see it come up on the towel and know you're cleaning things.

 

Finally step back and review the spot you've cleaned.  If you see any spots you've missed, hit them again.  

 

I'm aggressive on the regular carpet, but the doors and other more delicate areas I only use my hand and rub.  If there's a bad spot maybe scratch it.

 

Don't forget under the seats

 

Bad spots should work, but may require lots and lots and lots of repeated attempts.  (This was a broken ink pen and it's been there for over 10 years.)

This was the only spot I didn't get out, but it is better.  I ran out of Resolve.

 

I didn't take a lot of before photos, but if you look closely at the seat belts you can get an idea of how it looked under those seats.  I've got to go back and clean the seat belts.

 

I use the same techniques on the floor mats.

 

I go back over it with the vacuum cleaner again after it dries.

 

Everything looks and smells wonderful in the car now.  I think I'll get me some good deep dish rubber mats now that it's all clean.

 

[mjotrainbrain]

Another awesome and useful writeup.  Definitely doing this!

[Slartibartfast]

A friend of mine used something like this on the carpet in his van. It wasn't clean when he got it, and it was pretty awful after we tore apart the engine through the doghouse and laid out the parts on the floor. I was sure it was trash, but to my surprise he got it presentable again (presentable enough for a clapped-out van, anyway) with a spray product like what you used. IIRC it had some kind of bristle brush built into the nozzle.
 

2 hours ago, AlabamaDan said:

 I ran out of Resolve.

Sounds like what happens whenever I'm stuck cleaning something