Cleaning Car Carpet

While most people are extra cautious of the carpets in their home, they pay less attention to the dirty ones in their car. Apart from spoiling the looks of the car interior, it is not considered to be healthy too. Car carpets can get dirty, even with utmost care to prevent the same. It is one of the most susceptible car parts to get dirty, as passengers carry dirt on their shoes, especially during the rains and winters. The condition may worsen, if kids and pets too travel by that vehicle. So, regular cleaning is the only solution to fix this problem. Even though, professionals can be hired for this task, it can be done by yourselves.

How to Clean a Car Carpet

You can clean car carpets within a time period of around 30 minutes to one hour. Remove the mats, which can be cleaned separately by hand washing or machine washing (only some special types). Once the carpet mats are removed, vacuum the carpet thoroughly. Make sure to cover the entire carpet, including the areas under the seats, around the pedals and between the front seats and central console. You may either use a foam cleaner or a household carpet cleaner. If you run short of both these cleaning products, then use a solution of ¼ cup vinegar, one teaspoon bleach-free detergent and hot water. Now, you have to spray the carpet cleaner or homemade solution over the entire carpet. It should be noted that the carpet should not get soaked with the cleaning solution. Spray sufficient amounts and rub with a sponge in a circular motion. Leave the cleaner to work for around twenty minutes. After that, blot dry the car carpet with sponge or dry towels. You carpet is now clean, but a little moist. Allow it to dry for a day, by keeping the windows open.

Removing Stains

Stains on a car carpet can be treated with stain removal products specially meant for this purpose. Apply it before cleaning the carpet with a car carpet cleaner. There can be various types of stains, which have to be treated differently. Apart from commercial products, there are various other things, which can be used for stain removal. White vinegar is found to be an effective remedy for most types of stains. Apply it on the stained parts with a soft cloth and then blot it up. You may also use hydrogen peroxide (3 percent) for removing car carpet stains. As it has been observed that hydrogen peroxide can fade some carpets, test it on a small area for colorfastness. Hydrogen peroxide is found to be more effective in removing organic stains like blood. Stubborn stains can be treated with a glass cleaner and ink stains can be treated with hair sprays. Paint thinner can be applied over stains caused by grease. Alcohol spills should be immediately blotted up and cleaned with water. Car carpet stain removal can be performed just after vacuuming the carpet and just before the cleaning process. Some people do this task, while cleaning car carpets.

So, car carpets can be cleaned easily, provided, you have some free time and the required cleaning products. This can be done at home, but, you have to repeat the entire process, every six months, so as to maintain a clean and fresh interior.