Carpet cleaning tips needed

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Tregs

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I have a 2003 Chaparral 180SS. It has light tan carpet and hangs on a boat lift. Last weekend, a few globs of grease from the lift dropped on the carpet as we lowered the boat and got tracked throughout the boat for a few minutes before we noticed it. So now we have little black grease dots all over the carpet. Does anybody have any good advice for getting grease out of carpet?

Thanks in advance..
 

rfdfirecaptain

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

Rubbing alcohol is recommended for petroleum jelly and I doubt the grease you're talking about is much different in composition. Typically you need a cleaner that is a strong base, since a base is what brakes down oils. I have also used a very wet cloth and very hot steam iron after wetting and adgitating the stain with Purple-Stuff degreaser. The steam helped loosen the oils and tranfer them up onto the cloth between the oil and the iron. Worked for me....
 

Navy Jr.

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

I've had good luck with Dawn dishwashing liquid. Carefully dab it on, then dab it again with a clean dry and fluffy terry cloth towel. Finish with dabbing a sponge dipped in clean water and then towel again. Works if grease blobs are fairly small.
 

Fireman431

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

If it's grease, use a little GOJO grease remover. Available from auto parts stores. As a one time mechanic, it would get just about any petroleum product out with little to no fuss.
 

Tregs

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

Rubbing alcohol is recommended for petroleum jelly and I doubt the grease you're talking about is much different in composition. Typically you need a cleaner that is a strong base, since a base is what brakes down oils. I have also used a very wet cloth and very hot steam iron after wetting and adgitating the stain with Purple-Stuff degreaser. The steam helped loosen the oils and tranfer them up onto the cloth between the oil and the iron. Worked for me....

Good question. It's years of white lithium grease that has dried and fell off the gears. It dropped a handful of dried up grease globs that got on people's feet and tracked all over the carpet. I have about 50 dots that are the size of a pencil eraser.
 

mcgyver210

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

If you have access to a D-Limonene gel based product this will usually be your safest approach. Any liquid Solvent could cause backing failure know as de-lamination which is a common issue when spotting using solvents is done incorrectly

Lithium Grease will resist most water based cleaning procedures.

Now the fiber type can also be a factor in spotting. Nylon or Polypropylene (Very Oil Loving) are the two most common fibers used.
 

25thmustang

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

Not sure on grease, but I find Folex to be a good carpet cleaner. It's at the big box hardware type stores. I've used it on monkey fur with good results and even when I polished some metal and it got all over my house carpet. It took care of the mess very well.
 

Bob_VT

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

I would use GoJo and my wife's Bissel small green carpet cleaner ;)
 

Tregs

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

I have GoJo and a carpet cleaner in the garage so I'll give it a try.
Thanks for the suggestions.
 

mcgyver210

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

I have GoJo and a carpet cleaner in the garage so I'll give it a try.
Thanks for the suggestions.

GoJo isn't a good idea since it usually contains a gritty abrasive that can damage the fiber.
 

captain zac

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

for grease

get borax soap powder
put a good amount into a bucket
spray water into bucket so you can make as many suds as posible
scrape off suds and put it on the spot and rub with a cloth or sponge
DO NOT USE ANY WATER it will only set the stain

for red wine

just clean with wight wine
it works trust me

Harry
 

Scott Danforth

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

gojo (it even says removes grease from clothes on the container), then dawn dish soap, then clean the whole carpeting as you will have a few really clean spots.

if you do not have carpet cleaner, I also use laundry detergent.
 

mcgyver210

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

gojo (it even says removes grease from clothes on the container), then dawn dish soap, then clean the whole carpeting as you will have a few really clean spots.

if you do not have carpet cleaner, I also use laundry detergent.

There are many products sold that say they work on carpet but in my years very few actually really worked without too much residue or worse, causing visible or hidden damage.

The old saying If you get your carpets cleaned they will get dirty faster is actually true to some extent. This is mostly because of improper cleaning or spotting.

Good luck what ever you decide to try. Honestly Grease is usually fairly easy to remove.
 

Navy Jr.

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

There are many products sold that say they work on carpet but in my years very few actually really worked without too much residue or worse, causing visible or hidden damage.

The old saying If you get your carpets cleaned they will get dirty faster is actually true to some extent. This is mostly because of improper cleaning or spotting.


+1. This is true especially when using home carpet cleaning machines (Bissell, Hoover, etc). I've learned over the years to avoid those expensive carpet cleaning chemicals altogether in favor of turning up the thermostat on the hot water heater temporarily and using only really hot water. No residue and carpets in the house look clean much longer. Just .02 worth.

In our boat I've used the hand attachment on the Hoover with really hot water. Has worked well so far.
 

Fireman431

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

GoJo isn't a good idea since it usually contains a gritty abrasive that can damage the fiber.

Regualr GoJo doesn't have any abrasives in it at all. If you get the GoJo with paumice, then you have the abrasive.
 

mcgyver210

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

gojo (it even says removes grease from clothes on the container), then dawn dish soap, then clean the whole carpeting as you will have a few really clean spots.

if you do not have carpet cleaner, I also use laundry detergent.

Carpet isn't the same as clothing in reality which is also why you shouldn't always use same product on upholstery & carpet.

I don't mean to argue but I actually do know what I am talking about on this subject.



+1. This is true especially when using home carpet cleaning machines (Bissell, Hoover, etc). I've learned over the years to avoid those expensive carpet cleaning chemicals altogether in favor of turning up the thermostat on the hot water heater temporarily and using only really hot water. No residue and carpets in the house look clean much longer. Just .02 worth.

In our boat I've used the hand attachment on the Hoover with really hot water. Has worked well so far.

You have actually given some good advice here but I doubt your hoover can handle the temperatures needed in some extreme cases. Hot water alone only goes so far without some surfactants.




Regualr GoJo doesn't have any abrasives in it at all. If you get the GoJo with paumice, then you have the abrasive.

This is why I said usually & not always :D
 

mcgyver210

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Re: Carpet cleaning tips needed

Soft scrub with bleach!!! It really works.

Be Very Careful with this advice if the fiber you are trying this on isn't Solution dyed you will most likely cause irreversible damage to the dye-sites if it is nylon.

I am fairly new to boating so not 100% sure what fiber is the predominately used for carpet. Now even with solution dyed fibers you can cause damage to the backing construction by using bleach or any harsh chemical.

Some damage caused by improper methods wont show up immediately. Example: Benzyl-Peroxide damage doesn't always show up until someone tries to clean it not knowing it has been spill t in the past. This his called a Hidden Spot or Stain.
 

JoeyPeter

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I generally prescribe any people to visit from boat washes with regard to cleaning their cover. The cover we utilize is high caliber with plastic fibers. That you change from a high-mass spout excessively near boat carpet, it could consume it.
 

southkogs

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Welcome aboard Joey - please take a few moments to read our FORUM RULES. We ask you don't post to topics over 90 days old unless you're the original poster.

Back to the museum for this topic ... closed ;)
 
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