Auto Carpet Steam Cleaning

By Alexis Writing, eHow Contributor , last updated April 15, 2013

Many of the same methods used to clean your home can also be used to clean your car. When car upholstery or carpets become dirty or stained, carpet steam cleaners can be useful to clean these fabrics and remove stains. Generally, any home carpet steam cleaners can also be used to clean the carpets in your car, as long as you keep your car near an outlet so you can plug in these machines and the machines are small enough to maneuver around in your vehicle.

1. When to Use Steam Cleaning

   • Use a steam cleaner to remove stains or dirt in your car's soft fabrics (seats, floors, etc.) when stains cannot be removed by other methods. Steam cleaning is a method of using a powerful blower and powerful suction to clean deep down in the carpet to pull out dirt, mites and other types of debris that a normal vacuum is unable to remove. Steam cleaners generally use plain water and a subtle cleaning solution. The water and solution are mixed and then poured into the steam cleaning unit. The unit, when powered on, super heats the solution. You then use the attachments to powerfully shoot the steam into areas and knock stubborn dirt and grime loose. Once the dirt has been knocked loose, the steamer will pick it up with its powerful suction ability and store it for disposal.

   How to Steam Clean your Auto Carpets

   • When steam cleaning your car, first you will want to make sure to vacuum the carpets to remove any dirt on the top of your carpet. After you have vacuumed away this first layer of dirt, you should mix your solution and put it into the steamer. Use the steam cleaner the same way that you would on your home carpet to remove the dirt and grime that is deep down in the carpet fibers. You can use the steam cleaner to clean your windows, seat upholstery and floor mats, as well. The ability of the steam cleaner to powerfully blast out underlying scum and dirt that a normal vacuum cleaner misses makes this an ideal use for this piece of machinery.

   Benefits

   • There are many benefits of steam cleaning the carpet in your car. One is that you can make sure to remove all of the dirt and debris from your car in the detailing process rather than just the first layer on top. Second, unlike using the old methods of shampooing the upholstery and carpet in the car to get them clean, steam cleaning does not leave the surface wet for a long period of time. When shampooing, surfaces remain wet for an extended period of time, which can cause mold to grow or floorboards to rust out after many cleaning sessions. With steam cleaning, this is a worry of the past because the steam hardly leaves behind any wet feeling whatsoever while still doing just as good of a job as a shampooer.

   Finding a Steam Cleaner

   • Steam cleaners for auto detailing can be purchased for personal use, but many professional detailing shops also now use this method to clean the carpet and upholstery. When you visit your local car wash, you can ask for this service as opposed to a standard shampoo in order to ensure your car gets clean without risking damage to the carpets or floorboards of the vehicle.

     
     

     (from: http://www.ehow.com/way_5795759_auto-carpet-steam-cleaning.html)

     
     

     Note from Marty: I own the following steam cleaner and have used it for years with great results:

     McCulloch Heavy-Duty Portable Steam Cleaner

     http://www.homedepot.com/p/McCulloch-Heavy-Duty-Portable-Steam-Cleaner-MC1275/100646690