Help me with automotive stains?

[jayjacques]

I'm not a carpet cleaning professional. Instead I do automotive and some residential leather repair & re-dye and carpet and seat stain removal. The spots and stains have just been a try-to-figure-it-out-on-my-own kind of way. I'm looking to increase my knowledge. In the last several months I've been searching better ways to tackle stuff I run into which a detail department probably couldn't get out.

Here's what I bought the other day at Jondon's to go with some of the spotters I already have and ammonia and the Little Green Machine and Zep Carpet shampoo:

Matrix Enzyme Pre-spray
Pro's Choice Red One
Chemspec Liqua Gel
Prochem Browning and coffee stain remover
Hydramaster Last Step Rinse
Kleenrite Dry Spotter vs
Kleenrite Dissolve Citrus Booster and spotter
Prochem Solv Ink
Matrix Glacier Gum remover

Does this list look good for automotive stuff? The only lingering questions I still have are: At Jondon's I was all set to get some Blitz for extra dirty auto carpets. Then I mentioned that sometimes there is food involved, and the guy sold me on the Enzyme Pre-spray instead. So the question is: Will the Enzyme handle all the other real dirty stuff in carpets like Blitz would? or should I still get Blitz or something comparable?

Also once in awhile I run into icky stuff like crayons or glue or paint (though that is usually good and dry by the time I get to it). Besides Liqua Gel and the Dry Spotter, should I also have a POG on hand? Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[SRI Cleaning]

I would have a POG around. And enzymes generally are good on a variety of soils and greases. i dont have any experience with matrix enzyme. But I would recommend Grease eraser or Enzall. They are both enzyme based and will work on petroleum based grease as well. Make sure you use enzymes with hot water to activate them and rinse thoroughly.

 

[tim]

blitz is good, I like pros choice extreme clean better. I boost it with the enzyme Enzall when I need a good enzyme. From your list it looks like you need a good oxidizer like stain magic. You can add ammonia to the coffee stain remover to accelerate it but it isnt as strong. Alot of guys get 40 volume at Sallys and mix it 50/50 with ammonia to make stain magic. Extreme Clean would be a good every day cleaner for cars. Boost it with an oxidizer (sodium perc) and solvent (dilimolene) and for tough food items an enzyme (enzall) and there is not much you cant get out with just the prespray. Apply hot, aggitate, allow dwell, RINSE thoroughly! I would upgrade the little green to a professional spotter for better dry times and better flushing. The spotters I cant do without are:
Fels Naptha, Citrus Gel, Solvent Clean, PIG, Cyclone, Red Vanish, Stain Magic (or equivalent), T-Rust, Stain Zone a carpet shark and steam iron. With a good prespray, the boosters and spotters listed, there will be very few things that cant be removed. Looks like you have alot of these type products already. Take a spot class or get a video from Taf or Jeff Cross, sounds like it would benefit you greatly.

 

[Mikey P]

How do you plan on getting all of those OUT of the carpet and upholstery?


In other words, what is your portable of choice?

 

[John Watson]

Have Paula schedule you an appointment at eye doctor.

"the Little Green Machine "

 

[Guest]

I would get some citra quick, it will take care of gum,tar ect. and you can use it to boost your prespray.But I dont think that green machine is going to flush like you need.

Kevin

 

[Dolly Llama]

.But I dont think that green machine is going to flush like you need.

Kevin

fo-reel.

you could of just bought 1/3 of the chems you did and use the the savings to buy a professional spotting machine (if you're limited on space) or a professional portable.
Do a google search for "spotting machines" and toss that plastic little POS green machine in the trash.
(or give it to some 5 year old girl to go with her fake vac and light bulb heated Easy Bake Oven)

I'm surprised they didn't try and sell you one.
They probably should have.
since I see they loaded you down with a bunch of professional chems.

in general, the upl in vehicles is pretty durable and cleans up pretty well.
Avoid wet cleaning the head liners. Some can/will come lose if wetted out

It's the floors and mats that can be the challenge.
many (most) will be full of dry soil.
Vac, vac and vac sum-mo
You can use pret'near any kind of strong degreasers and/or detergents for the floors and mats

you DO need a "good" machine to flush/rinse extract though.
You should have a couple different hand tools for the machine too.
Cause...there are a lot of funky angles and curves in vehicles floor carpet.

g'luck, hope you can make money with you new add on service
Most of us HATE cleaning them cause it's tedious to do "right" and make any money


..L.T.A.

 

[jayjacques]

I appreciate all the input. Very good answers from everyone. I wish I had gotten this feedback b4 I got the LGM but oh well, one thing at a time. Most of the chemicals were gotten at a pretty good price and not giant quantities or anything. And since I don't get down south of the border in order to get a good price for quality chems, I feel pretty good about the purchases. One good thing is I'm not responsible for the whole interior cleaning. Instead I usually just have to troubleshoot a few spots or stains. .