Carpet Power Wash

For you guys that clean your carpets this way, are you just going to a car wash and using the power spraying with water only and just blasting away on the carpet? So just pull the plugs, empty the storage areas, and go to town?

Also, are you just air drying or using a wet vac to dry up the carpet. Mine isn't too dirty but just has gotten flattened out a lot over the years.

Thanks.

I would use one from a car wash or of course if you have one at home. Be careful as a pressure washer can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. Go slow and don't get to close until you know what kind of pressure you are dealing with. If you can, the best thing to do is pull the plugs and park it on a hill and it will all run out. I would then shop vac it so it is damp and then leave it in the sun or get it into a heated garage with fans blowing and all compartments open for several days until it is bone dry.....

I have a pressure washer at home, and that's what I've used on my carpet. To really answer your question though, yes, just water through their pressure washer is what you want.

When I've done mine in the past, I'll get it a little wet first, and spray some carpet cleaner on it, and get down on my hands and knees with a scrub brush and really work the carpet well. Once I've scrubbed, I'll use the pressure washer to push all the dirt and soap into the bilge. This may take a while. Soap will keep coming out of the carpet. Try to get it all out, or the carpet will get dirty easily again. Once everything is washed out, I'll use a wet-dry vac to suck as much water out of the carpet as I can, and then let the rest air-dry.

If you're going to do this at a car wash, bring plenty of quarters! It will take a while to get all the soap out of the carpet. You might be better off borrowing a pressure washer if you don't have one.

Sounds like I need my own pressure washer! I keep the boat in an in-closed storage but I will have it at the house for a day or two. I can't keep it there any longer than that (HOA) but I would hope that over the weekend the carpet will totally dry out with the sun and wind we are expecting.

Tyler - What do you mean it can be dangerous? How close are you guys getting the sprayer to your carpet?

Oh, and I don't own a wet/dry vac. Do you guys have any good recommendations? Thanks!

Jarret, I have a pressure washer you can borrow...

eubanks
Some pressure washers are more powerful than others so just don't get right down on the carpet. Gas powered tend to be more powerful than a cheapy electric. I would probably spray from around a foot a way. You will be fine, but just realize some of them have a lot of power and can start stripping the glue behind the carpet and the threads. You are fine to do it and will be happy with the results, but take it slow and be cautious. If you take it to a carwash then just use their vacumms afterwards. They will pull up the water and crap too...

Couple of wet/vacs I found online...

http://www.lowes.com/pd_195953-20097-9341611_0_?productId=1056745&Ntt=wet%20dry%20vac&Ntk=i_products&Ns=p_product_rating|0&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntk=i_products$rpp=15$Ntt=wet%20dry%20vac $Ns=p_product_rating|0$identifier=

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...rd=wet+dry+vac

Just make sure you have a tip that does a fan, not a sharp point, and you'll be fine. Just don't put the tip right up against the carpet. Start further away and move closer until you find the distance that works best.

do you really need a pressure washer? I think more water volume works better than pressure. I have been using a garden hose with spray attachement and never had any problem gettting the carpet clean. Shop vac'n up the the extra water brings any remaining embedded dirt with it.

like sdub, i just get the hose out and then wet-vac the water out. You wouldn't believe how nasty the water you suck up is.