Cleaning removed carpets

[bcgreen]

Would you say a carpet cleaning company that specializes in Persian carpets would be the safest bet to get the job done without harming 44 year old Porsche carpets?

 

[Accumulator]

bcgreen- IMO it`ll just depend on the company. When I wandered back into the "Employees Only" area of our local place, they had the *exact* same stuff that I do, right down to the model of Century extractor and even a *Cyclo* with brushes on it (that one really surprised me). Same ChemSpec products on their shelves too.

BUT...would I trust them to do a decent job without messing `em up? Yes, they`re good at what they do and it`s not *all* about what stuff they use.

Just be sure the place you choose is good.

 

[Stokdgs]

Would you say a carpet cleaning company that specializes in Persian carpets would be the safest bet to get the job done without harming 44 year old Porsche carpets?

The 1976 Porsche carpets are way tougher than 1976 Persian Carpets..

Is this for your vehicle? What condition are the Porsche carpets in ? Really dirty? greasy? look like they are falling apart because they were flooded for a long time, etc..?

I have never seen carpets in a vehicle that were of the caliber of Persian carpets, so I am thinking that doing the regular vacuum, cleaning, etc., should be fine..

If I had that vehicle in my Shop, and the carpets were normal looking, just needed cleaning, I would be glad to vacuum, spray some nice low foaming Meguiars cleaner, brush it in, and then extract it all out with the MyteeHP60..
Dan F

 

[bcgreen]

The 1976 Porsche carpets are way tougher than 1976 Persian Carpets..

Is this for your vehicle? What condition are the Porsche carpets in ? Really dirty? greasy? look like they are falling apart because they were flooded for a long time, etc..?

I have never seen carpets in a vehicle that were of the caliber of Persian carpets, so I am thinking that doing the regular vacuum, cleaning, etc., should be fine..

If I had that vehicle in my Shop, and the carpets were normal looking, just needed cleaning, I would be glad to vacuum, spray some nice low foaming Meguiars cleaner, brush it in, and then extract it all out with the MyteeHP60..
Dan F

I thought they might run them through special equipment as if they were Persian carpets.
Am I better off going to a detailer with the special extractor?
This is what they look like:

 

[Stokdgs]

BCgreen - Thanks for the reply and great pics !
Looks like they have had 44 years of sun, dirt, wear, and not much else.. But they are not looking like they were abused, etc..

The color difference from the "exposed" areas and the "hidden" areas is pretty dramatic..On my laptop screen, looks like the exposed areas are a shade of pink, or something, and the hidden under trim areas are a lighter uniform, shade of light yellow-brown or something..
Obviously, you want to try to clean to hopefully restore the color to as close to the original, clean, undamaged by sun or dirt, color if possible..

Accumulator`s earlier post said he saw the local carpet guy had the same equipment he already had in his shop in their shop, so what you may get is hopefully, really good expertise on how to remove everything that`s "removeable"..

I have Detailed a few Porsche vehicles the newest, the last of the aircooled engine, a 1997 Carrera. It had similar carpet to what you posted above, but way, way, cleaner to begin with..

If you know a good, I mean a really good, experienced = years= decades of experience that has all the right machines = Steamer (and not a little Bissell play steamer), a really good Extractor,( and not a shop vac), Detailer, that has Detailed a lot of German vehicles, it might be worth it to get another opinion, if you still take them over the Persian carpet people, etc..

The same criteria above should also apply to the Carpet Cleaner people, etc., and you want to have them show you their Shop back there, and the equipment they use..

I believe that the trim at the end of the front floor mats looks like leather, no ?
Good luck with this !
Dan F

 

[bcgreen]

This is the Persian carpet cleaner who is 45 min. away. A long time experienced detailer won`t be as easy.
Attached is what the carpets looked like coming right out of the Porsche factory, this is not reproduction carpets.
The edges are thin vinyl.

https://kirishianrugs.com/

 

[Stokdgs]

This is the Persian carpet cleaner who is 45 min. away. A long time experienced detailer won`t be as easy.
Attached is what the carpets looked like coming right out of the Porsche factory, this is not reproduction carpets.
The edges are thin vinyl.

https://kirishianrugs.com/

BCgreen --
I know where that is ! Drove to Spokealoo a zillion times from Bellevue, WA to visit my then wife`s family.. They also had a nice cabin on Lake Davis..
I have a couple of cousins that have lived there forever..

Well, I know a lot of Armenian people up here in the CA Farmland, who grow a lot of the produce half the Nation depends on, and there are few harder working people than them..
And they are close to where you live ! That is downtown Spokane, no ?

Looks like these guys are your best choice then , hope they can make the Porsche carpets beautiful like the pics you sent..
Dan F

 

[bcgreen]

BCgreen --
I know where that is ! Drove to Spokealoo a zillion times from Bellevue, WA to visit my then wife`s family.. They also had a nice cabin on Lake Davis..
I have a couple of cousins that have lived there forever..

Well, I know a lot of Armenian people up here in the CA Farmland, who grow a lot of the produce half the Nation depends on, and there are few harder working people than them..
And they are close to where you live ! That is downtown Spokane, no ?

Looks like these guys are your best choice then , hope they can make the Porsche carpets beautiful like the pics you sent..
Dan F

Thanks, I hope they can create miracles.
Driving from Hayden Lake a few miles from Bring Crosb`y`s house on the lake. Not many people remember him.

 

[Stokdgs]

Thanks, I hope they can create miracles.
Driving from Hayden Lake a few miles from Bring Crosb`y`s house on the lake. Not many people remember him.

BCGreen --
I remember those crooners; my Parents especially my dear Mother loved them..

My ex`s Mom lives on Lake Davis in a really nice cabin her husband built a long time ago, right on the shore..

That lake is so deep the water is almost black.. In the winters, my ex said the snow would be so high they could open an upstairs window, and walk out on it. They had some terrific bobsled runs up there!

I am sure Hayden Lake is even more beautiful if Bing Crosby lived out there..

Good luck with the carpets !
Dan F

 

[bcgreen]

Well paid a visit to the Persian carpet dealer and they said they couldn`t do them - too old and fragile. If you try to bend one of the carpets you can hear a crunchy sound.
So, I have a couple of,choices: 1. Install the carpet as is
2. Try and clean them myself.
I have cleaned carpets before but nothing this old.
How would you approach this?

 

[Accumulator]

bcgreen- I myself would go ahead and try to DIY it.

[INSERT predictable disclaimer about my Risk Tolerance vs. yours etc. etc.]

I`d try to figure out what`s making that "crunching" noise. I`d try to NOT overwet them and I would do any scrubbing in a *VERY* controlled and careful manner (smallish areas, watching for signs of any impending "oops!"). And I`d keep reminding myself about "patina"/character/originality/etc.

Note that it can be tricky to tell the diff between Stains and Permanent Discoloration...might sound like splitting hairs, but if wear/prior cleanings/UV/whatever has bleached/faded/discolored them I`d want to spot that so I don`t waste resources (and risk making things worse) by trying to fix what can`t be.

 

[bcgreen]

bcgreen- I myself would go ahead and try to DIY it.

[INSERT predictable disclaimer about my Risk Tolerance vs. yours etc. etc.]

I`d try to figure out what`s making that "crunching" noise. I`d try to NOT overwet them and I would do any scrubbing in a *VERY* controlled and careful manner (smallish areas, watching for signs of any impending "oops!"). And I`d keep reminding myself about "patina"/character/originality/etc.

Note that it can be tricky to tell the diff between Stains and Permanent Discoloration...might sound like splitting hairs, but if wear/prior cleanings/UV/whatever has bleached/faded/discolored them I`d want to spot that so I don`t waste resources (and risk making things worse) by trying to fix what can`t be.

And what would you use?
I have read in an old post, using Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant with Cerflon, Woolite-Oxy Deep, or Resolve should work.

 

[Stokdgs]

BCgreen -- If the Persian carpet people say they are too old and fragile, then you have to decide what that means to you..

When you gently pull on the carpet fibers, do they pull out completely easily? If they do, then it seems like anything you try to do to them is going to finish their 44-year-old life in short order..

Is the "crunching" sound the carpet Backing coming apart? You need to know if the backing is going to break apart/disintegrate, from just handling them, before you decide if cleaning them is even going to be accomplished or not..

I never had indoor pets so know nothing about all those carpet powder cleaners that were popular, what, around 40-years ago?

If this carpet set is really really that old and fragile that anything you do causes the pile to pull out easily, and the carpet Backing to turn to dust when flexed, etc., then you might not be able to do any cleaning, or even vacuuming anyway..
Dan F

 

[bcgreen]

BCgreen -- If the Persian carpet people say they are too old and fragile, then you have to decide what that means to you..

When you gently pull on the carpet fibers, do they pull out completely easily? If they do, then it seems like anything you try to do to them is going to finish their 44-year-old life in short order..

Is the "crunching" sound the carpet Backing coming apart? You need to know if the backing is going to break apart/disintegrate, from just handling them, before you decide if cleaning them is even going to be accomplished or not..

I never had indoor pets so know nothing about all those carpet powder cleaners that were popular, what, around 40-years ago?

If this carpet set is really really that old and fragile that anything you do causes the pile to pull out easily, and the carpet Backing to turn to dust when flexed, etc., then you might not be able to do any cleaning, or even vacuuming anyway..
Dan F

Pulled on the fibers and they are tight. They are basically a loose needle felt velour, long cut, sparse pile .The original carpets were finished with thin vinyl sewn with a raw, not folded edge.
I don`t see any backing and they are rather stiff.
These vehicle were produced with as much weight cutting as possible, that included these carpets. I believe the noise that the Persian carpet people were hearing is the vinyl that is cracked in numerous areas of each piece of carpet.
Someone recommended Gillette shaving foam.

 

[Stokdgs]

BCgreen --
Well, if they are not really "fragile" in that they will just turn to dust if you vacuum them, then I would go ahead and vacuum them really really good, see how they react to that..

If they seem to be ok and are looking better just from that, then I would spray a little Meguiars D107 Citrus Power Cleaner Plus, at 10:1 to start; then, carefully spray and brush a test spot, then, perhaps a little steam through a clean, white towel, then extract it quickly and see how it looks.. See what comes off on the white towel..

Even if you try to just clean a test spot and your cleaner is already a low-foaming product, it will be much easier to even blot it up with a clean towel, or perhaps if you have a shop vac that will do liquids, and you can control the suction if needed, that should help..

The risk is still there - they are 44-years-old.. But they do not look like they have ever been damaged by water, etc., so decide what you want to do..

If you were in Northern California, I would be happy to help, and I have all the cleaning products and cleaning tools.

Good luck with this !
Dan F

 

[bcgreen]

BCgreen --
Well, if they are not really "fragile" in that they will just turn to dust if you vacuum them, then I would go ahead and vacuum them really really good, see how they react to that..

If they seem to be ok and are looking better just from that, then I would spray a little Meguiars D107 Citrus Power Cleaner Plus, at 10:1 to start; then, carefully spray and brush a test spot, then, perhaps a little steam through a clean, white towel, then extract it quickly and see how it looks.. See what comes off on the white towel..

Even if you try to just clean a test spot and your cleaner is already a low-foaming product, it will be much easier to even blot it up with a clean towel, or perhaps if you have a shop vac that will do liquids, and you can control the suction if needed, that should help..

The risk is still there - they are 44-years-old.. But they do not look like they have ever been damaged by water, etc., so decide what you want to do..

If you were in Northern California, I would be happy to help, and I have all the cleaning products and cleaning tools.

Good luck with this !
Dan F

Thanks for the help. You mention steam and I see the pros use steam but I don`t have a steamer.

 

[Accumulator]

And what would you use?
I have read in an old post, using Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant with Cerflon, Woolite-Oxy Deep, or Resolve should work.

The Woolite Oxy products I`ve used were incredibly good for OTC/consumer-level stuff, I`d go with those. I`ve never had any problems with Resolve, but the versions I`ve used never worked as well as the Woolite Oxy, which really was All That, to the point that yep I`d buy it again despite usually reaching for Pro products.

OTC/consumer-level carpet cleaning products have come a *LONG* was recently! So my usual "go find a place selling ChemSpec/etc." advice isn`t the only thing that I`m comfortable suggesting these days.

Someone recommended Gillette shaving foam.

I wouldn`t do that, but then, uhm...I generally don`t do the "you`d never think of this!"-type hacks as they`re just too "use cooking oil when you Detail, works great!" for my taste.

And FWIW, I doubt I`d use my steamer on those as I`d worry about an "oops!" even on a lower setting. Eh, I don`t use it on carpets as much as others anyhow, but for ones like these...no way.

I never had indoor pets so know nothing about all those carpet powder cleaners that were popular, what, around 40-years ago?

Similarly, those ( and "dry shampoos" for the pets themselves) have come a long way recently, but I`d still only go that route when there`s a really good reason to not do the wet/rinse it out approach. Like...better than nothing, but that`s not saying much even if it is better than it used to be.

 

[bcgreen]

The Woolite Oxy products I`ve used were incredibly good for OTC/consumer-level stuff, I`d go with those. I`ve never had any problems with Resolve, but the versions I`ve used never worked as well as the Woolite Oxy, which really was All That, to the point that yep I`d buy it again despite usually reaching for Pro products.

OTC/consumer-level carpet cleaning products have come a *LONG* was recently! So my usual "go find a place selling ChemSpec/etc." advice isn`t the only thing that I`m comfortable suggesting these days.

I wouldn`t do that, but then, uhm...I generally don`t do the "you`d never think of this!"-type hacks as they`re just too "use cooking oil when you Detail, works great!" for my taste.


I think on this site, Folex from HD, was mentioned by a few people as pretty good stuff too.

 

[Accumulator]

I think on this site, Folex from HD, was mentioned by a few people as pretty good stuff too.

Hey, yeah! Seems that Folex is one of those products that everybody likes. I`ve never used it, but wouldn`t hesitate to try that if you want to get somewhat, uhm..Autopian-fancy about it rather than just getting something OTC.