Dupray Carmen Steam Machine

AtoZDetailing

AtoZDetailing

New member
Hey guys, recently purchased a steam machine and have a question for the guys Familiar with them.

The thing works an cleans amazingly. However, I noticed a white film or residue on some of the plastics i.e. door cards

I was thinking this might be calcium from the water? Any thoughts?
 
To add to what Ron said, I would do a tank clean ASAP with vinegar if you've been using tap water..... if it doesn't give you a procedure in your manual, i will PM you the text from my VX5000 if you like.
If you only distilled water then it could be what Shane said below.
 
You may be overheating some surfaces. Not sure how hot your steamer gets but it's important to keep temperature into consideration when cleaning. Steam can actually do quite a bit of damage if you aren't careful.
 
ShaneB said:
You may be overheating some surfaces. Not sure how hot your steamer gets but it's important to keep temperature into consideration when cleaning. Steam can actually do quite a bit of damage if you aren't careful.
Click to expand...

It gets to about 300f. I didn't use direct steam, I was the triangle attachment wit a microfiber wrapped around.
It is only in some spots. If it were calcium I guess it would be everywhere? Might be overheating
 
jtford95 said:
Are you using a chemical with it?
Click to expand...

No, no chemicals. I noticed once I was done that there was sort of a chalky, white, residue on the doors. It won't just wipe off either, so i'm wondering if it's damage from to much heat or if it's calcium from the water.
 
I use tap water as per manufacturers specs. This unit is built to filter tap. There should not be TDS at all. When I test mine it's always 0
 
I always run some Distilled White Vinegar (its at the grocery store in plastic gallon jugs) through my VX5000 Steamer to clean it out, then a lot of water to rinse it all out, and only use Distilled Water for work and have never experienced what you have posted..

I never use steam to clean large plastic anything,but I will use it to clean out the rubber or plastic coating inside of cup holders when they are really nasty, but use it only to get everything out of the bottom that is tuck and blasted out, so I am hitting it from a little distance with a rag over it to catch the debris that is coming out...

Also like to use my triangular brush with a white towel wrapped over it to get things like seatbelt grime out, carpets ready for extraction, and sometimes this same set up on headliners, with much care..
Dan F
 
Stokdgs said:
I always run some Distilled White Vinegar (its at the grocery store in plastic gallon jugs) through my VX5000 Steamer to clean it out, then a lot of water to rinse it all out, and only use Distilled Water for work and have never experienced what you have posted..

I never use steam to clean large plastic anything,but I will use it to clean out the rubber or plastic coating inside of cup holders when they are really nasty, but use it only to get everything out of the bottom that is tuck and blasted out, so I am hitting it from a little distance with a rag over it to catch the debris that is coming out...

Also like to use my triangular brush with a white towel wrapped over it to get things like seatbelt grime out, carpets ready for extraction, and sometimes this same set up on headliners, with much care..
Dan F
Click to expand...


Hmmm....so does this sound like damage from too much heat? HAve you ever damaged anything with the steamer?
 
Stokdgs said:
I always run some Distilled White Vinegar (its at the grocery store in plastic gallon jugs) through my VX5000 Steamer to clean it out, then a lot of water to rinse it all out, and only use Distilled Water for work and have never experienced what you have posted..

I never use steam to clean large plastic anything,but I will use it to clean out the rubber or plastic coating inside of cup holders when they are really nasty, but use it only to get everything out of the bottom that is tuck and blasted out, so I am hitting it from a little distance with a rag over it to catch the debris that is coming out...

Also like to use my triangular brush with a white towel wrapped over it to get things like seatbelt grime out, carpets ready for extraction, and sometimes this same set up on headliners, with much care..
Dan F
Click to expand...

Do you heat it with the vinegar and run it thru the hose?
I never did that but would like to.
Do you follow the instructions for suggested vinegar solution?
 
AtoZDetailing said:
Hmmm....so does this sound like damage from too much heat? HAve you ever damaged anything with the steamer?
Click to expand...

I bleached-out the pigment of some plastics with my steamer during my trudge up the learning curve, gotta be careful as some such surfaces can be more fragile than one might think. IF the white stuff merely wiped off I might think "mineral deposits" but this sounds like the heat killed off the coloring.

FWIW, most of the time I just run (softened) tap water through my steamer (occasionally use DI water instead) and it's still OK after years of doing that. Every once in a *long* while I put vinegar in the tank, heat it up, and then dump it out via the drain plug, might put some more vinegar in and run some of that through the wand before again dumping it out. Not the "proper" type of on-going maintenance, but it seems to keep the mineral deposits down to a functionally acceptable level. Sure not saying this is the right way to do it, but it's working OK for me.
 
AtoZDetailing said:
Hmmm....so does this sound like damage from too much heat? HAve you ever damaged anything with the steamer?
Click to expand...

In the Detailing Boot Camp classes, I've seen a few guys melt plastic or interior parts from letting a steamer sit in one spot for too long.
 
Accumulator said:
I bleached-out the pigment of some plastics with my steamer during my trudge up the learning curve, gotta be careful as some such surfaces can be more fragile than one might think. IF the white stuff merely wiped off I might think "mineral deposits" but this sounds like the heat killed off the coloring.

FWIW, most of the time I just run (softened) tap water through my steamer (occasionally use DI water instead) and it's still OK after years of doing that. Every once in a *long* while I put vinegar in the tank, heat it up, and then dump it out via the drain plug, might put some more vinegar in and run some of that through the wand before again dumping it out. Not the "proper" type of on-going maintenance, but it seems to keep the mineral deposits down to a functionally acceptable level. Sure not saying this is the right way to do it, but it's working OK for me.
Click to expand...

Vega@Autopia said:
In the Detailing Boot Camp classes, I've seen a few guys melt plastic or interior parts from letting a steamer sit in one spot for too long.
Click to expand...

So it sounds like I may have bleached out the pigment of the plastic. Once it was dry, I wiped it down with 1z cockpit and it seemed to make it look a lot better. The thing is, I used the triangle tool with a towel around it and didn't sit on one spot. I was actually moving the tool around fairly quickly.
 
ShawnF350 said:
Do you heat it with the vinegar and run it thru the hose?
I never did that but would like to.
Do you follow the instructions for suggested vinegar solution?
Click to expand...

Hi, Shawn !
I followed the instructions in the book for the VX5000 - 2 cups distilled white vinegar and 2 quarts water into the tank, let it sit in there 24 hours, drain it and run some clean water through the tank with the bottom tank plug removed, to flush it out...

There is always a little white vinegar left over that comes out the nozzle when you fill it with water, heat and use it, so I always run some hot water out before I start the next job...

And I only used distilled water that costs less than $1/gallon at the grocery store..
Dan F
 
Just to chime in, nothing besides clean steam would/should ever come out of the nozzle. Calcium that may be in the water is left behind in the tank. The steamer effectively distills the water through normal operation. Distilled water is just water that was heated to steam, leaving all impurities behind and recapturing the steam in another container
 
AtoZDetailing said:
So it sounds like I may have bleached out the pigment of the plastic... The thing is, I used the triangle tool with a towel around it and didn't sit on one spot. I was actually moving the tool around fairly quickly.
Click to expand...

Even with the triangular attachment and a towel, the heat can simply be too much for some plastics. Not like they were anticipating the use of a steamer.

Wonder if it'll keep looking OK.. interesting that the 1Z CP helped, on the pieces I damaged the pigment was just *gone*, white showing through forever.
 
Hello everyone. I am new to this forum and have never been much to join in forums, so if I do something not allowed, please tell me. The reason I joined is because I am in the fourth stage of COPD and I am looking for a steamer that will kill bacteria and clean without having to breathe any chemicals. I ordered a Carmen Super Inox and I loved the way it cleaned, but I was too weak to hold the steamer up to do my mirrors and walls. The only thing I managed to clean was my 10 x 12 rug and it made it look new. It was dry almost immediately and still looks brand new. God what I would give if I was able to use all the attachments on the Carmen Super Inox so I could have kept it to clean walls, ceilings, mirrors, fridge, etc. It was soooooooo worth the money if I had been able to hold it up.
I am trying to find out which vapor steam cleaner can compare to the cleaning power of the Carmen Super Inox 2220v and not be so heavy. The hose is just too heavy on the Carmen. I need something that will steam hot enough that it will dry without me having to wipe it as I have no strength to do that. I need something that I can just bring the steamer down and clean the mirrors and not have to wipe them dry. I have some tall floor to ceiling mirrors that I used to clean by myself with just alcohol, but now I do not have the strength to rub nor climb up on a ladder. So...I need something extra hot like the Carmen 220v, and light enough that I can hold it up on the mirror and clean mirrors, ceilings, and my walls.
Is what I need possible? I know being so weak makes it hard to find a steamer I can use but cleaning with chemicals is killing me. I have already been on life support twice because of odors of chemicals.
Your advice is greatly appreciated. I hate to buy another and have to send it back because shipping cost a lot to send back. I was not charged a restocking fee but still lost right at $500 because of special wiring, plus shipping and insurance cost to return it. I sure could use that $500 I lost on that steamer. I am not knocking the steamer; it is fantastic for anyone with strength to use it. As I said, I am very weak. I can barely lift my vacuum cleaner hose so I need something light, but do not want it if it is not hot enough to clean good and suction up the left over moisture. What I want may not be possible considering my specs, but I figured if anyone would know, it would be someone on the forum.
Thanks,
Raven2017
 
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