how do you shampoo?

[dirt doctor]

sup guys,
For years I've used the same technique to shampoo carpets and was just wondering if I was wasting time and money. Here is my Dirt Doctor method:
1. Pull mats and hang from trailer door(We are a mobile) with clamps.
2. Vacuum carpeting, seats, decklid, ect. to get the "big" stuff
3. Apply a Precleaner or Spot Treatment to major stains(I prefer a Simple Green mixed as needed)
4.Apply shampoo( We use Ardex products and I mix 1.5 cups enzyme, .5 cup Simple Green, and .5 cup It's O.K. Solvent fill the rest of a two gallon pump sprayer with water) one section at a time. Be careful not to soak someones amp or computer that may be hiding underneath one of them seats.
5. aggitate/scrub carpets with enterior scrub brush. Go in every direction, dont forget between the seat and consoles! You will have to do these hard to reach spots by hand.
6. vacuum thoroughly(taking off the crevice tool from the hose will help as applicable) This part of the job seems to take forever, but it's important to suck all that crap up.
7. "comb" carpets in same direction to make it look uniform. Go to next section.
8. dampen floor mats with a little water from your pressure washer.
9. apply mix from same pump sprayer.
10. agitate/scrub with same brush
11. use pressure washer to rinse(careful not to get too close or use too much pressure, you will mess them up by putting "lines" on them.
12. wisk water away with hands
13. either let the mats hang and drip dry for a while or go on to the next step
14. vacuum
15. "comb"
PROS; comes out clean, smells great, no expensive equipment
CONS; carpets end up damp, hands get banged up, labor intense(thats why i make my helpers do it), kills your back(thats why i make my helpers do it), takes too much time.

Please give me you input reguarding techniques you use. I am also interested in extractors and your experience with them.(although I feel they are too expensive for my budget, and take up too much space in my 4x6 trailer, which is already stuffed.)Is there an extractor out there that is inexpensive and small. How about that Bissell Little Green Machine? Remember, I wil be using this thing everyday and wont have access to hot water.Thanks again.
Rob
Dirt Doctors

 

[bigron62]

i say buy a mytee and you wont regret it . yea its expensive .but QUALITY is where its at . you asked for an opinion . im going to be paying off mine for awhile but id do it again in a heartbeat .

 

[dirt doctor]

hey big ron,
thanks for the input. which model do you have? how does it perform?
thank
rob
Dirt Doctor

 

[rhillstr]

I would not mix anything with the enzymes. Enzymes only work within a specific pH range and thus come with buffers to keep the solution at the right pH. Adding something like simple green will alter the pH (by a large amount) and deactivate the enzymes. Also spraying enzymes onto carpet that has been treated with simple green or applying simple green over the enzymes will have the same effect.
I would:
Wet carpet with plain water, apply enzymes, let them work for 20-60 mins or so while you do something else then come back and apply the rest of your process.

 

[dirt doctor]

i should have been alittle more clear... enzymes and water for stinky throw up and stuff that is known as organic OR simple green and its ok with water for that greasy stuff...some time my brain don do so good. thanks for looking out though. i did not know about that and i should probably rinse the bottles ou when don as well pour out any unused mixture when switching to the other, which i've probably done.thanks again rhillster!

 

[AtlantaBoy]

Why would you pressure wash carpets on the inside of a car?............I SMELL MILDEW. You cannot put that much water into interior carpets, and vacuum up with a shop vac. A shop vac doesn't have near the lift as to pull the water back out of the carpet. I have a Ninja extractor and usually any professional grade extractor will have 120 inches of lift or better. When properly extracting carpets, you want want only get the carpet damp not the padding underneath. Any good carpet cleaner will have enzymes in it already. Ardex products are junk and they sell them on Ebay......Sorry so harsh mah man, but alot of my clients come to me when other detailers do a poor job or almost destory an interior. It just give us all a bad rep............