TeamSwift

I've used foaming carpet cleaner, various upholstery cleaners & most recently a couple of cans a mechanic friend gave me that were samples given him for detailing. All worked w/mixed results, some obviously better than others, but of course the dirt/stains varied from A-Z. None really impressed me over others & I neither recall the brands or expect I'd be able to find the same today.

What's the favorite cleaner these days for seats & carpet? I may pull the carpet & get more aggressive than I'd would on seats.

Recommendations please, does any product really stand out?

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2000 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Lumina APV
1998 Ford F-150 4X4 XLT
1992 Ford E-150 Club Wagon Chateau
1991 SAAB 900S 5 speed
1987 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1985 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1974 SAAB Sonett III
1971 SAAB 96 modified to 1980 specs
1966 SAAB 96
1960 SAAB 93F
1958 SAAB 93B
1964 Willys JEEP CJ-5
1954 Willys JEEP M-170 military ambulance
1953 Grumman Kurbside step van

I love simple green followed by color safe tide. Used an agressive brush also. Followed it with the garden hose and let it all dry in the sun. Got me more money on my sale of the 94.

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An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.

1989 Suzuki Swift GTi: Red "My PocketRocket"
1989 Suzuki Swift GTi: White (Being resurrected)
1996 Geo Metro (Stocker)
1999 Suzuki 1.6 Esteem (Baleno) Wagon (Sleeper creeper)

Thanks, your process to clean seats includes following "it with a garden hose"? Somewhere I read about somebody using a pressure washer. This time of the year in FL it rains daily & would be a tough road to hoe trying to "let it all dry in the sun". Perhaps carpets, but I'd never use a "garden hose" inside the Metro & if I was going to pull the carpet I'd probably take them to a car wash & pretreat w/laundry stain remover. I've had mixed results using Simple Green on other things.

I'd like to qualify my inquiry by limiting it to "cleaning products" that can be used w/seats & carpets in place.

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2000 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Lumina APV
1998 Ford F-150 4X4 XLT
1992 Ford E-150 Club Wagon Chateau
1991 SAAB 900S 5 speed
1987 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1985 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1974 SAAB Sonett III
1971 SAAB 96 modified to 1980 specs
1966 SAAB 96
1960 SAAB 93F
1958 SAAB 93B
1964 Willys JEEP CJ-5
1954 Willys JEEP M-170 military ambulance
1953 Grumman Kurbside step van

I have removed seats and carpet and used a pressure washer to clean them then set them out on a few sunny days and they will dry very quickly. Good luck it worked great for me

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Cars and Harleys

I used a pressure washer, no chemicals, at work on my Dakota floormats, and wow!
If you can take it out, it will be clean, grasshopper.

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If it ain't broke, fix it until it is. LOL.

Thanks for confirming pressure washing seats, however the consistantly high humidity & nearly daily rains make it unthinkable this season. Around here things mildew & grow mold unless they're inside w/AC. This is FL, the idea that its the Sunshine State is for tourists who seldom visit in summer. Its hard to keep the car I'm driving dry, in fact the carpet is wet right now, even though I keep trying to leave all doors open whenever possible. I will consider it after our summer weather is over. However for right now I'd still like to concentrate on the "cleaning products" to use w/seats & carpets in place.

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2000 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Lumina APV
1998 Ford F-150 4X4 XLT
1992 Ford E-150 Club Wagon Chateau
1991 SAAB 900S 5 speed
1987 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1985 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1974 SAAB Sonett III
1971 SAAB 96 modified to 1980 specs
1966 SAAB 96
1960 SAAB 93F
1958 SAAB 93B
1964 Willys JEEP CJ-5
1954 Willys JEEP M-170 military ambulance
1953 Grumman Kurbside step van

i used the turtlewax carpet/upolstery cleaner with the built in brush at the top of the can and it worked. foaming acting. just dont eat it.

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1995 Firefly 1.3 SOHC 8VALVE MANUAL
2000 Firefly 1.3 SOHC 16VALVE AUTO. Goals: full restoration, achieve stock MPG and HP or higher, finished look should be 'stealthy' and unassuming. Engine will need to be rebuilt later on to restore compression levels.

might try pulling the seat covers first

Does the wife have one of those "steam vacuums"? If not, can you rent one?

The Hoover one in the link has a hand wand that can be used to spray a hot cleaning solution on to the seats which is then sucked out by the vacuum taking the dirt with it - it does leave the seat damp, but I would not expect that to be a problem, even in a Florida summer.

And for what it's worth, yes, I do know what high humidity and daily rain is like - I've experienced many a summer thunderstorm in Florida - and it's neither as humid or as wet as the tropical rainforest where I'm from.

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'93 1.3 Swift GLX
'98 2.0 Grand Vitara

This is going to sound like a line of crap, but in the 20 some-odd years I've been playing with, and restoring cars, the best carpet cleaner by far is Summers Eve Feminine Wash. Its not a douche, but a wash. Mix it with a little water and apply with a soft bristle scrub brush. It will take out almost anything. It smells nice too.

BTW - I found this out from a friend who was a chemist for the company that makes the product.

Its a great product to use during those times when your Swift feels....well........"not so fresh"

That's too good. I was thinking you had some weird wiring in your head until you explained how you came by this revelation. I mean how would one go from feminine cleaning product in one hand to thinking "I bet this would work great at cleaning my car upholstery"? Just had the mental image of a fellow needing to do a lot of cleaning in the car, wandering down to the local drug store, grabing an arm full of feminine cleaning products, going to the counter and the confused looks from the cashier. Too funny.

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1993 Geo Metro 1.0 liter, two door

Or somebody accidently spilled the Feminine Wash product in their car, or was inspired by the old SNL skit: 'Its a dessert topping. No, its a floor wax.'

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2000 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Metro 3 cylinder 5 speed 3 door hatch
1998 Chevy Lumina APV
1998 Ford F-150 4X4 XLT
1992 Ford E-150 Club Wagon Chateau
1991 SAAB 900S 5 speed
1987 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1985 SAAB 900 Turbo SPG
1974 SAAB Sonett III
1971 SAAB 96 modified to 1980 specs
1966 SAAB 96
1960 SAAB 93F
1958 SAAB 93B
1964 Willys JEEP CJ-5
1954 Willys JEEP M-170 military ambulance
1953 Grumman Kurbside step van

super clean by castrol...........puple cleaner is the best at hard stains, just spray it on and wipe with clean rag....

Hello,
Did you try shampooing technique. This is the best technique to clean car's upholstery and interior. Its very safe, effective, easy and less costlier then any technique. If you want to make its effect better you can use the shampoo that contain lime in it. You can get it any hardware shop or any parts shop....