FocusCanada Forums

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone has any idea on how to clean the dried salts which sticks to the interior carpet? I tried everything except soak the carpet in water which i think would properly generate a nasty smell...any ideas? I got some pictures of the salt marks here as well..


<a href='http://img4.imgspot.com/u/04/199/16/SaltyCarpet2.jpg'>

Anyone have any ideas on how to clean it? The picture shows the layer of salt under the front passenger seat and its rock hard, its impossible to just pull out cause its dried into the carpet. Any products or steps i can take to remove this layer? Btw, I got this 2003 ZTS in september and this is what happened in one winter...hope it won't get worst...but anyone have any ideas on how to clean it?

First of....get some better winter floor mats :P

I used soap + hotwater and a lot of elbow grease to get the salt stains out of my car's carpet.

I also used this carpet cleaner....cant remeber the name, but its a brand for HOME carpets....

Comes in a blue spray bottle with a plastic brush on it.

I do have 4 winter floor mats already, i was just taking them out to the driveway to clean and i noticed the salts all the way under the seat....i think its the way the passenger sit in the back with their legs going under the seat rather than on the carpet so they don't have to bend the knee that much....

I was just buggin man. ;)

Flofocus,Jul 18 2004, 01:20 PM Wrote:I was just buggin man. ;)

Bull...you are an ass ;)

soap and water then suck allt he water out with a shop vac

_JC_,Jul 19 2004, 12:45 AM Wrote:soap and water then suck allt he water out with a shop vac

My thoughts exactly.

You need to break down the salt with warm water, but the thing is the salt will just re-crystalize unless you suck it out some how. ie: shopvac. I went to the local u-wash car thing, and used their vaccums after I broke down the salt at my house. :lol: it seems to be under your seat so if you have a shop vac at your house, remove the seat itself and work from there. A LOT easier!

Vinegar&amp;Water

Are you sure its salt and not something esle that stains white :blink: Maybe too many trips to the drive in :lol:

DD1,Jul 19 2004, 12:35 PM Wrote:Are you sure its salt and not something esle that stains white :blink: Maybe too many trips to the drive in :lol:

ewwwwwwww :blink:

DD1,Jul 19 2004, 12:35 PM Wrote:Are you sure its salt and not something esle that stains white :blink: Maybe too many trips to the drive in :lol:

LoL, ha ha...of course not, i never eat anything in my car and those ARE salt...they are very hard too cause it cut my finger the last time i tried to get them out with a used toothbrush..but they just don't move...very very hard.

I'll give that shop vac a try though...

wtfux0r are they using on the roads down there... i have never, ever seen such a build up, you dont see ~anything~ like that here, not even close. :blink:

Umm I just had that same problem with my Foci before I detailed it last weekend. I went into crappy tire down the cleaning products for cars isle &amp; well I got a capet cleaner with a red scrub brush on the can. Follow the directions like I did &amp; they come right out &amp; it leaves a really nice smell to the carpets when it's dry.

Just keep spraying the foam onto the spots &amp; scrubbing untill the stains / salt / dirt / mud is &amp; it comes out, then use a rag to wipe where you were scrubbing like 5 minutes later &amp; vacum it dry afterwords really really simple.

Frost__2001,Jul 21 2004, 06:41 PM Wrote:Umm I just had that same problem with my Foci before I detailed it last weekend. I went into crappy tire down the cleaning products for cars isle &amp; well I got a capet cleaner with a red scrub brush on the can. Follow the directions like I did &amp; they come right out &amp; it leaves a really nice smell to the carpets when it's dry.

Just keep spraying the foam onto the spots &amp; scrubbing untill the stains / salt / dirt / mud is &amp; it comes out, then use a rag to wipe where you were scrubbing like 5 minutes later &amp; vacum it dry afterwords really really simple.

Thanks alot frost :) I'll give that a try later this week

Yup what frost said, but while your at crappy tire pick up their $36.00 1.5hp Wet/Dry vac as well (you wont be dissapointed... its perfect for detaling your car) Then do the following:

- Vacum up all loose debris (rocks sands and s**t)
- Grab a big bucket full of water and detergent
- Apply VERY liberally stained area and scrub lightly
- Then apply that shampoo stuff frost was talking about (yellow can w/ red scrub brush on top)
- let it sit and do the first steps to the other side.....
- come back to the drivers side and suck the shampoo and water out w/ your trusty 1.5 hp Wet/Dry vac...
- finish off passenger side

I wish I had taken pictures of the before and after, it was unbelievable. The interior looked brand new B)

-P@

I am gonna rent that wet/dry vac from A&amp;P on an upcoming weekend, I heard those realyl work well in getting all the salt n crap out of the carpets.

I'll get a before/after pic...hehe i'll properly get it this weekend.

btw, about the cleaner, is it the Turtle Wax Power Out! Upholstery Cleaner?? or the Turtle Wax Power Out! Carpet Cleaner?? They both have brushes on top

paolo,Jul 21 2004, 06:28 PM Wrote:I am gonna rent that wet/dry vac from A&amp;P on an upcoming weekend, I heard those realyl work well in getting all the salt n crap out of the carpets.

Paolo man dont do it... For the price you pay for one rental you can buy the small one from CT

-P@

i just scrubbed with the metal tip of the vaccum while it was on and it came off.. didn't even wash with water or soap.. just scratched it off the material :P

man.................... can't you read the labels?? j/k lol

Turtle Wax : POWER OUT! Carpet Cleaner. has the picture of a gray GM truck interor on the red &amp; yellow can.

I didn't use a shop vac. I actually used a Bissel upright vaccum with the attachments in the back of the vacum, just make sure you vacum 1st to get all the loose rocks &amp; that. Really get in there with the attachments to break up the salt &amp; I used the one long thin attachment like a hammer against the salt to start to break it up while the vacum was going.

Turtle Wax Power Out! Upholstery Cleaner

is for cleaning the seats if you have stains or whatever on them lol..... :lol: