Fabric softener after extracting carpets???

[Custom Care]

I`ve got the Bissel AutoCare ProHeat (pretty much a little bigger green machine) that I use for interior extraction and have noticed tha the last couple of times the carpet seemed a little hard after using it. I did some reading up and it seems like I may not be getting all the product out of the carpet during extraction but at the time I felt like I was doing the best I could. My current process is folex as a pre-treat, scrub, spray the carpet cleaning solution from the machine, light agitation, then extraction. I`ll be doing some testing this weekend and was wondering if dilluting and spraying some fabric softener on the carpet after extraction would be a good idea. Is this a viable option or is there something I should be doing different along the process?

Thanks,

[Stokdgs]

I dont think that is going to help you, because you are adding more chemicals to the carpets and they are still holding a lot of soap - hence the stiff fibers.

It is very important to first vacuum and brush in several directions and vacuum a lot, to loosen and remove as much embedded dirt from the bottom of the carpets as possible. This really helps deal with the second step of cleaning with soap and water. The more dirt you get loose and out with vacuum will really help the overall result much better. I know, its a little more time, but the results are going to save you time..

You really need to watch how much soap you put down on carpeting if you dont have a really strong extractor to rinse and remove it. Then you have the risk of getting too much moisture down past the carpeting into the pad underneath and that is really hard to get dry.

It is a careful balance each time as carpets and amounts of dirt on the surface and embedded is always different. I try to use as little soap as possible and rarely use a pre-treat, unless there is something really bad and if so, I will just carefully treat just that/those spot/s carefully.

What I have learned for a few years now is the absolute game-changing results I can get from using Steam from a good Steamer in conjunction with a really good Extractor.

Steam has always been the tool of choice for me to first inject deep into carpets that have been lightly sprayed and brushed with Meguiars APC+ through a towel, and sometimes without the towel, then immediately lightly rinsed and extracted with my Mytee HP60 Spyder.. Sometimes, no rinsing is needed because the steam left enough moisture and helped agitate and loosed the deeply embedded dirt enough for the extractor to pull it all up and out.

My Extractor Recovery Tank is ALWAYS full of dark brown to black water that was extracted from the carpets, so I know I must be doing something right.

As an added benefit, just really cleaning carpeting this way really leaves the vehicle smelling much "cleaner" inside.

You might want to invest in a couple of small fans that you have probably seen the Carpet Guys bring out when they clean your house carpets, to help dry the floors faster. If you are really serious about this, you will need to have at least 4, and perhaps a bigger one to help dry out all the carpeting of a big SUV quickly.

Good luck !
Dan F

[Don]

Stokdgs has many valid points the key to success in interior cleaning is VACUUMING, The more you get up dry, the less you have to try and get up wet, after all, which is easier to pick up, dirt or mud? Dirt can be swept up, mud has to be washed away, which is fine for removeable carpeting or other parts, but not for NON removeable carpeting, where is all the excess water going to go?

I suggest cutting way back on your soap, except for spot cleaning and add a SMALL capfull of fabric softener to your soap dispenser, a little f/s goes a long way, look at the dilution ratio in your washing machine...kind of the same with the soap ratio...it doesn`t take much at all to do the job.

[Custom Care]

Steam has always been the tool of choice for me to first inject deep into carpets that have been lightly sprayed and brushed with Meguiars APC+ through a towel, and sometimes without the towel, then immediately lightly rinsed and extracted with my Mytee HP60 Spyder.. Sometimes, no rinsing is needed because the steam left enough moisture and helped agitate and loosed the deeply embedded dirt enough for the extractor to pull it all up and out.

Dan F

Can you explain this a little further? I`ve got a shark steamer that I believe has a couple different attachments that could make it useful. Do I just brush then vac the carpet. Then lightly spray cleaner, agitate, steam, and extract? I don`t think my extractor is that powerful so am i correct in assuming that also plays big role in the proces.

I also have one specific noob question. When extracting do you pull the trigger to release the liquid as you extract to get better results or does that possibly just end up with you putting too much liquid into the carpets and end up being counter-productive?

[Stokdgs]

Can you explain this a little further? I`ve got a shark steamer that I believe has a couple different attachments that could make it useful. Do I just brush then vac the carpet. Then lightly spray cleaner, agitate, steam, and extract? I don`t think my extractor is that powerful so am i correct in assuming that also plays big role in the proces.

I also have one specific noob question. When extracting do you pull the trigger to release the liquid as you extract to get better results or does that possibly just end up with you putting too much liquid into the carpets and end up being counter-productive?

You always want to use hot water if possible. Steam is really hot out of a good Italian Steamer, and can burn you with even 3rd degree burns.

Yes, brush in different directions, while vacuuming, looking at what you are doing closely, to determine how much dirt is down at the bottom, and if you are pulling it out.

Spray your cleaner on lightly, but enough to be able to get the carpet damp, not soaked, but damp, so you can then brush it into the fibers of the carpet

Utilize your machine to first vacuum over the area cleaned, then come back over it spraying your hot water into the carpets (pullling the trigger) while it vacuums it out.

Think about this for a second - the faster or slower you run the machine over the area trigger "on", will determine how much water is injected into the carpets. So, you have to decide at that moment, looking at your work there, what is needed next. It is like this with every carpet piece you will ever do.

After awhile it will get easier and faster, but no matter what size of machine, etc., everyone doing this has to make the calculation as they do it.

Looking at your work, do you need to go over it again with more hot water? If so, do it and then no more water. Just vacuum and observe the carpets.

I believe those smaller units have clear plastic nozzles, right? Are you seeing the water coming up into the nozzle? Then you are removing it and need to keep doing that until you are satisfied with the result. Is the carpet cleaner and the spots, dirt, etc., is all gone?

When you run your hand over the extracted carpets, how do they feel to you?

Very damp to wet, you may need to just vacuum more to help remove the soap/water mixture. The more you remove the cleaner, softer, and quicker the entire section will dry.

When in doubt, vacuum more. You want as much of whatever is in the carpets removed from them.

The result will always be cleaner, soft, brighter colored carpet. As it dries the color will also lighten on lighter colored carpets.

Good luck !
DanF