Carpet cleaner

[Merlin5]

Hi guys. I have a heavy duty, rubber backed, good quality 5.5 x 3 foot rug, exactly the same as you find at hotel entrances. Had it for years, never wears out and I carry it in the car as a mat for putting my drum kit on at gigs.

It does smell quite musty now and I think it's making the car smell musty. What's a good way to clean it to make it smell good? Has anyone tried Vanish oxi action carpet care powder that you sprinkle on and leave for 20 minutes and then vacuum up? I wonder if that would work well. If so, I could sprinkle some on my car carpets too. It would save waiting for carpets to dry. Or some other way? Would a steam mop be worth buying?

 

[gailjon]

I would jetwash it. Soak in carpet cleaner beforehand and then jetwash the dirt out.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Be warned if you YouTube this you shall be locked into watching billions of rug washing videos. They are amazing.

Dot foldered as I have 2 similar things... I am thinking of getting a squeegee broom and just going to town on it.

 

[DXP55]

I was watching those carpet cleaning videos a few weeks back and now I wouldn't hesitate to stick them on a flat surface outside and give them a good old power wash - One I watched was a black carpet being washed -It turned out to be a very old red carpet and looked like new when they had finished. You don't want to be on a water meter though.

 

[katie279]

Be warned if you YouTube this you shall be locked into watching billions of rug washing videos. They are amazing.

Dot foldered as I have 2 similar things... I am thinking of getting a squeegee broom and just going to town on it.

I did that a while back and they are addictive (until you try doing the same and get nowhere close!)

Oxi action is well worth doing, just soak it (the right stuff is literally active, so needs at least lukewarm water to work properly), just let it soak for 30 mins and then spray it off and should be right as rain

 

[vertica]

The other thing to consider is how you'll get it dry. Particularly as we get into colder/wetter weather.

Shouldn't be too hard with the short pile on that rug, but it needs to get completely dry relatively quickly or it'll start to smell worse than before!

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Didn't realise I had any replies until just now. Sounds like soaking it outside is the way to go. However, yes, drying will be a problem this time of the year and I need to use the mat several times a week so I doubt I'd ever get it dry enough in time. I think I'll have to wait until next summer to give it the deep cleaning soak treatment. Meanwhile, what I've done today is spray the whole rug with 1001 carpet spray and gently scrubbed it. Then I'll spray it with Fabreze and see if it's helped.

 

[Semple]

Be warned if you YouTube this you shall be locked into watching billions of rug washing videos. They are amazing.

Dot foldered as I have 2 similar things... I am thinking of getting a squeegee broom and just going to town on it.

I know that feeling - mountain rug cleaning.