DIY CAR UPHOLSTERY CLEANER RECIPE
§ One cup Club Soda
§ ½ cup liquid dish soap
§ One cup vinegar
DIY CAR CARPET CLEANER RECIPE
§ Three tablespoons grated soap
§ Two tablespoons Borax
§ 10 drops lavender essential oil
§ Two cups boiling water
DIY CAR CARPET STAIN REMOVER RECIPE
§ One tablespoon white vinegar
§ One tablespoon baking soda
By maintaining the appearance of the vehicle inside as well as out, you retain the value of the car, which will help you when it's time to trade it in or sell it. Here are a few helpful hints to help you tackle the spills and spots:
1. Dilute coffee spills immediately with cool water and blot with paper towels or clean rags. If a stain remains after the spot dries, spray on a glass cleaner. Soak the area, allow to sit for 5 minutes and blot. Glass cleaner cleans all types of carpeting and upholstery without leaving the soapy residue of most traditional carpet cleaners, which only attract more dirt afterward. Glass cleaner is normally effective on even the most difficult stains.
2. Most greasy carpeting and upholstery stains can be removed by rubbing on paint thinner with a clean, 100-percent cotton cloth. Then cover the stain with salt until the remaining grease is absorbed, and vacuum. Or cover the spot with cornmeal and let it sit overnight and vacuum in the morning.
Note: Test the effect of the paint thinner on the colorfastness of the carpeting and/or upholstery in a discrete area first.
3. Hairspray will lift out pen ink stains on carpeting or upholstery. Salt will also lift the stain out of the carpet. Allow to sit until the stain is absorbed and brush off. Repeat if necessary.
4. Carsick stains, from children, pets or adults, should be diluted and neutralized (vomit is acidic) with club soda or a mixture of baking soda and water.
5. Blood stains on carpeting or upholstery, whether animal or human, should be immediately covered with a paste made up of dry laundry starch and cold water. Do not use hot water, as it will set the stain. Allow to dry, then brush or vacuum the residue away.
6. Though you should never drink and drive, if alcohol spills while on your way home from the store, beer and alcohol spills on your carpeting should be immediately diluted with cold water so they don't permanently change the colour.
7. To clean vinyl seats quickly, wipe them with baking soda on a damp rag. Rinse with dishwashing detergent and water. Baking soda is gentler on vinyl than oil-based cleaners, which will cause the vinyl to harden.
8. For general carpet or upholstery stains, take a litre of hot water, a generous amount of dish detergent, and add a cup of white vinegar. You'll need a hard bristle brush to work the mixture thoroughly into the carpet fibres. Let sit for 30 minutes. Blot until dry with towels or thick absorbent rags. This also works well for pet stains.
9. To brighten a fading carpet, first vacuum, then use a sponge mop to lightly apply a mixture of a half cup clear ammonia to one pint of water. Test this mixture on a discrete area of carpeting of first. Note: Do not use ammonia on wool carpeting.
10. If carpeting begins to smell, sprinkle on Bicarb generously, then let it sit undisturbed for an hour before vacuuming up both dirt and unpleasant smells. If your dog goes off-road with you, you might be interested to learn that an application of Borax will kill fleas and their eggs.
11. Carpet edges starting to fray? Paint carpet seams and edges with a liquid resin, found in craft and fabric stores, to hold the fibres in place.
12. Spraying a mixture of five parts water and one part liquid fabric softener onto your carpets will lessen carpet static and remove the light shock that occurs when you touch metal objects.
13. If objects stored in the back of your sport/utility vehicle have left indentations in the carpeting, place a damp towel over the spot and press lightly with an iron on a low setting. The indentation will rise as the towel dries. Be careful not to leave the iron on the spot for too long as synthetic fibres can melt.
14. To keep car mats looking brand new, wax them with a liquid shoe wax polish. This will also make them much easier to rinse clean.