Use home carpet cleaner on auto cloth/carpet?

[Wally]

Just wondering if there's any problem with using an indoor [home]
carpet cleaner on an older car's upholstery and/or carpet to clean and
remove stains?

Are the automotive carpet/upholstery cleaners any different (just more
expensive), stronger than home cleaners? Will using a home cleaner
damage the cloth upholstery?

Thanks,
Walter

[Al Bundy]

I believe you will find the automotive interiors are more durable than
inside carpet. You should do well with carpet cleaner. The newer
carpet cleaners are designed for machines with heavy suction to rinse
and pick up the residue. You are probably not using such equipment on
the car so you need to make up for it with more rinsing and drying
with extra towels. Then you had better keep a fan on it until it
dries. Don't go crazy with water either because there are electronics
under and in the seats on many vehicles. Since this is a frugal site,
I will admit that I have used dish soap to do a fair job. My attitude
is not to let the vehicle own me. I do such things the quickest and
cheapest way possible. I would sooner place my cash on the mechanicals
of the ride.

[Seerialmom]

Probably no major difference. Just packaging and catching people who
think they need different products for different purposes. Reminds me
of a story I read recently (but forgot where) that a pair of scissors
for "human hair" was exactly the same as the 1/4 the price "pet hair"
scissors.

[Lou]

"Wally" <w_c...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:fa6214c1-f768-42b0...@m45g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

I don't use much in the way of upholstery/carpet cleaning products, but as I
recall, the label generally advises to test in an inconspicuous place to see
if the product in question will adversely affect whatever you plan to use it
on.

[hchi...@hotmail.com]

On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 12:40:44 -0700 (PDT), Wally <w_c...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Just wondering if there's any problem with using an indoor [home]
>carpet cleaner on an older car's upholstery and/or carpet to clean and
>remove stains?

Better not be. I've done it for years. Don't get the chemicals on
tinted windows or use it around the dash.

>Are the automotive carpet/upholstery cleaners any different (just more
>expensive), stronger than home cleaners? Will using a home cleaner
>damage the cloth upholstery?

They might have more degreaser in them. For spots just keep a can of
degreaser handy. In a push, brake cleaner or carb cleaner (both are
very flammable and stinky - be careful) will nail resistant grease
spots.

[Walter Cohen]

That is correct. Thanks!
"Lou" <lpo...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:kHkvk.347$1a2.269@trnddc04...

[Roy Bragg]

My wife used household carpet cleaner on our car floor mats and carpet.
They cleaned out a nasty grease stain and caused no harm to the car at all.
Many products like others have said in this thread are re-labeled haome
products at inflated prices.
Roy

"Wally" <w_c...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:fa6214c1-f768-42b0...@m45g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...