Salt Stains

[06GT]

hey... does anyone know of a good way to get rid of the salt stains inside your car after the winter? (off the carpet to be more particular) i remember i tried last year with my elantra, but i could only scrape a bit off and vacuum some, but there was still a bit left that i couldn't get. any help would be awesome.

[zedtech]

I use plain boiling water from a kettle. Didn't think it would work when I first tried it a few years go in my last car but it surprisingly did the trick :)

[Cardinal Fang]

I use plain boiling water from a kettle. Didn't think it would work when I first tried it a few years go in my last car but it surprisingly did the trick :)

This technique worked for me as well. I would also recommend putting down 6 mil polyethylene plastic (commonly known as household vapour barrier) under your mats to catch anything that splashes around. At the end of the season just throw the crap away.

[mit-gee-mui]

Some useful tips here
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=8967&highlight=salt+carpet

:)

[b]

I use plain boiling water from a kettle. Didn't think it would work when I first tried it a few years go in my last car but it surprisingly did the trick :)

Great tip thanks!

[Wild Weasel]

Yep... hot water and a wet vac. You need to dissolve the salt, and then suck it out. If you just dissolve it but leave it wet, then when the water dries, the salt will still be there. :)

[pahecko]

50/50 Water and white vinegar work really well.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Salt-Stains-out-of-Your-Car's-Carpet
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgqNz.QFWi_T14CZTJN5ulwjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid =1006050906390

[Flagrum_3]

50/50 Water and white vinegar work really well.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Salt-Stains-out-of-Your-Car's-Carpet
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgqNz.QFWi_T14CZTJN5ulwjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid =1006050906390

My neighbor just gave me this advice, he's been detailing vehicles for years and its pretty close to whats mentioned; Hot near-boiling water in a small bucket, mixed with about 2 cups of white vinegar, soak the stained area, let sit for a couple minutes no longer, rub lightly with a soft brush and then vacuum up with a shop vac, repeat if necessary.:)


_3


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[mazda lover]

This technique worked for me as well. I would also recommend putting down 6 mil polyethylene plastic (commonly known as household vapour barrier) under your mats to catch anything that splashes around. At the end of the season just throw the crap away.


I have done this for many winters that I care to mention...but I don't drive my car in the winter, I have a winter car and really don't care about the rugs..I think CTC sells a cleaning product made to remove salt stains from the carpets, my daughter uses it and says it works ...

[mogul_pro]

Carpet cleaner works great for me, though I get VERY FEW stains at all...

[06GT]

thanks... when i get a day off with some nice weather, i will tackle that crappy salt. that is great idea C.F. probably going to use the plastic next winter. i hate a messy interior. really pi**es me off....

[andytam]

my carpets are a mess!

[x_o_k_x]

I buy carpet cleaner from CT works really well, also I tried just using hotwater and soap and then vacuum all the water out and let it dry on the sunny day works well too

[EvilEric]

If you don't have a wet vac, you can also use a scrub brush, wet it with soapy water and scrub the stains out.

Then use bounty or some kind of absorbant cloth to soak up as much water as possible.

[kaval]

Guys here's a tip for your MATS only
- get carpet cleaner, scrub out the stains and take a hose with a strong beam pattern (something flat) and rinse out the soap.
- and for those without a shop vac, you take your scrub brush, rinse out the soap foam and scrub in one direction to drag the water out of the mat
- keep doing this until you can't get any water out, then brush the fibers in the opposite direction of how you brushed to get the water out. reason for this follows:

Take a microfiber towel, or something with a high absorption that also can hold lots of water, and press the towel on the fibers. By brushing the fibers in the opposite direction, it brings them back to facing upwards so the water can be pulled up straight when you put the MF towel on it.

You always want to PULL out stains from your carpets rather than pushing them in.