 | Gary Potts is the owner and operator of Professional Automotive Detailing. Gary was born and raised in Wichita where he graduated from Butler County Community College with an associate degree in business. He has been in the automotive industry for past 24 years, and has owned his businesses since 1998. If you have any questions call him at (316) 871-1025 or stop by at 3027 S. Broadway; pottsprodetail@yahoo.com |
Automotive Service & Repair
2010-09-01 13:38:00
Car care tips
: I have gum and candy on my carpeting. What can one do?
Answer: The same applies to this as for other carpet problems. Gum can often be removed, as can candy and hardened spills...but don't hold your breath! Sometimes a steamer will work, or tar remover. Tar remover does have a residual odor, though, so a deep shampooing is in order to remove the smell.
Question: What's the best way to clean seat belts?
Answer: I can only recommend mild cleaners for this and no solvent-based cleaners. The solvent-based cleaners can break down the nylon webbing and weaken the seat belt material, which is a safety issue. If your seat belts are very dirty, try lots of soapy water and a scrub brush, followed by a good rinse with water and then vacuuming to remove excess water. If that doesn't work, try using a steam cleaner. Keep in mind some stains will be impossible to remove from seat belts due to the limited number of chemicals you can use to clean them. For proper drying, leave the belts un-retracted and use a clothespin to hold the belt out at full length. If allowed to retract while still wet, the seat belt may mildew, which is the last part of your car you want to smell bad since it is in constant contact with you and your clothing.
Question: After cleaning my seats and getting them wet, there are white marks and powder on the fabric. What is that from?
Answer: Over-saturation of the seats from cleaning or spills may leach out the flame-retardant chemicals used in automotive fabric. This flame-retardant is called Boron, or zinc borate. It will look like salt stains on fabric when dry after being wet. This occurrence is rare, but still be cautious. To remove the residue, try lightly extracting the fabric again and allow it to dry. This problem will be most noticeable on black or dark fabric.
Question: What about carpet dyes? Will they work on stains in carpeting that you can't get out?
Answer: If you have really bad stains, or white marks from bleach or other chemicals, carpet dye may be the solution. Dyes come in either spray cans or bottles that are mixed with water. Spray can dyes often leave a crusty, rough surface on the fabric or carpet, but the newer products might be better. The dyes that are mixed with wa
Answer: Pet hair can be a real nuisance, even to the pros. The best technique is to mist water over the fabric you are cleaning and then try vacuuming. The water helps loosen the hair. Sometimes rubbing it with a rubber-gloved hand will help loosen it. If you have a VW, Audi or certain other import, you'll have even more trouble due to the weave of the fabric. A rubber squeegee might also pull some of the hair off-just don't use the same one that you use on the car body! Also, a shop vac is a good investment.
Question: I have gum and candy on my carpeting. What can one do?
Answer: The same applies to this as for other carpet problems. Gum can often be removed, as can candy and hardened spills...but don't hold your breath! Sometimes a steamer will work, or tar remover. Tar remover does have a residual odor, though, so a deep shampooing is in order to remove the smell.
Question: What's the best way to clean seat belts?
Answer: I can only recommend mild cleaners for this and no solvent-based cleaners. The solvent-based cleaners can break down the nylon webbing and weaken the seat belt material, which is a safety issue. If your seat belts are very dirty, try lots of soapy water and a scrub brush, followed by a good rinse with water and then vacuuming to remove excess water. If that doesn't work, try using a steam cleaner. Keep in mind some stains will be impossible to remove from seat belts due to the limited number of chemicals you can use to clean them. For proper drying, leave the belts un-retracted and use a clothespin to hold the belt out at full length. If allowed to retract while still wet, the seat belt may mildew, which is the last part of your car you want to smell bad since it is in constant contact with you and your clothing.
Question: After cleaning my seats and getting them wet, there are white marks and powder on the fabric. What is that from?
Answer: Over-saturation of the seats from cleaning or spills may leach out the flame-retardant chemicals used in automotive fabric. This flame-retardant is called Boron, or zinc borate. It will look like salt stains on fabric when dry after being wet. This occurrence is rare, but still be cautious. To remove the residue, try lightly extracting the fabric again and allow it to dry. This problem will be most noticeable on black or dark fabric.
Question: What about carpet dyes? Will they work on stains in carpeting that you can't get out?
Answer: If you have really bad stains, or white marks from bleach or other chemicals, carpet dye may be the solution. Dyes come in either spray cans or bottles that are mixed with water. Spray can dyes often leave a crusty, rough surface on the fabric or carpet, but the newer products might be better. The dyes that are mixed with water are a bit softer, mainly because after they are sprayed on with the spray bottle, a scrub brush is used to blend and distribute the color, which helps prevent caking and crusting. Only experience will provide results good enough to completely hide a stain, but even if it only makes it less noticeable, it might be better than the glaring, ugly stain.
Next month we will talk about odors in vehicles and how to get rid of them.
