How to shampoo carpets and use shop vac to extract

S

sunsetstroker

New member
I know this might seem like a silly question but Ive searched and dont get how to extract with a shop vac. I have a five hp rigid, I sprayed down some carpets the other day with carpet shampoo, scrubed and tried sucking up the access with the shop vac. It didnt work. I removed the paper filter and emptied out the bucket but after using the vac for a few minutes, there was nothing in the reservoir and the carpets were still soaked. What am I doing wrong here?



Thanks guys
 
There isn't enough suction in those machines. If i recall correctly shop vacs have around a 20-50 inch lift, most carpet extractors have near 100+ inches
 
Candor said:
There isn't enough suction in those machines. If i recall correctly shop vacs have around a 20-50 inch lift, most carpet extractors have near 100+ inches
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Ive read of people using shop vacs to extract, just not sure how its done.
 
Well the first thing your doing wrong which is what I did when starting out is soaking the carpet. You just really need a light mist and just soak the areas where it's really needed. I hate carpet cleaning with a DAHM passion! Especially floor mats.





I have a 19gal shop vac. Can't remember how many HP it is but it use to work great to extract. Remember the smaller the nozzle/tip the more suction you will get.





Also there are some carpets that just will not come back to life. Sometimes it's better to leave it alone and educate the customer that it is to far gone. I use an extractor now and that sometimes makes a bigger mess then when I started. I still do the whole shop vac extraction on some jobs tho. Hope this helps.
 
I dont soak the carpet. I sprayed it with cleaner, scrubbed and tried to extract. Maybe it was the attachment. What kind of attachment do you guys use?
 
Candor said:
Smaller the better, do you have a 2" hose? Try and adapter to 1 1/4" and then a small flat nozzle?
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Didnt you just reply above that they dont have enough suction? :nixweiss



Its a 1 7/8 inch hose. I have the car detail kit that comes with the smaller hose and many attachments as well.
 
Vacuum.



Spray the carpet with a pre-treat chemical, and/or treat stains, scrub and let it dwell.



Find a way to put down clean water or rinse solution. Whether it is an extractor, garden hose, bucket and brush. The object is to suck out the pre-treat chemical with the stains and leave the fabric clean of chemical and stains.



With Shop Vacs, use the smallest opening tool you can find, usually a crevice tool. When you hear the vac working on suction, you have a decent extraction.



Most Shop-Vacs have around 89 inches of water lift.
 
I use a 5hp vac with excellent results. Use a good cleaner & brush along with the smallest end you can. Remeber to completely rinse the cleaner out, otherwise you'll have stiff carpet that will resoil mega fast.
 
salty said:
..With Shop Vacs, use the smallest opening tool you can find, usually a crevice tool. When you hear the vac working on suction, you have a decent extraction..
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Yep :xyxthumbs Most extractors come with nozzles that have *MUCH* too large an opening. Even some pro models have nozzles that don't work effectively.



I *really* like the small "upholstery nozzles" that Bissel sells. They *can* pop apart if you're rough with them, but they go back together OK.



I use one of those with *every* extractor I have, even my Century/Ninja. Just gotta cobble together some sort of adaptor to fit whatever machine/hose you're using.
 
Your best bet is to use the angled end crevice tool for the wet dry vac.

Shop-Vac at Lowe's: 2-1/2" Crevice Tool

I have a tall canister wet dry vac hanging on the wall

(6 or 7 HP. Don't remember). I spray the parts

I want to clean, scrub them with a brush, and extract with that extension tool.

I have a 15 foot hose attached and I haven't had any issues. I spray down

the carpeted mats, scrub them, and hose them down with water. After that

I extract with the vac. Again, no issues. Dry in an hour.
 
WaxManRonnie said:
Your best bet is to use the angled end crevice tool for the wet dry vac.

Shop-Vac at Lowe's: 2-1/2" Crevice Tool

I have a tall canister wet dry vac hanging on the wall

(6 or 7 HP. Don't remember). I spray the parts

I want to clean, scrub them with a brush, and extract with that extension tool.

I have a 15 foot hose attached and I haven't had any issues. I spray down

the carpeted mats, scrub them, and hose them down with water. After that

I extract with the vac. Again, no issues. Dry in an hour.
Click to expand...



Great reply. Thanks man :clap:
 
Pre-treat, scrub, let dwell.



Spray some water from what ever source and when you brush scrub again it shouldn't move water, if it is dirty expect to do it a few times. If scrubbing moves water, use less next time.
 
I am a big fan of hot water carpet extractors. I currently own two, one of which was delivered yesterday. However, I most often use a foam cleaner with a Cyclo polisher with the brush attachment. I have used this combination successfully for over five years doing interior detailing.



One auto manufacturer in the owner’s manual actually prohibits the use of water on carpets due to location of electrical components beneath.

As with all auto detailing practices the mildest and least abrasive practice should always be considered first.



If you choose to spray a cleaner on and scrub, you must follow through with a rinse not only because carpet will matt but also because lingering chemical residue may aggravate people with respiratory sensitivity. This also results in the upholstery becoming quickly re soiled.
 
This was a post by David Fermani a while back. This might help.









My Process for Manually Cleaning Carpets

Here's my take on hand cleaning/shampooing carpets:



1-CARPET PREP: Before getting any surface wet, dry brush the carpet with a stiff brush (brass bristled brushes work great) to loosen up any ground in dirt. If you don't, alot of this dirt will stay at the bottom of the nap and will make it even more difficult to remove once it's wet. Then vacuum and if possible blow out with compressed air. Alot of times this step by itself can make a carpet look 75% better.



2-PRE-SPOT STAINS: Identifying the different types of stains you’re attempting to remove is key. 1st treat oil/grease-based stains with a solvent-based cleaner. If you do this after the carpet/stain is wet, you'll have a hard time penetrating the stain to dissolve it (think of it as mixing oil & water). Then, treat food/protein-based stains with an enzyme-based cleaner and allow to dwell for several minutes (more the better). Then, treat other stains/dirt with an APC (alkaline water based) cleaner. *note: after treating each type of stain with cleaner, agitate area with carpet brush to work in solution* Vacuum treated area slowly concentrating on pulling/lifting the stain away with the suction of the vacuum. Next, towel (cotton) the area, lifting more of the contaminants out and into the towel. If needed, wrap towel around brush as this will help pull out even more ground in soil, wetness & spent cleaning solution.



3-SHAMPOO: Mix recommended shampoo concentrate with 1-2 gallons of hot water into 5 gallon bucket and vigorously agitate to create extensive suds. Submerge HD GS or wash mitt of choice into bucket and scoop out enough suds to cover 2 X 2 area of carpet. Work suds into carpet and then scrub with carpet brush to penetrate into fabric. (after you stop, you'll actually see dirt rising to top of bubbles). *this is where I feel a dedicated carpet shapoo this is high sudsing will out perform an alertaive product* Then, slowly vacuum carpet concentrating on lifting out as much wetness/dirt as possible. Towel dry area until all remaining soiling, chemicals & wetness are gone.



4-DRYING It’s essential that floor mats not be installed over damp carpet! Instruct client to take mats out of car (if wet). Make sure the mats as well at the carpet are 100% dry before re-installation back into vehicle to avoid mold/odor. Remember: mold grows in dark, warm, wet places that don’t have much airflow. Avoid using heat to dry carpets. If any dirt is still remaining in carpets, heat will cause carpets to brown and turn stiff. Use medium cool air (all doors open) for as long as possible to insure all fabric is 100% dry. If needed, towel carpets continuously to speed up drying process. *Using a dedicated floor/carpet drying machine will dramatically minimize dry time*. After carpets are dry, you *can* fluff carpet with damp towel (either with plain water or window cleaner) and/or carpet brush.

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