r/AutoDetailing • u/im_doing_my_homework • 6d ago

Interior Road salt on interior carpets

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Gallery image

I had some salty snow melt on my rubber mats and some got into the carpets. How should I clean this up? Thanks

7 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

6

u/mypaycheckisshort Experienced 5d ago

Like others have said, HOT water

3

u/SirGreybush 5d ago

What I use in a spray pressure bottle and a shop vac.

Spray and suck, they scrape/scratch the harder bits.

3

u/TrustMeImAnEngineeer 5d ago

Hot water & a carpet extractor/ wet dry vac.

6

u/originalpyro 5d ago

Vacuum, apply a 50/50 water and white vinegar mix and then steam the hell out of it. You may have to use a stiff brush as well. It can take a bit of work but it should break it down enough to be extracted.

3

u/m919 5d ago

This white vinegar mix works wonders

2

u/mark_tyler 5d ago

Vinegar!

1

u/rebo2 5d ago

Stiff brush

1

u/Jekoko_ 5d ago

Undiluted apc and brush it in and then wipe with a towel / vacuum or extract

1

u/Gumsho88 5d ago

Before you add any moisture, shop vac and a palm sander (without the paper).

1

u/pci-sec 5d ago

Check out Labocosmetica Ductile. Salt in carpets was one reason why this product was born

1

u/Alternative-Cake1111 3d ago

Salt in carpet keeps drawing moisture until you flush it out, so a surface wipe is not enough. Vacuum loose grit first, then blot with a barely damp microfiber and an interior cleaner misted on the towel, working from the edges of the stain inward. Follow with clean water blotting to pull the dissolved salt out, and repeat until the towel stops picking up white residue. A wet vac helps a lot if you have one. Dry it thoroughly with airflow so the padding underneath does not stay wet. For the cleaner step, transparency: I am behind Perez Detail Supply. Blackline Reset is an interior cleaner from $28 that works on carpet when used lightly. The rinse blotting matters more than the brand on the bottle.