Interior Cleaning.
The use of the steamer cleaner in the interior of a car is a helpful addition. Due to the temperature of the steam. There is very little moisture introduce into the fabrics and materials, within the car. Where wet vacuuming has its place and the steam cleaner will never fully replace this as some jobs especially when removing heavy mud and the like from heavily soiled mats and carpets. But I hope to show you the advantages of the steamer within this write up.
When working with upholstery It is never a great idea to introduce water into this foam of a cars seats. The foam stays wet deep down and this effects the mild steel within the seat as well and prolonged contact with the stitching. Which can eventually lead to the threads rotting away.
As anyone who has wet vacuumed a car before will tell you. The seats will stay damp for sometime, especially in the colder months where airing the car is not possible.
The steam cleaner works on a principal of heating the seat and slowly breaking down the bond between the grime and the fabric or leather. This bond is normally made up of oils deposited by us humans and dead skin cells.
Introduction of water is limited by placing a MF over the seat and applying the steam directly on top of this. This contains the heat within the fabric and catches excess water in the process.. Once the area has been cleaned a wipe over with a clean dry MF will remove any grime that has not attached to the wet MF and aid in drying off moisture also. You can vary the temperature and moisture being introduce by moving the nozzle closer or further away from the area being treated.
Different cleaner have different attachments and I have a small triangular head with soft bristles. To which I can attach an MF to this and use in a scrubbing motion. It has its benefits as it introduces friction as well as heat and moisture to aid the clean up.
You can also use dedicated cleaners into the equation also. The addition of heat increases the cleaning ability of the products, much the same as a warm pressure washer aids the cleaning ability of snow foam. It is up to the user as to what method or product he sees fit to use.
I personally would not use foaming product with the steamer as these may lead to being difficult to remove. Chemicals also boil off at different rates.
So again the user must decide on what products fit the bill, dependant on their steam cleaner and temperature output. You will notice you can cut down the dilution strengths of certain products with the addition of steam.
I have not touch. Hygiene so far.
As you know steam cleaner are used to aid in cleaning when you have allergies or to disinfect surfaces. This is a great benefit when used in car interiors. Used to kill all musty smells, Bacteria and the smell of cigarettes. Steam can go many places where a wet vac cant. Under seats and very tight areas, to name but a few.
Here are a few examples taken from resent write up and details.
Triangular attachment with MF.
On this particular Detail G101 was used at 1-20. Sprayed sparingly on area and worked in with a soft paint brush. The steamer was them used to clean the area and then wiped over with a clean MF after I was happy with the results.
Before
During
After
50/50 Drivers seat.
Completed cars.
Before.
After.
Before.
After.
Examples.
Before.
During.
After.
Another useful addition with the steam cleaner is the ability to steam clean vents and air con units.
I have not posted or highlighted the use of the steamer when working on head linings again. With the lack of moisture there is very little chance of the lining sagging. Care must be taken when applying the steam and careful monitoring of temperature as always when working with fabric glue. Work from a safe distance at all times. Once happy with the results wipe with a MF to clean and dry off as much as possible. Before moving to another area. Take your time and continue to work over the area making sure all areas are clean and uniform.
Any look forward to any question on this subject and I will update the post as further tasks are completed.
Gordon.
The use of the steamer cleaner in the interior of a car is a helpful addition. Due to the temperature of the steam. There is very little moisture introduce into the fabrics and materials, within the car. Where wet vacuuming has its place and the steam cleaner will never fully replace this as some jobs especially when removing heavy mud and the like from heavily soiled mats and carpets. But I hope to show you the advantages of the steamer within this write up.
When working with upholstery It is never a great idea to introduce water into this foam of a cars seats. The foam stays wet deep down and this effects the mild steel within the seat as well and prolonged contact with the stitching. Which can eventually lead to the threads rotting away.
As anyone who has wet vacuumed a car before will tell you. The seats will stay damp for sometime, especially in the colder months where airing the car is not possible.
The steam cleaner works on a principal of heating the seat and slowly breaking down the bond between the grime and the fabric or leather. This bond is normally made up of oils deposited by us humans and dead skin cells.
Introduction of water is limited by placing a MF over the seat and applying the steam directly on top of this. This contains the heat within the fabric and catches excess water in the process.. Once the area has been cleaned a wipe over with a clean dry MF will remove any grime that has not attached to the wet MF and aid in drying off moisture also. You can vary the temperature and moisture being introduce by moving the nozzle closer or further away from the area being treated.
Different cleaner have different attachments and I have a small triangular head with soft bristles. To which I can attach an MF to this and use in a scrubbing motion. It has its benefits as it introduces friction as well as heat and moisture to aid the clean up.
You can also use dedicated cleaners into the equation also. The addition of heat increases the cleaning ability of the products, much the same as a warm pressure washer aids the cleaning ability of snow foam. It is up to the user as to what method or product he sees fit to use.
I personally would not use foaming product with the steamer as these may lead to being difficult to remove. Chemicals also boil off at different rates.
So again the user must decide on what products fit the bill, dependant on their steam cleaner and temperature output. You will notice you can cut down the dilution strengths of certain products with the addition of steam.
I have not touch. Hygiene so far.
As you know steam cleaner are used to aid in cleaning when you have allergies or to disinfect surfaces. This is a great benefit when used in car interiors. Used to kill all musty smells, Bacteria and the smell of cigarettes. Steam can go many places where a wet vac cant. Under seats and very tight areas, to name but a few.
Here are a few examples taken from resent write up and details.
Triangular attachment with MF.
On this particular Detail G101 was used at 1-20. Sprayed sparingly on area and worked in with a soft paint brush. The steamer was them used to clean the area and then wiped over with a clean MF after I was happy with the results.
Before
During
After
50/50 Drivers seat.
Completed cars.
Before.
After.
Before.
After.
Examples.
Before.
During.
After.
Another useful addition with the steam cleaner is the ability to steam clean vents and air con units.
I have not posted or highlighted the use of the steamer when working on head linings again. With the lack of moisture there is very little chance of the lining sagging. Care must be taken when applying the steam and careful monitoring of temperature as always when working with fabric glue. Work from a safe distance at all times. Once happy with the results wipe with a MF to clean and dry off as much as possible. Before moving to another area. Take your time and continue to work over the area making sure all areas are clean and uniform.
Any look forward to any question on this subject and I will update the post as further tasks are completed.
Gordon.