Ow do you clean de car pet?

In the thread with various afternoon nap appliances, a number of the pics show nice white carpet without a mark, a hair, pet stain, big greasy footprint or wine spill.

I mean really, I'd make dirt walking barefoot.

How do you keep your boat carpet looking so good?
Keep everyone out?
Remove the boat show plastic only to take pictures?
Replace it every year?
Photoshop?

Hawgwash said:

In the thread with various afternoon nap appliances, a number of the pics show nice white carpet without a mark, a hair, pet stain, big greasy footprint or wine spill.

I mean really, I'd make dirt walking barefoot.

How do you keep your boat carpet looking so good?
Keep everyone out?
Remove the boat show plastic only to take pictures?
Replace it every year?
Photoshop?

Click to expand...

No shoes below.

I do a ton of work myself on the boat, both to save money and to teach myself the systems and how to do repairs, but carpet - there's no way I can do as good a job as the pros for less money. We hire a local carpet cleaning company willing to lug their machine to the marina and run the hose through the salon window.

For live aboards that endure real winter , snow. mud salt etc, the best is to overlay every area with bathroom carpet.

This can be cut to intricate shapes with out the need for a binding.

Toss it into the BIG machine at the laundromat as required.

Usually impossible to get visitors to remove boots and the rest , so this solves the problem .

I realized that after several boats, especially liveaboards....light colored carpet and all carpet in the high travel areas needed to endure way more than designed for.

Boats get concentrate use compared to a house and I accept that so I just don't plan on a boat being a showpiece...more like a really nice workboat.

I work hard enough keeping the thing 100 percent operational and functional. If pretty means taking shoes off on the dock or even before entering when going in/out, off/on all day long in all kinds of westher.....pretty ain't happening.

High wear areas get high wear treatments.

I used to own a carpet cleaning business. I can tell you it is possible to clean the carpet with a small portable machine if you have the correct solution and know what your doing. However most people dont, so they can over wet or harm the carpet with using too much soap or water. This creates a residue that can be sticky attracting more dirt and filth. Then the problem gets even worse next time. What I do is find a marina that has a dock real close to the street or parking area where the Professional can drive his truck right up to the dock. If the professional can get within a reasonable distance his machine will work better. The closer the run, the hotter and more power the vacuum has and the faster he can do the job. If he can get in close he will be in and out within 1 hour and prolly charge about $75. At least thats what I ask them for on the phone and it usually holds true when they get there. A fast $75 in less than one hour isnt too bad unless he has to drive all the way across town to get there, so make sure you get a very local professional. Also ask for a truck mounted system (in a van). There's too many jack legs out there running around with a rug doctor rental trying to make a quick buck. You wont like that job either. Thats the cleaning part. The prevention part is easy too. Dont get the carpet dirty. See how easy that was. No really here's how. Use plenty of old bath towels as door mats. Start at the dock before the ladder. Use a heavy door mat just like home where you can brush off your feet real good. Then the flooring dri-deck works good getting the sand off your shoes. In the cock pit place more door mats. These are easy to shake out when they get dirty or hose off at the dock. Going down the ladder in the salon is a fold bath towel before you take the first step on the carpet. The towel can be easily placed in the regular washing machine. If you are working on the engine or other dirty place, spread lots of towels over the carpet. Do not let the grease get on the carpet. Now that you have all these prevention methods in place the carpet should stay fairly clean. I still clean mine very two years and it could use it right now. I'm just looking for the right marina. Next spring we will be traveling up to the albemarle which has many city dock close to the road so I'll shoot for them and start calling. As far as taking peoples shoes off, NO WAY !!!. Boat people have boat shoes with no socks. They have sand in their shoes as well. I have seen dirty, sweaty, stinky, oily feet many times and I dont want them on my carpet. Black marking shoes on deck is another story all together. When people come my boat they usually want to take their shoes off but I say no leave them on thank you very much. If the guest have socks on then that's better, but could be a safety issue going up and down ladders. Hope this helps.

Hawgwash said:

How do you keep your boat carpet looking so good?
Keep everyone out?
Remove the boat show plastic only to take pictures?
Replace it every year?
Photoshop?

Click to expand...

No red wine for visitors.
Snap-down carpet cover in the saloon during our fishing month.
Good vacuum with HEPA filter, etc.
Decent spot removal products (mostly for pet boo-boos).
Twice annual carpet shampoo.
Accept it is what it is.
Eventually replace it.

-Chris

Don't look down!

Hawgwash said:

... pics show nice white carpet without a mark, a hair, pet stain, big greasy footprint or wine spill.

How do you keep your boat carpet looking so good

Click to expand...

We've dealt w our share of red wine stains...on carpet or upholstery...very successfully.

If still wet blot dry w paper towel... then grab a box of salt and cover the stain... let sit a few min...vacuum up red salt...spray or dribble on some hydrogen peroxide...let sit a few min...blot as dry as possible...air dry...return to partying

If dry skip the salt and go directly to H peroxide...repeat if still visible

Works for blood and other organic stains...pet...

Don
'08 MS 34HT
"Bacchus"

Red wine stains

For red wine stains, we use a product called " wine away". Been using it for years and is available at most wine shops. Just spritz it on the spill and watch it do its magic. Safe for all fabrics and works as advertised. I have no connection with the product other than a happy consumer. Our daughter even used it on her wedding dress.

Bill

Being a live aboard we don't worry about it. Life is to short. At least once a year rent a mini rug doctor. About every 3 to 5 years replace them. We do have area rugs at the entrance and high traffic areas.

The old carpet is used as a template for new ones, and they are not that big so its not that hard or expensive. Also do not change all the carpet at one time.

Pull it up and replace with teak and holly, much more boaty.

Wood floors with persian (looking) rugs. They hide dirt, and are easy to replace. To each his own.

We rent a "Rug Doctor" once a year before we leave for the summer. Does an excellent job. The rugs in the saloon and Pilothouse are cleaned in place. We remove the rugs down below in the state rooms and put them on the dock to clean them. We leave them outside to dry.

I'm about to refinish the hardwood floors under the saloon and Pilothouse rugs so our pattern of cleaning rugs will change.


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Same way we do at home. We vacuum regularly and we spot clean any spots. We get professionally cleaned as required. We do have mats outside the doors, mats just inside the doors, and we will lay a door mat on the deck where boarding is taking place. I don't know where some of you are getting all this extra dirt. Do you and your guests not wipe your shoes before boarding? I just don't see our carpet in our boat getting any dirtier than the carpet in our house. Perhaps something else is keeping your decks clean so it's not tracked inside.

If there is an entry path getting worn extra, then a runner is always a good idea.

One additional comment that a key to carpet lasting through use and cleaning is the quality of carpet purchased.

Two things....no red wine allowed on the boat (also no blueberry or raspberry pie, etc.) and we hire a carpet cleaning company once a year.

Depends on the boat...some boats entire salon is the size of many people's home foyer.

The concentration of dirt is there due to size....plus some of us are constantly working in the engine room an reaching up and placing items that can be pretty dirty onto the salon floor.

While trying to be neat, some still gets away from you.

psneeld said:

Depends on the boat...some boats entire salon is the size of many people's home foyer.

The concentration of dirt is there due to size....plus some of us are constantly working in the engine room an reaching up and placing items that can be pretty dirty onto the Solon floor.

While trying to be neat, some still gets away from you.

Click to expand...

Well, some of those things then are an entirely different story. I see for those doing as you describe a need for work cloths or plastic, lay down and pick up when complete. If something does get on the carpet, then immediately clean it. Whether boat or home, if alone, my wife and I eat sitting on sofas, using lap trays. I'm a bit sloppy doing so. We keep carpet spot cleaner always available as a result.

Seems while avoiding getting dirt on carpet may be the ideal, quickly cleaning it is a key to it lasting and to needing fewer professional cleanings. Similarly we've always had a relatively inexpensive cordless stick vacuum so we could quickly spot vacuum areas as well. In NC, leaves were a major issue. Not in Florida, not generally on the boat.

"Ow do you clean de car pet?" HUH?

GFC said:

Two things....no red wine allowed on the boat (also no blueberry or raspberry pie, etc.) ...........

Click to expand...

If I were to not allow red wine on my boat I wouldn't be able to go aboard and that ain't happening. A simple solution for wine spills, as mentioned previously, is Red Wine Stain Removal with Wine Away

And I agree 100% with the earlier comment about using a truck mounting carpet cleaning machine. Having been there done that in my much younger days, using both portable units and truck mounted units there's really no comparison. Truck mounted units produce such a higher vacuum level they extract a lot more of the moisture and cleaning solution residue which helps the carpet dry much faster even after you've done a few clear water rinses (which should be done to extract as much cleaning chemical residue as possible, this is extremely important because the more residue left behind the quicker your carper will attract dirt etc.). Just Sayin'

A good practice is to put throw rugs at the entrance to high traffic areas or even a runner in hallways etc. and these you simply toss in the washer and hang to dry.

Diesel Duck 492 said:

If I were to not allow red wine on my boat I wouldn't be able to go aboard and that ain't happening. A simple solution for wine spills, as mentioned previously is Red Wine Stain Removal with Wine Away

Click to expand...

The problem with red wine is directly proportional to how many glasses have been consumed. lol

I would say it's like anything else though, have what it takes to clean it, and do so immediately.

Our rule is only no red wine for visitors.


If we spill some ourselves, at least it's on us.


And I don't much care if visitors are miffed at the rule; they're allowed to spill whatever they want in their own home.


-Chris

Dang, as I was repling, look at the land yatch carpets, so I rented a rug doctor. Took 30 to rent, 15 minutes to get if ready, 5 minutes to actual shampoo, and 30 minutes to return, and 35 bucks later.

We have a wecome mat, the stairs are carpeted and another throw rug before you enter, so your feet shoes are relatively clean. A cheap way is a bucket/bush and a wet vac 15 minutes total time and costs basically nothing as most have a wet vac. oh, the engine room is also carpeted.

FF said:

For live aboards that endure real winter , snow. mud salt etc, the best is to overlay every area with bathroom carpet.

This can be cut to intricate shapes with out the need for a binding.

Toss it into the BIG machine at the laundromat as required.

Usually impossible to get visitors to remove boots and the rest , so this solves the problem .

Click to expand...

I don't know about the boots but as to the "rest" it usually takes about three glasses of wine to get them to start taking the rest off.

ulysses said:

I don't know about the boots but as to the "rest" it usually takes about three glasses of wine to get them to start taking the rest off.

Click to expand...

Wifey B: If they take it off at three glasses, they wanted to at the beginning and just using the wine as an excuse....

GFC said:

....no red wine allowed on the boat.

Click to expand...

You are joking!
Why bother with a boat???

Not gonna happen aboard "Bacchus"

Gotta have red wine, we have some great Pinot Noir here in NZ.

5 years ago we changed to a solution-dyed nylon carpet which looks exactly the same as our earlier wool carpet.
Most stains simply rinse off with plenty of water (including red wine). Apparently you can use bleach, but on anything greasy, I use CRC Brakleen and just press with a paper towel.

We do have lots of drop sheets for when we are doing engine room stuff.

Bendit said:

Gotta have red wine, we have some great Pinot Noir here in NZ.

5 years ago we changed to a solution-dyed nylon carpet which looks exactly the same as our earlier wool carpet.
Most stains simply rinse off with plenty of water (including red wine). Apparently you can use bleach, but on anything greasy, I use CRC Brakleen and just press with a paper towel.

We do have lots of drop sheets for when we are doing engine room stuff.

Click to expand...

We have no rule, but I can't remember anyone ever drinking red wine on our boat. Actually, the only alcohol I can recall at the moment on the boat is Champagne.

"the only alcohol I can recall at the moment on the boat is Champagne."

Since you can remember it, perhaps the latest "science" of drinking champagne 3x a week to fight dementia does work?

FF said:

"the only alcohol I can recall at the moment on the boat is Champagne."

Since you can remember it, perhaps the latest "science" of drinking champagne 3x a week to fight dementia does work?

Click to expand...

I had not read about that science. As we don't drink it nearly that frequently, perhaps once a month for us, now I'm guessing we need to educate ourselves further in the science.

Is champagne distinguished somehow in the science from other non-sparkling wines?