Attention Little Green Machine Users!

[The Wash Doc]

I also use a Bissell Little Green Machine for my mobile detailing and thanks to reading different posts on here, I'm getting a little better and doing a good job on vehicles interiors. What I want to know from you experienced users who use the Little Green Machine for detailing, is step by step process when you use it. Do you spray the carpets down with some kinda carpet cleaner, brush it in, and then just spray hot water spray and extract it up or do you add some kind of detergent to the container? I want to know the best possible method of cleaning carpets and seats with this machine because theres no way I can afford a carpet extractor right now, just spent $300 on the G110v2 and all the pads I needed! Also i think its called "wickering" that happens after the carpet dries? Like i'll do one side of the front seat area and by time it dries, the stains pop right back up, sometimes bigger than they were before! I just need a good method that will work so I'm not wasting so much time on an interior when I'm mobile detailing!

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

In my own personal use of the LGM I generally do the following:

• Spray Quik Out or APC+ on the carpets or floor matts and let sit for a couple of minutes
• Scrub with a brush or folded terry towel
• Rinse with plain, warm water dispensed from the LGM and vacuum up with same

[The Wash Doc]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

Yea that's exactly what I do as well. Although, I had 3 full detail jobs this past weekend and the interiors kicked my butt! One of them I told the customer that I wouldnt even be able to do her carpets because the my little green machine wouldn't even begin to clean them. On this other truck, I got them fairly clean but stains where still in the carpet when I was done!? Am i doing something wrong or do I just need to face it and realize this little green machine isn't going to get all the stains out? It seemed like in this one spot that I extracted a whole cup of coffee (with creamer!) and still didn't get it all out! And I spent 2-3 hours on this and still didn't get results I wanted. I just need to do somewhat good until I can afford something that will do the job

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

What you're probably seeing is just the limitations of the LGM - it is most definitely not a proper extractor and is really only for light duty use and even then just for the final "rinse", so to speak. In and of itself it's not going to remove any stains, that is going to be done by agitation with whatever cleaner you're using.

A proper extractor has way more power to get the cleaning solution forced into the carpet and draw it back out much more thoroughly.

Are you fully vacuuming the surface first? What are you using for a cleaner? What sort of brush? Lastly, the type of stains can play a huge roll, too, as some are harder to remove than others. But if you aren't getting everything out, the stain is going to "come back" because it was never really gone to begin with, because you're not drawing everything out with the limited power of the LGM. Like we said, the LGM can be an awesome tool for personal use, but for heavy duty cleaning it can be challenged quite seriously.

[stealth]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

I've also found that the type of stain & length of time it's been in contact w/certain materials will cause it to set. Once that's occured total removal is difficult @ best.

[The Wash Doc]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

This is what I do. I have a "high traffic carpet cleaner" spray i bought at Home Depot. I think the brand name is Zep. I spray it on the carpets of interiors and use a scrub brush to brush it in the carpet and kinda spread it. I let it set for a few minutes, heat my water up and fill it up in the dispenser (no soap at all, just hot water), and spray it as I'm pulling back the wand extracting it back up, rinsing it basically and just pulling the water back up. I don't really know the physics of carpet cleaning exactly but I suspected that the cleaner I'm spraying and spreading around is attaching itself to the dirt and pulling it to the top of the carpet and the water I'm spraying makes it where I can pull it all out of the carpet. Only it's not working like you said. And theres no way for me to even begin to tell what most of the stains are made of or how long they've been there, I'm a mobile detailer and people just call me for my services and when I ask what the stains may be, they don't even know, or remember or start listing everything under the sun that they could be! I just went out and bought some Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner and was going to try that (I can't find Meguairs All Purpose Cleaner anywhere around here). So, does it sound like I'm maybe doing something wrong? I need all the help I can get with this. I love it when I get "full detail" jobs because thats alot of money I can make but also hate it because I know I have to tackle the carpets!! Oh and yes I vacuum very well before even starting so theres no loose dirt or anything like that

[Krieg]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

There is a stain on my wife's passenger seat, I plan on spraying the cleaner on it, and dampen it w/ some warm water then using my shop vac to get out the liquid. Should work better than the LGM.

[joaks]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

I'm not sure how it compares with APC, but have you tried quik out?

[POPPAJ]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

I use FOLEX sprayed straight from the bottle, agitated with a towel and removed with the LGM water only.

Folex is at Home Depot. Great stuff!!

[ChadKerk]

Re: Attention Little Green Machine Users!

Michael is right...you found your limits of the machine.

Think of yourself as the dirt or spot. Why did it come back? Because its still there. A good prevac, a really really really good rinsing is what its going to take to get most of it out. Now think of the pad. What is the pad doing? Its holding more pop and dirt in it as a spong. How long or how many times is it going to take to rinse out that sponge..aka pad?

I had one soo bad last year I washed and washed and washed with one of our van mounted cleaning machines with a huge vac blower. It still was dirty after cleaning it for a good 90 minutes. I was lucky it was one of my brothers construction trucks. He was standing there when I was ready to leave and asked what else can we throw at it to get it clean... I fired up the Hotsye steam cleaner and rinsed it at 3500 psi at 250 degrees then vac'ed it all up with the truckmount. Would I do this to a 50k BMW? No, but to a 7k Chevy dually work truck with 120k on the speedo sure. It was grey again instead of brown and black.

Try it once in a small scale yourself once. Try a floor mat with a power washer and tell us how long it takes to get the water to run clear though it. You will be amazed.