Vehicle Cleaning Tips Archives - Page 7 of 7

June 25, 2010July 7, 2023

Spilled Gas on Carpet

I spilled gas in the back of my SUV. The smell will not go away. What can I do to remove it?
Ryan

The solution is to rinse the nonvolatile solvent(gasoline) out of the carpet using a volatile solvent (dry cleaning solvent). Volatility refers to the ability of the solvent to dissipate at room temperature.

What you have tried to do was to wash, in essence, oil with water. They do not mix in fact when you attempted to wet clean the area the gas would have chased from the water.

If the spill is large (bigger than a dollar bill) I recommend calling an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration) certified carpet cleaning company and let them handle the problem.

If it is a small area, purchase some dry cleaning solvent (available at grocery stores, janitorial suppliers or carpet cleaning supply houses) along with some white terry towels.

Follow all safety instructions on the dry cleaning solvent bottle.

Test the affect of the dry cleaning solvent on the carpet before attempting to clean it by placing a small amount of dry cleaning solvent on the terry towel and apply it to an inconspicuous part of the carpet (i.e. under the seat) to see if there is any colour transfer or puckering.
If there does not seem to be a problem with the test, proceed to clean the stained area by placing dry cleaning solvent on the terry towel (DO NOT POUR IT DIRECTLY ONTO THE CARPET) and lightly tamp the stained area.
Repeat this process 3 or 4 times if required and do nothing else.

Dry cleaning solvent will dissipate when exposed to the air and does not leave cleaning residue.

Cheers
Jay Miles, Forum Member
CRS Carpet Cleaning
Vancouver, Cananda

June 24, 2010

Automotive Engines

Tools & Technique:

To clean automobile engines, use a commercially available product. Spray generously onto a cool engine, allow degreasers to work, then hose off, avoiding electrical wires, connections, and boxes.

June 24, 2010July 7, 2023

Tree Sap from Automotive Finish

How can I safely clean off some tree sap that is on my car’s exterior? It has been on there for a while and seems to be stuck like glue. It must have fallen on my car when I was parked under some pine trees last autumn.

Tree Sap

Removing tree sap from a car’s finish is a bit more difficult than tar, as hardened sap can scratch your paint. I’ve found that by hand-rubbing the sap spots with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol, I’m able to easily remove the sap without damaging the finish. Mineral spirits and denatured alcohol acts as a solvent to break up and dissolve the sap.

If there is a large amount of sap on the car, or if the sap has been left on the finish for an extended period of time, it can be a lot of work to remove. For these cases, I discovered that hitting the affected areas with a light-duty buffing compound removes the hardened surface on the sap spots. Then I can hit the sap with the mineral spirits to remove it. The light duty buffing compound softens the sap so the mineral spirits or denatured alcohol can do its job. The goal is to use the least pressure possible to reduce the risk of scratching the paint. After removing heavy sap, I always buff the treated areas with a good polish to clean up any marks created during hand-rubbing with solvent. The treated area must also be re-waxed.

We’ve also had good success using orange based solvents and children’s plasticine (molding clay). Apply a bit of the solvent and rub with the clay – it is abrasive enough to scrub off the sap which has been broken down by the solvent.

All of the chemicals used to remove the aforementioned tree sap also removes your wax or sealants. After removing tar, sap or bugs, plan to spot wax or re-wax your vehicle. If you don’t have time to wax right away, use a quick detailing spray that contains wax. Eagle One’s Wet Spray Wax, a quick spray wax, is great for this kind of spot waxing, too.

Information provided by www.Autopia-carcare.com

June 24, 2010September 26, 2010

Spilled Gas On Carpet

I spilled gas in the back of my SUV. The smell will not go away. What can I do to remove it?
Ryan

What you have tried to do was to wash, in essence, oil with water. They do not mix in fact when you attempted to wet clean the area the gas would have chased from the water.

If the spill is large (bigger than a dollar bill) I recommend calling an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration) certified carpet cleaning company and let them handle the problem.

If it is a small area, purchase some dry cleaning solvent (available @ grocery stores, janitorial supplier or carpet cleaning supply houses) along with some white terry towels.

Follow all safety instructions on the dry cleaning solvent bottle.

Test the affect of the dry cleaning solvent on the carpet before attempting to clean it by placing a small amount of dry cleaning solvent on the terry towel and apply it to an inconspicuous part of the carpet (I.e. under the seat) to see if there is any colour transfer or puckering.

If there does not seem to be a problem with the test, proceed to clean the stained area by placing dry cleaning solvent on the terry towel (DO NOT POUR IT DIRECTLY ONTO THE CARPET) and lightly tamp the stained area. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times if required and do nothing else.