Carpet Cleaning-Did I Mess Up?
 

i read a post about carpet cleaning, how guys are cleaning it using laundry detergent w/ softner.

So i decided to try.

i went to the car wash i brought some detergent and some softner.

i power washed the entire floor on rinse mode.

i wasnt sure how to go about using the detergent, so i filled the cup almost full, and just sprayed it around a bit on the floor, little there, little here etc.

i took a scrub brushed and scrubed the detergent into the floor, it seemed to be getting out the stains and smelling nice so far.

i then put it on rinse and started rinsing, and OMG there was soap everywhere, bubbles, it probably took me what seemed like 30-45 minutes of straight rinsing to get the soap out of the carpet, i probably didnt even get it all, i paid a fortune for the car wash power washer.

so i didnt even do the softner for fear of the same thing happening.

now my question. Did i do something wrong in the process? is there a better way to do it that is "cleaner"

That's how you do it. Just keep after it until it stops bubbling. Parking on an incline helps push the soap and water out the back. Same story with the fabric softener. A little bit goes a long way...
When your done I use a towel and walk on it over the carpet. That really helps get the excess water out of the carpet. Keeps the mold down too.

my car wash did have a really cool feature it had a hand held blow dryer, and it worked freaking great as far as the drying process went.

lol good news is your bilge should be clean now too lol. Usually I mix alil detergent in a bucket and scrub the trouble places well. Let it all sit for a few minutes and then powerwash it all on rinse. Most stains are going to come up just from the power wash itself. I gutted my interior this winter and used a steam cleaner. To be honest besides getting in tight places and around electronics it was a waste. Powerwashing does just as much. Don't go too heavy on the softener or it is grosssss

9 of 10 times, a good pressure washing with just water will do a great job at cleaning the carpet. For those noticeable spots, I would suggest a mild carpet/fabric/upholstery cleaner like Resolve or similar and then hit the spot again with the pressure washer. Like Newty says, keep spraying till the bubbles are gone.

Lol...did the same a few weeks ago...didn't think it would ever quit foaming up. I used my pressure washer and eventually got it clean. I then followed up with the softener and rinsed several times again. For me a wet vac works great for getting the excess out and the sun did the rest of the heavy lifting. Looks nd smells great now!
By the way this was on my carpet saver, out of the boat.