Steam vs Extraction?

Anyone have any thoughts on using steam vs chemical extractors on automotive cloth seats, carpets and headliners?

Looking at these units:

$227 McCulloch MC1385 Deluxe Canister Steam Cleaner with 23 Accessories, Chemical-Free Pressurized Cleaning for Most Floors, Counters, Appliances, Windows, Autos, and More, 1-(Pack), Black

https://www.amazon.com/McCulloch-MC1385-Deluxe-Canister-System/dp/B00G00BTEA/

$120 BISSELL SpotClean Pet Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner, 2458, Grapevine Purple, Black, Large

https://www.amazon.com/BISSELL-SpotClean-Portable-Cleaner-2458/dp/B07D46SQ63/

 

I actually have both of those. We got them for the house, but I’ve tried them on vehicle interiors. The Bissell works very well, but I haven’t had much success with the McCullogh steamer. I know a lot of detailers recommend them, so I just may not be using it properly.

I just got a Tornador gun a couple of days ago. I haven’t had a chance to really use it yet. It’s supposed to be amazing on fabric though.
I tried it on one wheel, a wheel well, grill, and badges for a few minutes. It really did work very well. On the wheel it was limited by what I could reach. I couldn’t get it between the spokes.

https://youtu.be/WYiac9Sh89Y

 

@Sas I have been looking pretty hard at the tornado cleaner that Jason posted. They really seem to be extremely effecting and versatile. I saw one on TV last night being used to clean a 30 year old truck frame during a restoration project. It worked very well and was super fast. The uses for something like this seem to be endless and certainly range well beyond just detailing vehicles. The idea is pretty simple and it looks very effective. If you have or are planning to get a decent shop air compressor then for me, this would be a no brainer. One day I hope to own one and once I get it, I will use the hell out of it all over the house, garage, and cars

 

That tornado gun looks pretty slick. The main reason I'm looking at these things is to remove dog odors from slobber/drool, their oils, etc, as well as some of the dirt/mud stains they track in. Without an extractor it seems the steam would just push that stuff down into the seat foam. I'm also worried the chemicals and/or steam would compromise the glue on the headliner. I'd also like to use it indoors on the furniture.

 

The steamer is supposed to be great, but I’ve just not been able to get it to work for much. My wife ordered it before I even got into detailing. Same as you, I don’t see where the chemicals go without extraction.

That Bissell unit you linked is pretty handy, and I’ve gotten some good use out of it. Even with that, I still sometimes have to use a scrub brush first.

 

Maybe the best bet is to get both and just use the steam to loosen up hard stains/odors so the extractor can pull them out?

 

Link? Looks like just the kind of magic i need to clean my commuter
also, what fluid are you using?

 

Got it during an autogeek 25% off sale. I have only used water so far. I only messed around with it for a little while the other day.

 

I have the Bissell, originally purchased for home use, but we used it on our Honda with cloth interior and it worked pretty well. We left the doors open for a couple hrs to let the breeze come through. So far so good..

 

wowza, 2-hundo.......might try one of the cheap-o's from Amazon.

I think i'm gonna try this guy:

TOMINE Car Cleaning Gun with Air Regulating Valve Automobiles Cleaning Deep Dry Clean Foam Gun Tool - Professional Washing Blow Gun for Car Interior & Exterior Care with 1L Bottle (US Connector)

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07SMZHY28/ref=psdc_15718281_t5_B07QVK4L77

 

Makes me wonder what the difference is, if any.

 

There are a couple different models on Amazon, some have a metal spinner in the cone, others have a flexible tube, i opted for the one closer to the tornado (the metal spinner).

 

So the tornado shoots out steam/liquid..do you still need to vaccum the residual liquid?

 

From what I've gathered yes, or use some sort of air mover. Sucking it out makes more sense to me tho so you're extracting all of the dirty water/chems too. I was thinking of just using a wet/dry vac at first.

 

Uhuh..gotcha.

 

I’ve actually been looking at this thing for a couple of years. I’ve seen several reviews of the knock offs. They for the most part say they work, but break pretty quick.

 

No steam. It circulates compressed air really rapidly. You can mix cleaning chemicals in the bottle, or just use water.

Depending on the surface and how dirty it is, you can go over it with the liquid, then switch to air only and dry. For carpets or really nasty stuff I’d recommend going back over it with a shop vac.

I’ve barely used it so far. I hope to do a complete review soon.

Also, the previous model is cheaper. It isn’t as powerful as the new one. The cones also wore out on the old ones, and this one is supposed to be more durable.

If anyone is looking at getting one of these, check the air compressor requirements. I believe you need 90 psi and 4 cfm. It also blows through air quickly, so the bigger the tank the better.

 

It should be here on Friday. Hopefully I'll get a chance to mess with it then. Grabbed a small bottle of CG upolstry cleaner to go with

 

@War Machine
Mine arrived today. Can you post some pictures of iyours up close to compare?

 

So I got a little bit of time to mess with my tornado knock off.
I filled the container about half way with distilled water, and put in a couple squirts of chemical guys upolstry cleaner, cranked up the compressor and gave it a shot.
My commuters car door panel was kinda bad:
Before:

After:


Tundras seat:
Before:

After:


It may taking more messing with it, but not the best results. I found that you need a lot of air at around 135psi. You also need to keep the end of the nozzle up against the upolstry.

 

Thanks for posting those. If you get better results by doing something else, let us know!

 

I’ve not been able to mess with mine really. My back has been in bad shape lately, so I haven’t gotten anything done.

 

Sorry to hear that. Hope it feels better soon!

 

Me too. This stinks!

 

Any new suggestions for a carpet shampooer?

Just need to clean stains here and there but would be nice to shampoo carpets in vehicles and seats when kids spill drinks and such.

I'm looking at these:

Bissell SpotClean ProHeat Portable Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner, 2694, Blue

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q2MKX5C/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_WdjVEbM93JFMD

$120 BISSELL SpotClean Pet Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner, 2458, Grapevine Purple, Black, Large

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D46SQ63/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_nhjVEb2R014NA

I'm open for any suggestions under $250. Only to be used on personal vehicles. Just want something that works.

Thanks!

 

I have the first machine you posted....got it on a Black Friday sale at Lowes 2 tears ago. It has done a very good job for me and has been very reliable.

 

Thank you! @briarpatch