Cleaning Carpets

[aerobat95]

Hey guys quick question.....what the best way to steam clean carpets?  Should I remove them?

[Hank]

I'd get a spray can from auto parts--spray, scrub, vacuum, done.

[pirate]

Machine dry foam cleaning ( the backing never gets wet ) you can do inside the aircraft dry within minutes.

Wet extraction I would never do inside a aircraft (corrosion)

If the carpet is wool always use a low PH shampoo.

[jetdriven]

Believe it or not we throw ours in the front load washer and hang to dry.   I know many Mooney carpets are glued in, we bought a snap set and snapped ours to the floor with about 30 snaps and it stops it from moving around but is removable.

[aaronk25]

Believe it or not we throw ours in the front load washer and hang to dry. I know many Mooney carpets are glued in, we bought a snap set and snapped ours to the floor with about 30 snaps and it stops it from moving around but is removable.

One thought about carpet as long as were on the topic. I just replaced mine with new premium SCS interiors out of Duluth MN and glued it. I was thinking of snapping but didn't want to take belly off to make sure there was clearance for screws. I added a 1/2 wool fire rated carpet pad under the carpets. It's really coushy now but I bet the weight delta from original to now is 20lbs! Not sure if it was worth it but the pad really quiets the sound down. Do I have to reweigh the plane now? I know it's heavier but I see a lot of people just not they replaced carpet and don't take into account the weight change for newer premium materials.?.?

[KSMooniac]

I've taken mine out of cleaning several times and used my home Bissell carpet cleaner a couple times and even took them to a .25 car wash once and blasted them with soapy water, rinsed them well, and hung them up to dry slowly.  

[N601RX]

Has anyone tried 3M industrial Velcro around the edges?

[jetdriven]

none of that velcro works.  People skid the carpet when getting in and out, it pulls the glue off the floor of the plane. I tried sewing the stuff to the carpet as well.  

[KSMooniac]

none of that velcro works.  People skid the carpet when getting in and out, it pulls the glue off the floor of the plane. I tried sewing the stuff to the carpet as well.  

 

My experience as well.  I think snaps are the best solution, but I've been too lazy to implement them on my own plane.

[kmyfm20s]

My carpets are glued down and I might pull them up to place snaps but my carpets stay really clean. I buy the bags of white terry cloth shop towels at Costco and put it in front of the passenger seat. I feel like it gives people a clue to wipe there feet on it since its the only place you can step getting in. I always have a brand new one because it makes them ask if they can step on it and then give me the opportunity to tell them to wipe. They see how much grime come off their shoe from Tarmac and then they understand and it doesn't have to be explained again. The dirty towels then replace the shop towels that need to be throw out.

[DS1980]

How are  the snaps installed? Screwed, riveted, glued?

[KSMooniac]

The female side of the snap is typically pressed into the carpet, and the male portion would have a coarse thread screw that can be fastened into the floor.

[jetdriven]

We bought snaps that had 3/8 x 1/4" studs on then and installed them in the floor. 4 under the lip of the front seats, two each at the rear and in the front of the center strip, and one high strength snap forward and between the rudder pedals.

[DS1980]

Able to give a source? This is a good idea.

[jetdriven]

heres the invoice from sailrite, I glued Dacron sailcloth to the back of the carpet with Poly Tack fabric cement to reinforce it.  You drill holes in the floor, be very careful where you do there is lots of stuff under there.  Secure the snaps to the floor with lock nuts and washers, a nice touch is stick a brush with some primer in the hole before putting the snap in.

 

Order Details   Part # Qty. BO Description Price Amount

333120 22 EA 0 Snap Fastener Machine Screw 3/8" #8-32 (Nickel Plated) $0.44 $9.68

444050 16 EA 0 Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Stainless Steel) $0.22 $3.52

333010 22 EA 0 Snap Fastener Button Silver 1/4" Barrel (Nickel Plated) $0.17 $3.74

25204 1 EA 0 Snap Fastener Installation Tool $2.95 $2.95

333058 6 EA 0 Snap Fastener Hard Action Socket (Nickel Plated) $0.20 $1.20

 

0 Sailrite Catalog $0.00 $0.00        

Subtotal: $23.07         Shipping: $8.81         Tax: $0.00 Charged To: Order Total: $31.88

[N201MKTurbo]

 

 

I just put two screws with finish washers in the back of the copilot carpet. Cost $0.

[DS1980]

I just put two screws with finish washers in the back of the copilot carpet. Cost $0.

Who are you stealing screws from? Not very nice.

 

So no way to glue the female snap onto the floor? JB Weld? Double Bubble?  I'd rather not screw into a floor when the time comes to do this.

[fantom]

I just lift up my Aero-Comfort supplied mats, and wash them. No snaps, no screws, no muss, no fuss, and before anyone asks what they weigh, NO obsessing about useful load.

[KSMooniac]

 NO obsessing about useful load.

 

Not possible for some of us!  

 

I'm still dreaming about rebuilding my salvage seats into something very nice, and adding headrests.  The rears are the high-back versions that I don't like, so I plan to cut them down to "normal" height so the baggage can still be accessed in flight if needed.  I want to add provisions for headrests at all 4 locations, but I'm so anal about useful load I want headrests that can be removed and left behind for max gross weight ops.

[N201MKTurbo]

Who are you stealing screws from? Not very nice.

 

So no way to glue the female snap onto the floor? JB Weld? Double Bubble?  I'd rather not screw into a floor when the time comes to do this.

 

they were in the drawer, so I didn't have to go buy them.

[DS1980]

I think I'll just lay down hardwood. Maybe a hickory with clear varnish.