Saving Your Car's Carpet from Red Dust, Coffee, and Coastal Salt

Chuck everything out. Floor mats, loose change, Hungry Jack's wrappers, the lot. You need a clear workspace.

If you have a compressor or a leaf blower, use it to blow dust out from under the seats before you start vacuuming. Trust me, it saves time.

This is the most important step. 80% of dirt is dry. If you add liquid before vacuuming, you're just making mud. Spend more time here than you think you need.

Slide the seats all the way forward and then all the way back. You'll find a small ecosystem of filth hidden there.

Is it oil? Mud? Coffee? Different stains need different approaches. Oil-based stains (like grease) need a degreaser; organic stains (like food) usually need an enzyme cleaner.

Before you touch a chemical, use your hand brush to 'beat' the carpet while vacuuming. This brings up the sand and grit trapped at the bottom of the pile.

Spray your cleaner directly onto any obvious stains. Let it dwell for 2-3 minutes, but don't let it dry out in the Aussie heat.

Work in small sections, like the footwell first, then under the seat. Don't spray the whole car at once or it'll dry before you get to it.

Chuck the yellow brush on your drill. Keep the speed low-medium. Let the bristles do the work; don't push down hard. You'll see the dirt start to foam up.

Take a clean microfibre and blot the area. This picks up the initial layer of suspended dirt so you aren't just pushing it around.

If you don't have a $2000 extractor, use your wet/dry vac. Spray a bit of fresh water on the area, then immediately suck it up. Repeat until the water coming up is clear.

For outback dust, you might need to repeat the dry vac/brush cycle three times. It's relentless. Don't get it wet until you've got as much out as humanly possible.

If you've got white salt crusts, use a 1:1 mix of white vinegar and water. It breaks down the minerals better than soap.

If you used a heavy degreaser, spray a light mist of water with a capful of fabric softener. It helps reset the pH and stops the carpet feeling like a Brillo pad.

Run a gloved hand over the damp carpet. If it feels slimy, there's still soap in there. Keep extracting with fresh water.

Brush the carpet in one direction while it's still slightly damp. It looks much more professional once it dries.

Open all the doors or put a fan inside the car. In our humidity, a damp carpet can go mouldy fast. (I once saw a guy leave his car shut after a clean; the smell three days later was like a wet dog in a sauna).