Black carpet and sand...

[Jberlen]

Hi all, I have black carpet in my mustang and there is sand that seems to be embedded into the carpet. What is the best way to get it out without buying an extractor? 

 

I have tried my shop vac with carpet cleaner and got some out but not all and those tiny little white sand particles just make my otherwise perfect carpet look unclean. 

[mc2hill]

Do you 'pre-treat' your mats?  I always use a low-profile, stiff bristle brush on the mats to loosen up any sand/particles.  It can also help remove light surface stains. 

 

I scrub in one direction on the mat, then scrub in the diagonal direction.  I also use it on the carpets and pedals.

 

  

[Jberlen]

3 hours ago, mc2hill said:

Do you 'pre-treat' your mats?  I always use a low-profile, stiff bristle brush on the mats to loosen up any sand/particles.  It can also help remove light surface stains. 

 

I scrub in one direction on the mat, then scrub in the diagonal direction.  I also use it on the carpets and pedals.

 

  

The mats are easier to clean because I can get them out of the car but this sand is in the carpet and black trunk liner. I have a similar brush but it doest remove all the sand. I may be doomed living in FL with black carpet. 

[RayS]

The brown sand tends to come out with the shop vac alone unless it is damp, but the white sand clings.  What I have found that works the best, although not perfect, is to use the shop vac, plus a somewhat stiff stiff brush like @mc2hill showed.  It seems that once the brush gets the sand to move, the shop vac has the power to pull it the rest of the way out.  I tried one of the brushes that goes on the end of the shop vac, but it was not effective, I think there was too much distance between the brush the real suction.