No one uses a steam extractor? really?
 

I've always rented steam extractors once a year because buying them used to be so expensive... I'm surprised literally every thread in here is only about soap and wax or tire shine. Barely a thread in detailing more Than just the paint on your ride... There's so much more to do than that if you're truly detailing your car!

These days, you don't need to use any chemicals except a good wax, and a decent soap if your ride is really salty and dirty before detailing the exterior with steam cleaner. I'm about to buy An MR-100 primo steam cleaner for my MS3.

Reasons:

Clay bar detailing is ridiculously time consuming and hard to get every part of the body done right. Try a steam extractor and you'll probably never do this again.

Cleaning the interior becomes fun, actually seeing the difference right before your eyes.

Oh yeah.. It works on rims, rotors, calipers and even under the hood. Hell, you might even be able to clean your valves with it, I dunno.

This thing is a home unit that's as close to a professional $3000 steam extractor as you're gonna get, and it costs about $300. Probably gonna save you tons of money in the long run, and not just on cleaning supplies.

I'll post an in depth review once I have it, unless someone has tried it already and wants to chime in. Looks solid from what I've seen. The best detailing shops use industrial versions of these on the exterior and interior of your ride... It's their secret.

Now that's a novel idea. People typically use walnut media blasting or chemical treatment to clean the valves. I have a steam gun. I wonder if that would make any impact on the carbon build-up..then there's the risk of hydrolocking if you too much water goes into the combustion chamber..so maybe that's why it hasn't been done.

And FWIW, I purchased a Bissell Little Green Machine for carpet and upholstery cleaning. That machine is simply awesome. So much so that I picked up another one and a Bissell Big Green Machine.

If you're worried about it pull your spark plugs before doing the cleaning, no way to hydro lock it then

What temperature can you get your steam gun to? I know the unit I'm thinking of buying has a range of 110-265 Fahrenheit (I believe)

I'm sure it would have to be somewhere near the maximum for it to have a chance at removing the buildup.

Argh... I saw this on sale at slickdeals but never bought it. Does it still require you to vacuum stuff up with a wet vac?

@furinax What is the "it" you're referring to?

The Bissel spot cleaner.

The Bissell does not require a wet/dry vac as it is essentially a shampoo vacuum. I usually run the regular vacuum first then use this. The bissell lays down shampoo detergent and then picks it up via its own vacuum hose.

The reason there isn't much in this section is because it was just created not long ago. They are merging old threads in here as they find them from what I understand.

At those temps you are referring to a hot water extractor, NOT a steam extractor. Post of some before/after shots. I'd like to see this section grow

How does it replace clay baring? Not being sarcastic or anything. Genuinely curious because I can't see the mechanics of it working in my head.

it melts the paint then after the pain melted you dont have to worry about claying your car....

lol nice theory. go for that old school patina in just a month right?

:rambo:
lol but yeah interesting how does it eliminates using clay bar