Removing coolant (antifreeze) from carpet.

[Jim Jordan]

------see below------- 

>-----Original Message-----
>From: MXHOWES at aol.com [mailto:MXHOWES at aol.com] 
>Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 8:13 AM
>To: quattro at audifans.com
>Subject: Removing coolant (antifreeze) from carpet.
>
>How do you remove coolant (antifreeze) from the interior 
>carpet? It's been  a real project replacing the heater core in 
>my '88 80Q. Although I haven't  hit the road yet, I am 
>constantly reminded of the sticky mess I have in the drivers 
>foot well as I am laving on my back trying to put together a 
>million screws, switches and connectors. I've been sopping up 
>the mess with newspaper placed under the floor matt and I keep 
>changing the wet paper but it never seems to get any better. 
>What should I try? Baking Soda? Sugar? Detergent? ..... 
>What  will cut Antifreeze? Also a word to the wise, if your 80 
>or 90 has a bad heater  core, disconnect it, and sell the car 
>to someone in the tropics......
>Jim
>88 80Q
>85 4KQ

Hi,

Remove antifreeze from carpet by removing the carpet and pad from the car,
put it on your driveway or other paved surface, hose it down well, let it
air dry completely, and reinstall.  Be sure to wash away all traces of the
coolant from the paved surface as well because it is attractive to cats and
will make them seriously ill or kill them.  There are some environmentally
friendly types that are not harmful but I doubt your car had ethylene glycol
installed, which is harmful

If the carpet still looks like it needs cleaning, make a cleaner by mixing
1/2 cup of powdered or liquid detergent, 1 teaspoon ammonia, 1 teaspoon
vinegar in a quart of warm water.  Mix with a hand beater in a bowl until
you get a good froth.  Using the FROTH only, rub lightly with a sponge or
cloth over the stained area.  Allow carpet to dry and vacuum.
(Haley's Cleaning Hints, ISBN 0-451-21191-X).

If the heater core leaks, use vice grips in a couple of strategic places on
the supply hose to block the flow and keep on driving until you get a new
heater core.  That happened to me in mid winter in the DC area and I almost
froze my keister off waiting for the core to arrive from Shokan.

HTH.

Heloise
Aka Jim Jordan