Saving Your Carpets From Red Dust and Coffee Spills

Most blokes make the mistake of spraying liquid straight onto a dusty carpet. Big mistake. You'll just turn that dust into mud and push it deeper. I learned this the hard way on a customer's LandCruiser, spent three hours chasing mud around the footwell. Always, and I mean always, give it a massive vacuum first. Use a stiff brush to agitate the fibres while you've got the vacuum nozzle right there. Get as much dry stuff out as possible before you even look at a bottle of cleaner.

If you've spilled something wet like a morning flat white, don't go at it like you're scrubbing a deck. You'll fray the carpet and make it look fuzzy. Use a clean microfibre towel and just push down hard to soak it up. My go-to product for the actual cleaning is Bowden's Own Fabra Cadabra. It's Aussie made, doesn't smell like a chemical factory, and it actually breaks down the oils without leaving a sticky residue that just attracts more dirt later.

After a Nullarbor crossing or a trip through the red centre, you'll often get a red 'shadow' even after vacuuming. I reckon a dedicated carpet drill brush (the soft white ones, not the stiff yellow ones) is the best investment you'll ever make. Spray a bit of interior cleaner, give it a quick spin with the drill, and then wipe it away. It saves your elbows and gets deeper than you ever could by hand. Just don't go too mental or you'll heat up the glue under the carpet.

Once you've cleaned the spot, don't leave the car sealed up in the sun. The humidity will turn your car into a sauna and it'll end up smelling like a wet dog. Crack the windows in the garage or the driveway. If you're worried about the UV, chuck a sunshade up, but you need air movement to get that moisture out properly. A mate of mine once left his windows up after a deep clean and the headliner started sagging a week later from the damp heat. Not a mistake you want to make.