3 Steps. Zero Stains. Meet the Malco Carpet System.

How do you get stains and odors out of car carpet?

The best way to clean car carpet and upholstery is three steps, always in this order. Break down organic stains and odors like urine, vomit and blood with 1029 Enzyme Cleaner. Extract embedded dirt, mud and grease with Xtrax™ or Essentials Series™. Brighten with 1278 Oxy™ to remove dye stains like coffee and wine. Each step targets a different kind of stain, so skipping one leaves something behind.

Every detailer has pulled a floor mat that looks like it has been through a season of mud, a spilled latte and a dog with a nervous stomach. The usual approach is to grab one carpet shampoo and scrub harder. That works on some stains. It sets others. And the odor comes back a week later.

The problem isn't effort. Different stains are made of different things, and no single chemistry removes all of them. Malco's Carpet System splits the job into three steps, each matched to a stain type, so you stop guessing and start getting the same result on every interior.

Why one carpet cleaner isn't enough

Carpet stains fall into three families:

• Organic stains: urine, vomit, blood, food spills, grass. These are proteins and biological matter, and they cause most lingering odors.
• Embedded soils: dirt, mud, clay, grease. These sit deep in the fiber and are the bulk of what you extract.
• Dye and tannin stains: coffee, juice, wine, sports drinks, food coloring. These color the fiber itself, so they often survive extraction.

Each family needs a different chemistry. Run them in the wrong order and one step works against the next.

Step 1: Break down organic stains with 1029 Enzyme Cleaner

Targets: urine, vomit, blood, grass stains, food spills, organic odors

Start with 1029 Enzyme Cleaner. Its bioenzymatic formula breaks down organic contamination at the source, so you're removing what causes the odor, not covering it. It also reduces odor-causing bacteria and loosens organic matter so the next step can pull it out.

Pro tip: Enzymes need time to work. Apply, agitate lightly with an upholstery brush and give it dwell time before moving on.

Step 2: Extract embedded soils with Xtrax™ or Essentials Series™

Targets: dirt, mud, clay, grease

Step 2 does the heavy lifting. Both options use low-foaming technology, leave no oily residue and work with an extractor or steamer. Because they don't leave residue behind, they help prevent the rapid re-soiling customers notice a few weeks after a cheap shampoo.

Step 3: Brighten and finish with 1278 Oxy™ Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner

Targets: coffee, juice, wine, sports drinks, food coloring

This is the step most detailers skip, and it's why that faint coffee ring is still there after extraction. 1278 Oxy™ Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner is peroxide-based. It removes difficult dye stains and chemical odors that extraction can't, brightens carpet fibers and works as a neutralizing finishing step. It dries fast with no residue or water marks, so the vehicle goes back to the customer looking finished.

Pro tip: As with any oxygen-based cleaner, test on a hidden area of dyed or delicate fabric first.

Why the order matters

• Enzyme first because it needs a clean shot at organic matter, and it preps that contamination for extraction.
• Extraction second to pull out the broken-down organics and the bulk soil in one pass.
• Oxy last because it tackles what's left: dye stains, discoloration and odor. It also leaves the fibers neutral and bright.

One system, one order, every time.

Set up your shop for the system

The Carpet System is built for pros who dilute from bulk. Step 2 comes in 1 gal. and 5 gal., and numbered secondary labels are available for every step, so your techs always grab the right bottle in the right order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to remove urine from car carpet?

Use an enzyme cleaner first. Malco 1029 Enzyme Cleaner breaks down the organic matter in urine and the odor-causing bacteria, then extraction with Xtrax™ or Essentials Series™ pulls it out of the fiber.

What order should you clean car carpet and upholstery in?

Enzyme cleaner, then extraction cleaner, then an oxygen-based finishing cleaner. Organic stains come out first, embedded soil second, and dye stains and discoloration last.

How do you get coffee or wine stains out of car seats?

Coffee and wine are dye and tannin stains, which extraction alone often can't remove. Finish with a peroxide-based cleaner like Malco 1278 Oxy™ Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner.

What dilution should I use in my carpet extractor?

Both Xtrax™ and Essentials Series™ extract at 1:30. For pre-spotting, use Xtrax™ at 1:20 or Essentials Series™ at 1:4.

Will the system leave residue that attracts dirt?

No. The Step 2 cleaners leave no oily residue, which helps prevent rapid re-soiling, and Oxy™ dries fast with no residue or water marks.

Bring the system to your shop

Saw the Carpet System at SEMA? Contact your Malco representative to order, or call 800.253.2526.

Three steps. Zero stains.