Review: Sonax Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner

**CEE DOG** · 07-13-2010, 11:34 PM

Review: Sonax Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner

Introduction:
When the Sonax line was introduced to Autogeek a couple weeks ago Meghan generously offered 3 of their products to me for review. Thank you Meghan!! J This is the second of the 3 products. I conducted the review and testing over the Independence Day weekend but did not finish the write up until today.

Product Description (from back of bottle):
Sonax Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner gently and thoroughly removes stubborn dirt and stains from fabrics, upholstery, door panels, carpets, and ceilings. The foaming action formula is rich in cleaning agents (surfactants) that bond to foreign contaminants deep within the fibers leaving behind a clean fresh scent.

Initial Product Observations:
1.- Manufacturer Claims: *True
2.- Packaging: Clear plastic spray bottle with snap on spray nozzle.
3.- Directions: Clear and concise
4.- Consistency: Thin Liquid
5.- Color: Crystal Clear
6.- Scent: Fresh Citrus Scent
7a- Size: 16.9 oz. (500 ml)
7b- Additional Sizes available: N/A
8.- Current Price: $15.99 ($0.95 per ounce)
9.- Manufacturer: Sonax
10.-Made in: Germany

Additional products used for prep, during application, or removal:
1.- Vinyl and Leather scrub brush - $3.99 - http://www.autogeek.net/vilescbr.html
2.- (2) Microfiber towels
3.- Vinyl gloves (disposable)
4.- (1) 3 gallon rinse bucket

Method of Application, and noted Observations:
I started by removing the floor mat and taping off the front passenger seat and the front passenger carpet. I was curious to see what would happen with a couple stains that were located on the seat and on the side of the seat back. On the carpet I had some serious stains that are years old and have never been able to be removed. They were steam cleaned by a “pro” a couple years ago and weren’t removed so the carpet should test the limits of this product.

Seat and Carpet Test (Pictures 03 through 12)
I sprayed half of the seat with Sonax and scrubbed it down with the scrub brush. Then I wiped it down with a damp microfiber towel. Next I followed a similar procedure on half of the front carpet area. On the carpet area the solution really foamed up nice and I was able to note the foam turning brown in some places. I was happy to see some of the stain was coming out. After I finished scrubbing I wiped this area off with the damp mf a few times rinsing it in the bucket after each wipe. The small stain on the seat still remained so I spot treated the stain area. This time it came out most but not all of the way. The pattern in the seat makes it difficult to see the difference. The stains in the carpet were not removed but as mentioned that would have been a miracle.
In order to gain some perspective I next used some 303 cleaner and spot remover on the other sides of the 2 previously described test areas. The 303 required more product and did not foam as much as the Sonax on the carpet test. With the 303 I had to let it stand a bit as directed by the instructions for using on stained areas. The final results were comparable between the 2 products overall. In some locations of the carpet the Sonax came out nicer then the 303 and in others the opposite was true.

Seat Back and Floor Mat Test (Pictures 13 through 21)
Next I tested the Sonax on the side of the seat back and on the seat back itself. On the side of the seat back there was a stain, which came off very easily. On the back there were no spot stains but I taped an area off to do a 50/50 shot of how the fabric looked before and after. After cleaning one side it was apparent there was some consistent light grime on the seat back that was easily removed with 1 quick application of the Sonax.

For the final test I removed a black floor mat from my wifes car. My dog Bella had gotten a little car sick a couple days earlier. Yes, my dog gets car sick… She is obviously very thoughtful and wanted to aid in this review. Anyway same Sonax application as previously described and the stain came out very quickly and easily. After allowing everything to dry I took the after shots. Please see the pictures and rejoin me afterwards to see the listed Pros, Cons, and Summary.

01.- Product

02.- Spray Head

03.- Seat Before

04.- Seat After

05.- Carpet Before I

06.- Carpet After I

07.- Carpet Before II

08.- Carpet After II

09.- Carpet Before III

10.- Carpet After III

11.- Foam Turning Brown (Absorbing Dirt)

12.- Rinse Bucket

13.- Side of Seat – Spot Before

14.- Side of Seat – Spot After

15.- Back of Seat (Before)

16.- Back of Seat (50/50)

17.- Back of Seat (After)

18.- Mat Stain Before

19.- Mat Stain After

20.- Mat Stain After (Closeup)

21.- The Culprit J

Pros:
1.- Great foaming action
2.- Good cleaner
3.- Leaves a nice fresh scent

Cons:
1.- Price

???:
1.- Does anybody else have a dog that gets car sick? J

Final Observations and Summary:
Sonax U&CC cleaned moderate stains reasonably well. As expected it could not completely remove the really bad stains that were years old. Without a steam cleaner and maybe even with one I’m not sure anything could remove those stains completely. The price of this product at $0.95 per oz scares me off a little when compared with the price of 303 Fabric cleaner or 303 spot remover. The price is however offset by the fact that it takes less time to clean with (no waiting period between brushing and wiping off). During the testing the Sonax met but did not exceed the results of the 303. It should be noted that my testing was not comprehensive enough (not enough different types of stains) to make a blanket statement as far as its cleaning power in contrast to the 303.
The 303 looks to be a safer product for the user. The Sonax cautions possible eye and skin irritation while the 303 boasts to be so safe you can wash fruits and vegetable with it. Note: I did not experience any skin or eye irritation even though I did have Sonax sitting on my skin for a few minutes.

And the link: http://www.autogeek.net/sonax-carpet-cleaner1.html

**cobalt9123** · 07-13-2010, 11:51 PM

As usual, awesome review Corey!

**rohnramirez** · 07-13-2010, 11:54 PM

As always Corey, excellent review, extremely thorough! Two thumbs up!

Yeah, i noticed that Sonax products are quite pricey.

**DARK HORSE** · 07-14-2010, 04:11 AM

As always Corey, excellent review, thanks for taking the time to share it... I haven't used Sonax, but I have used both DP and 303, I like both, but think that DP does a little better job for a spray and wipe...

**jpegs13** · 07-14-2010, 04:52 AM

Thanks for the great review!

**Mindflux** · 07-14-2010, 08:00 AM

No Dog Before and Dog After?

**mchess1** · 07-14-2010, 08:22 AM

As always Corey, great job on the review.

How do you continue to find fresh cars to test products on? I would have figured by now every vehicle on your street would be so shiny they would be visible from space.

**mikep288** · 07-14-2010, 10:00 AM

Great review as always. Thanks for taking the time!

**CEE DOG** · 07-14-2010, 01:25 PM

Thanks to all of you for reading and for all your kind comments!

Originally Posted by DARK HORSE

I haven't used Sonax, but I have used both DP and 303, I like both, but think that DP does a little better job for a spray and wipe...

Thanks for the tip Tad. Is this the DP total interior cleaner or the DP upholstery cleaner you're talking about?
I have the DP TIC but have never used it on carpets. After seeing your post I just looked and I see that it can be used on them.

Originally Posted by Mindflux

No Dog Before and Dog After?

The first picture was before. The second one after. LOL

Originally Posted by mchess1

How do you continue to find fresh cars to test products on? I would have figured by now every vehicle on your street would be so shiny they would be visible from space.

Actually I do have to be creative sometimes. I had to get some panels from the junkyard and I have some neighbors that are... cooperative.
On the Sonax Nano Paint Cleaner review thats soon to come I really want a faded car to test it on but don't want to buy another panel from the JY and can't find a neighbor that has one faded enough. We'll see what we can do this weekend...