Hosing out the floor / interior?

[MontanaDave]

I know you can but how much is too much? It’s gross but one of the dogs barfed between the arm rest and the passenger seat. I’ve done what I can but to really clean it I’d need to take the seats out since it’s wedged in cracks, under the seat rails, etc. Forget that!

So, how much can I use a hose here? Obviously this is really just the floor not anything higher up. Seats are vinyl, and all the adjustment controls are manual but there are wires for the heated seats. I know the front footwells have drain plugs for this exact purpose.

Any help would be appreciated!

Dave in MT

PS - when you go pick pears in the orchard for an hour don’t let the dogs snarf the drops.

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[bassist]

I would use low water pressure, and avoid the infotainment section.

Otherwise you are good to go, with the understanding that proceeding with using water constitutes an acceptance of risk on your part and that you will hold harmless the users of this forum and will indemnify us for any legal expenses we may incur should you choose to bring suit.

 

[Bschurr]

Assuming you have the washout interior & MGV seats, just remove the mats, pull the drain plugs and let ‘er rip! (But of course don’t be an idiot and hose the place down like a fireman).

 

[Beach_Bum]

So before you go ahead and hose it out, do a little investigation first to see how inadequate the washout interior is. Pop the door sill plate and you'll see the little tabs that the floor attaches to. Take a look at the seat mounts and how water can get below the washout floor. Keep in mind that the drains are only for the water that is channeled on top of the washout floor. Dirt/water/Dog barf that gets trapped between the washout floor and the chassis stays there.

With that in mind, go ahead and carefully rinse directing the water to the drain valves.

 

[Brian_B]

Well...

Even if you have the washout interior, I wouldn't just go hosing it down.

The door sills on the side have a lot of wires running through them. The seats have seat belt indicator wiring and air bags/air bag sensors and maybe even heat. And it's pretty easy to get a bit too wild and get up around the dash, or under the steering wheel where the BCM/OBD stuff lives.

Apart from wiring, which ~should~ be ok even if it gets a bit wet - water will get down under the liner if you are going crazy with the hose.

My dogs barf and crap in mine too.. it's annoying. And I have had to pull the seats on a couple of occasions. I did put a washout in mine (after the fact) and vinyl seat covers. I have no problem getting a bucket of soapy water and a brush and going to town and letting what accumulates go down the drain, but I wouldn't just go grab the water hose. It's still orders of magnitude better and easier to clean than the carpet was.

Same thing applies if you decided to try to ford the Pacific Ocean or something - if it gets flooded out, I would still want to pull everything to let it dry out, even with the washout interior.

 

[Phil B]

I recently pulled my carpet out and installed Armorlite washout flooring. I'm assuming the OEM washout flooring is not much different. My take on "washout" is with a bucket and sponge, not a hose. There are multiple places where water will run under the floor covering and get soaked up by the underlayment material. The vents under the seats are a especially vulnerable weak spot. Pulling the seats out is no big deal, just make sure you disconnect the battery and let it sit long enough so the airbags don't go off.

If you want to pull the seats out, this will help. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...co_4_Door_Instructions_FINAL.pdf?v=1715302283

 

[swooshdave]

Well...

Even if you have the washout interior, I wouldn't just go hosing it down.

The door sills on the side have a lot of wires running through them. The seats have seat belt indicator wiring and air bags/air bag sensors and maybe even heat. And it's pretty easy to get a bit too wild and get up around the dash, or under the steering wheel where the BCM/OBD stuff lives.

Apart from wiring, which ~should~ be ok even if it gets a bit wet - water will get down under the liner if you are going crazy with the hose.

My dogs barf and crap in mine too.. it's annoying. And I have had to pull the seats on a couple of occasions. I did put a washout in mine (after the fact) and vinyl seat covers. I have no problem getting a bucket of soapy water and a brush and going to town and letting what accumulates go down the drain, but I wouldn't just go grab the water hose. It's still orders of magnitude better and easier to clean than the carpet was.

Same thing applies if you decided to try to ford the Pacific Ocean or something - if it gets flooded out, I would still want to pull everything to let it dry out, even with the washout interior.

 

[allagash24]

In my opinion based on how you’ve described the location of the barf I would pull the seats out. I don’t think you’re gonna wanna hose those areas down and don’t think it would really get rid of it anyways.

 

[DALOLA]

My dogs barf and crap in mine too.. it's annoying...

Y'all's dogs have issues.... (says Coco....)

 

[Brian_B]

Y'all's dogs have issues.... (says Coco....)

Haha you are very much not wrong. My oldest basset just shot a firehose of poop at a poor girl with toenail trimmers.

 

[bassist]

A friend of mine vomited in his truck while drunk - I was the designated driver, thankfully.

He managed to get it into the vents, and when winter kicked in, it became clear he didn’t get all of it cleaned out.

 

[Valhalla]

I hose mine a lot... I get a lot of caked mud in it.. I use a spryer on the hose that has some oomff.. I direct the spray and do not hit screens or window controls.. I do hit seats.

 

[crenca]

I also have had my dogs let loose in the back seat, and like Valhalla I have not been shy about using the hose with real pressure (and some suds) to wash it all out (without removing the seats). I have a base (Big Bend MY24) however, without any fancy seat heaters, shiatsu massaging, or what ever else high trim Bronco's come with

 

[Valhalla]

I have heaters, A snow blower and a mai tai maker with my lux, they sold it as wash out floors... I use it that way... And I get a mean Mai Tai. I don't use the snow blower much.

 

[UncleBrad]

You didn't mention whether you have carpeted floors vs. carpeted floors, which is important.

If the floor is carpeted, I'd opt for steam cleaning. Small, portable steam cleaners with a suitable hose are available inexpensively.

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