I am looking for some tips and/or tricks on cleaning headliners. I would try my bissel LGM, but I'm afraid I would just get water everywhere, and make more of a mess than I want to deal with. So any advice, tips, pointers, etc would be greatly appreciated. T.I.A. Roger :headbang:
Put your favorite cleaner in a spray bottle. Mist onto the headliner and wipe with a MF. Any other method and your playing with fire. Manufacturers in their infinite wisdom, typically use a water soluble glue to hold the headliner up. Ask me how I know!!
+1 on what Ken has said. We also found out this past weekend that a stiffish brush with some cleaner sprayed on the roof works well. After a light scrubbing we wiped it down with a damp microfiber and then left the windows open a little to let it dry....turned out good as new
Not to take anything away from the previous posts-just offered as a step-by-step guide Headliners: Require special care and attention, as cloth type headliners are assembled with foam backing and usually glued to a fibre roof panel using a water-based adhesive. If the headliner becomes wet, it can cause the head liner to delaminate and fall down. An interior cleaner (303™ Fabric & Vinyl Cleaner) should be used. Spray onto a terry towel and wipe very gently •Do not spray directly onto head lining. Wipe lightly making sure not to leave headliner wet. Inspect and re-clean as necessary. It is better to clean twice, rather than to allow the head liner to get too wet. An alcohol based aerosol glass cleaner may also work for this operation because of its quick evaporation. Vinyl headliners should be cleaned the same way. •Lightly brush the headliner with a horsehair brush, they have very soft bristles that are gentle and is specially made for headliners or leather surfaces, this will loosen dust / dirt and make vacuuming easier •Do not use a stiff brush as you may snag or tear the headliner material •Lightly vacuum the headliner to remove loose dust •Spray 303™ Cleaner & Spot Remover on to a 100% cotton terry towel •Cleaning the headliner a quarter section at a time, use very light and even pressure on the towel to work the cleaner into the fabric. Do not saturate the material or use much pressure on the towel •Use a fresh, clean damp, 100% cotton terry towel to remove the soil / dirt •Frequently rinse the towel in clean warm water to ensure all dirt / soil is removed •If the vehicle is fitted with a sunroof, open it a couple of inches, as dust will usually build up at the front edge. •Clean this area before closing the sunroof and proceeding to the rear of the sunroof
Roger - I just did this with a 1999 BMW. The headliner on this car was already starting to sag at the C-pillars, so I decided to go really gently with it. - Brush with a stiffish brush, with the pointy end of the bristles trailing behind (rather than leading) - Spray your favorite upholstery cleaner onto a clean MF towel - Wipe down - Repeat as needed It came out much better than it was. Certainly not perfect, but I was fearful of damaging the headliner on this car.
What he said. If you get it too wet, you risk dissolving the thin layer of glue holding it up, thus resulting in you replacing it...
i use CG green clean mixed 3:1 and spray on a MF towel then proceed to clean the headliner. unless it is really stained bad i dont like using a stiff brush. i find it tends to pull the material and leave it a bit worn, reminds me of an old wool sweater that is tattered .
Uhhh Ohhh! I thought I was the only one who did that hahah. Too Much Water=Sagging headliner Whoooops
I've cleaned a pretty nasty smoke stained headliner before with Woolite/water 8:1. Spray onto a towel, and wipe the headliner, flipping the towel to a clean side until you see no more dirt on the towel.
