Cleaning headlining

[bigdog390]

Hi has anyone got any experience or methods of how to clean the headlining in their car, mine seems to be in good condition but looks like it could do with a clean, but am reluctant to charge in and start scrubbing with different products in case i ruin it, any tips much appreciated cheers. JEFF

[alec2824]

I would use a vacuum cleaner first. It is amazing to find how much s1t is collected. If you have smokers in the car that will cause dis-colouration that could be permanent!

[macdonjc]

JEFF
I would be interested in any solutions to this problem too. Gentle application of a vacuum cleaner sounds like a good start as already suggested. However apart from vacuuming I suspect that the best solution may be to leave it alone as it may end up looking worse! Maybe I am wrong.
James

[Martec]

The headlining is held up in place by 3 or so sprung steel rods(at the sown seams), if these get wet they can rust and cause more stains. to remove and replace the cloth headlining is a big job as to do it properly you will need to remove the front and rear screens.

Brian

[Islander]

Maybe this sounds too naive....I have applied Turtle Wax's Upholstery Cleaner spray to clean the interior of modern cars. It always cleaned well without damage. Perhaps one may try using it on a small patch first.

[PPV]

When I first got my car the headlining was grubby, I tried vacuuming and it showed some improvement but I took the plunge and had a go at replacing it as I wanted to do some work on the screen surround areas. I was glad I did.
The rods were rusty so I derusted them, the roof soundproofing was falling apart and causing most of the problem.
It was messy to remove this 'horsehair/tar like' layer (had to use a mask and eye protection). To rplace I used the latest Toyota sound deadening that I bought from an NEC show. It worked a treat and made a difference.
It was a bit of a fiddle doing it all but I got real pleasure seeing the results of my own work.
I suppose it depends how confident you are in doing the jobs and how bad the lining looks in the first place.
Regards,