Cleaning the Headliner - What to Use?

D

Dean Wilkinson

Guest
I am cleaning the white headliner in my 73 Lifeliner. Any advise on what to use to clean any soiled areas.
 
I cleaned the vinyl headliner in my 1963 Pinner Chrysler using Scrubby Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner by Dow. I sprayed it onto the material from side to side and about 2' forward. Let it soak in for a few minutes, and then rinsed with a moistened towel. Using another clean moist towel, I rinsed it again. Then moved forward doing the same thing again until the entire headliner was cleaned. It went from a dingy yellow to a bright white. Working overhead isn't the easiest thing, so take your time, and don't press too hard. Avoid using any type of scrubbing brushes, since you don't want to damage any of the stitching. Rinsing well is the trick to get all the soap out. Also, cover anything that you don't want to get soiled below the headliner. Thanks to Jeremy Ledford for the tip about Scrubby Bubbles..
 
I used "409" cleaner with both of mine, spray it on in small sections, scrub it with a hard plastic bristled brush and wipe off. It is tough to do a headliner your arms will get tired. But suprisingly it did a pretty good job.

Larri
 
now my feelings are hurt I have been talking about scrubbing bubbles for two or 3 years now. no one pays any attention to me.:eek: the 409 is a excellent grease cutter. it will work for a unit that has been smoked in to. the scrubbing bubbles will kill any mold or mildew and the foaming action will bring the dirt up to the top. this works best on the pin hole type or heavy texture material. if you use a few old wash cloths to wipe with, it will help work the dirt out also. often you will find that there are a few rust type stains or oil off the undercoating they have applied to the underside off the roof. one can tone them down with some white shoe polish you may have to blend it in to avoid the spot that is a different white look. but only use that after you have cleaned the headliner. if you don't get it covered the first time let it dry well and redcoat it. you may have to do that a number of times but they will go away
 
Make sure you have good ventilation, so the fumes don't build up in the car and get you, and you'll need a (modern) ambulance. :eek: Eye protection, too.
 
409 may cost you 409.00 plus, my grandma helped clean my seats and it liked dissolved all the threads. I use the aerosol cleaner called the Tannery and it works well on plastic leather dash pads old linolium just my experienc.
 
simple green

We have used a product called Simple Green. It seems to work well on cloth or vinyl. You can buy it premixed or in concentrate. It is bio degradable. Whatever you use make sure you have the proper safety protection. You don't want something dripping into your eyes. Gloves may be advisable too.
Mike
 
I've used Mr.Clean Magic erasers on stubborn areas on door panels, arm rests, seats, and headliners. Just don't scrub too hard with it.
 
Try Murphy's Oil....

DEAN,
Many years ago, I picked up a great tip from the CLC Message Board regarding cleaning a white vinyl top on a '75 Caddy. Use Murphy's Oil - the wood floor cleaner. It is very mild and the label actually says it is suitable for vinyl. I used it for years on the top, without any deteriorating effects.

I would assume it would work on your white vinyl headliner.

Spray a 1 square-foot-patch at a time and use a very soft bristle brush. Keep a damp rag handy to wipe off what you've scrubbed in.

In my opinion, do not use Westley's Bleach White in this circumstance. I know it works great on tires, and may be tempting, but I think it will be too strong for this application, and may dry out the vinyl.

Just my 2 cents...

Let us know what you find works - and doesn't work!
 
I also used Magic Eraser. My original vinyl headliner in 1953 Henney junior which I'm sure had never been cleaned before came out quite nicely. Used Magic eraser twice with minimum of water, wiped down with damp cloth then treated it with a vinyl treatment. This car had just come out of storage after 30 years. I treated it with care and was well pleased with outcome. Takes lots of muscle power though working over your head.
 
Do not use Westley's Bleach White on you white wall tires, because it removes the natural oils in the white rubber and will make the whitewall chalky.
 
Dean you need to use... hey wait a minute, never mind... :yum:

IMG_0667.jpg
 
I'm wondering....would the "scrubbing bubbles" work on the white vinyl tops on my 71 Mark III and my 88 Town Car?

Almost any cleaner will work on the vinyl top of your car to get it clean, however, the vinyl has a natural protective coating as part of the manufacturing process that deterioates with time. Once you have the top clean, it will become more difficult every time to get it clean again, and to keep it clean. The one thing that vinyl doesn't like is sunlight and weather. That is why vinyl dashboards covers go dull and crack with time.
 
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