Cleaning water stains on headliner panels?

[Redsquall]

Has anyone been successful in removing water stains in their headliner panels?


I hear that the backing is some kind of cardboard so I’m wondering how wet I can get it.
I also thought I would do a water test to see if any water still comes in. It is sitting in the car with blasting the top with water and looking for drips enough? Or should I check in particular places because I could see through later in other places when I’m not watching it?

thanks

[DMC-Ron]

Has anyone been successful in removing water stains in their headliner panels?


The nature/composition of the stain results from the dissolved or suspended solids that the water picked up and left behind. That can very. I have had good results using a carpet spot cleaner by Folex. Follow the instructions and be sure to test a small area first (headliners do vary). Once your satisfied it will not affect the headliner color, spray it on fairly liberally and work it in with your fingers. Then wipe off the area with a white towel (don't use a colored towel or anything that's dyed) or use a microfiber cloth. Use a drop cloth to protect the car interior.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B0V5GG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ron

[David T]

I have heard of owners who removed the cloth, removed the foam and had the cloth dry cleaned. Foam was reglued to the cloth, the backers cleaned up and the cloth/foam reattached. I have not seen the results but the claim is that it came out good. Most owners either just replace the cloth or get the whole kit with new cloth and backers. If you are a stickler for originality you might want to try to save the original cloth but it is a LOT of work. If you are just trying to clean up a few spots and the cloth is still attached to the foam there are products that can do spot cleaning but be careful, you risk detaching the cloth from the foam, especially if it is still the original stuff. On most Deloreans the foam turned to dust a LONG time ago.

[eight8toy]

I've dabbed mine with a cloth towel after spraying the surface with carpet cleaner. Seemed to work.

[Rich]

I've dabbed mine with a cloth towel after spraying the surface with carpet cleaner. Seemed to work.

Yes, that is a good way to start.

+1 on Ron's vote for Folex. It has no odor, gets the stain out and does not change the base color when I use it on the fabric interior trim in my other cars.

All 3 of our nearby Ace Hardware stores carry Folex.
https://www.folexcompany.com/

[CriticalB]

I also thought I would do a water test to see if any water still comes in. It is sitting in the car with blasting the top with water and looking for drips enough? Or should I check in particular places because I could see through later in other places when I’m not watching it?


I recommend pulling the outer seals and making sure that there isn't any excess cloth material folded over the top of the sills that would wick up water and cause future stains. Your car could be air-tight, but exposed cloth will draw the dirt and water in.

I had water stains that were so bad I figured I should replace the headliners altogether. When removing them, I found the stains had come from someone previously restoring/replacing the cloth and leaving too much excess under the door seals. It had been wicking up water and causing the stains. There was also a lot of dust in the sills under the door, so any water that got pulled in was dirty, making the stains even worse.