Episode 3 - HOW TO CLEAN THE INTERIOR ROOF OF A CAR
Your car ceiling’s covering material is known as a headliner. It is made up of more than just fabric, otherwise it would droop down from its mounting points on the ceiling.
The roof liner is composed of:
· A hardened backing, typically made of fiberglass or another fibrous board moulded to shape
· A thin foam layer glued to the backing
· The exposed material of the headliner, uniformly glued to the foam
The whole headliner in your vehicle is manufactured in one piece. In the event that it gets damaged or falls apart, it has to be replaced as a complete part.
The headliner is one of your vehicle’s components that receives little attention. It is often neglected when you wash and detail your car and becomes dirty and discoloured. Its exposed surface is porous and absorbs smells and smoke, retaining the odour for days, weeks, or even permanently.
You may notice at some point that your headliner is dirty or stinks and decide to clean it. It is rather delicate compared to the rest of the upholstery and requires extra care to ensure it doesn't get damaged when you attempt to remove stains or smells.
REMOVE MINOR SOILING
Materials Needed
Wipe gently. Gently wipe the dirty spot with the microfibre cloth.
· Brush off any loose soil that is stuck to the headliner. Your goal is to gently remove any loose bits without rubbing the dirt into the fabric any deeper.
· If the dirty spot is no longer visible at this point, you are finished. If it is still noticeable, continue to next step.
Apply the cleaner. Apply fabric cleaner to the spot on the headliner with a cloth.
· Turn your cloth over and spray a small amount of upholstery cleaner onto the cloth. Lightly saturate a small corner.
· Wipe the dirt spot on the headliner with the wet corner of your cloth.
· Wipe your cloth on the headliner with the visible grain if there is one.
· Apply very gentle pressure with the cloth. You want to work the cleaner just into the surface of the headliner to remove minor stains and don’t need to saturate deep into the foam.
· Blot the wetted spot with a clean, dry section of your microfibre cloth to remove excess wetness.
· Wait for the upholstery cleaner to fully dry, check if the dirty spot has been fully removed.
· If the stain is still there, try the next method.
PERFORM A SURFACE CLEANING
Materials Needed
When a spot cleaning isn’t enough to remove a small dirt spot, it will be necessary to clean the whole headliner in a more in-depth way.
Spray your headliner. Spray the whole headliner evenly with upholstery cleaner.
· Pay special attention to the edges and in crevices around lights.
· An aerosol upholstery cleaner has a foaming action that helps break up trapped dirt just below the surface. While a pump-style liquid upholstery cleaner may work, the foaming cleaners work best.
Let it sit. Let the cleaner sit on the upholstery for the set amount of time specified on the container.
Agitate the headliner with brush. Once the sit time has finished, use a small, soft-bristled brush to lightly agitate the surface of the headliner.
Reach every part of the headliner’s surface with the bristled brush to ensure an even clean is performed. If you don’t brush a section of the headliner, it may be evident after the cleaner has dried.
Let dry. Let the cleaner dry completely. Depending on how heavily you applied the cleaner, it could take an hour or two for it to dry.
For tough stains, a second treatment may be required. Repeat steps 1 through 4.
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