Hot to clean my gray Headliner

[NOTSPCY]

I have a 2003 es protege and my headliner is completly black now in the back . I guess bc i always drive with my windows down . Can someone tell me what is the best way to clean this really well with out ruining any of my interior . ''I want my nice Gray headliner back " ill post pix up tonight so you can see how bad it is .


PLEASE HELP !

 

[Mr Detailer]

I have a 2003 es protege and my headliner is completly black now in the back . I guess bc i always drive with my windows down . Can someone tell me what is the best way to clean this really well with out ruining any of my interior . ''I want my nice Gray headliner back " ill post pix up tonight so you can see how bad it is .


PLEASE HELP !

Woolite and warm water, applied with a microfiber towel. Dried with another microfiber towel. Here's what my headliner looked like when I bought my Protege and started cleaning it.

I poured a tiny bit of Woolite (a spot about the size of a nickel) into a 1gal bucket, and filled it halfway with warm water. Then take one MF towel, soak it in the solution, wring it out most of the way, and then start working on the headliner. Gently wipe the staining until it's gone, and follow up with a dry MF towel, blotting to soak up the excess solution.
Too much water can soak through the headliner fabric and break down the adhesive behind it. That results in a drooping headliner. Therefore, you obviously don't want to use too much water.

 

[L8R]

Looks good! Thanks for the information.

 

[BadKarma]

Wow, those are some pretty impressive results! I believe I've found the next project for the family car. Thanks for the guide MrDetailer...

 

[idrivemazda]

What kind of woolite? there's fabric woolite and carpet woolite.

 

[Mr Detailer]

The kind that you'd wash clothes with.

 

[NOTSPCY]

i tried the woollite idea and i dont think it is working good enough there is still alot of dark areas. will post pix in a few mins

 

[NOTSPCY]

Before

After

 

[Mr Detailer]

I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking at there. Are the after pics showing areas that are partially complete?

 

[NOTSPCY]

yea but it doesnt seem to want to come out .

 

[sam1]

Woolite and warm water, applied with a microfiber towel. Dried with another microfiber towel. Here's what my headliner looked like when I bought my Protege and started cleaning it.

I poured a tiny bit of Woolite (a spot about the size of a nickel) into a 1gal bucket, and filled it halfway with warm water. Then take one MF towel, soak it in the solution, wring it out most of the way, and then start working on the headliner. Gently wipe the staining until it's gone, and follow up with a dry MF towel, blotting to soak up the excess solution.
Too much water can soak through the headliner fabric and break down the adhesive behind it. That results in a drooping headliner. Therefore, you obviously don't want to use too much water.

wow! that looks awesome! did you use woolite to clean your pillars also? mine has a bunch of greasy smudges all over that just won't come out. not quite as bad as that 1st pic, but close. my headliner needs cleaned too, but i haven't tried woolite yet, so i'll get some and try it out for sure!

 

[Mr Detailer]

Yeah I cleaned the pillars at the same time, with the same Woolite solution as I used on the headliner.

03es - maybe use water that's a little warmer than last time. You could also try a bit more Woolite in the solution. If that doesn't work, you'll probably need to try an all-purpose cleaner or fabric shampoo.

 

[sam1]

thanks Paul!

slight threadjack...do you know any way to stop yellowing headlights. I bought my wife an 02 maxima se and i dont think the owner took as good of care for the paint as he did the interior, because no matter what i do, the headlights always turn slightly yellow. ive buffed it out by hand using some meguires cleaner wax & mf towel, and it cleared them up for about a week, but after a while they start to yellow again. should i try a more aggressive polish & pad, or is there another product that i should try first?

 

[Mr Detailer]

Get some Meguiars PlastX and rub that in with a microfiber applicator. Apply a sealant to them afterward to protect them from oxidation. You'll probably have to use the PlastX every year to keep them looking good.

 

[mickeyreategui]

im going to clean mine this weekend now after looking at this, thanks

 

[NOTSPCY]

what kinda sealant

 

[Mr Detailer]

Any sealant. A sealant is merely a synthetic wax, containing mostly polymers or acrylic protectants. Meguiars NXT Tech Wax is a locally available example. I use FourStar Ultimate Paint Protection or Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant. Whenever I polish/seal/wax my car, I always do the same steps to the headlights/taillights too (with the exception of heavy polishing).

 

[sam1]

Thank you!!!

 

[D-rock240]

Subbing, thanks for the how-to!

Also, would you recommend the same tratment for the door panel liner? The Body Shop cleaned the exterior but didn't touch the interior, and they left some black marks on the trim.

 

[Mr Detailer]

Yeah I'd give Woolite a shot on that too. Otherwise you might need to look for a spot remover or fabric shampoo.