Making a stained headliner "white" again?

[gtc]

 

31 minutes ago, tech71 said:

Disrespect  percieved/received.

 

mmmm, okay. (?)

 

The post is an agreement with your post, - along with additional cautionary information for folks who might be tempted to use less-safe products in an enclosed space. As-in: Don't poison yourself simply because you might not be aware of how toxic something is when you don't actually read the cautions on the label. (kind of the definition of unintentional moronic behavior)

 

The post contains self-referential levity with an actual, literal additional caution that it should not be construed as criticism of anyone else.

 

If you want to construe that as something that it pointedly is not, - mmmm, okay.

[schuetz1619]

19 hours ago, Mike Self said:

One of the items in the old (1979) BMWnospaceCCA Tech Tips book was to use Comet cleanser and a fingernail brush.  Comet has bleach in it and will whiten stains.  Make a thin paste of the cleanser and gently scrub with the fingernail brush, wiping it off with a damp sponge as you do a section. 

 

I've used it in the past and it worked quite well, although messy as it'll drip on you (and the upholstery).  Use towels, wear a ball cap, and have a damp towel to wipe up drips.  

 

And a final caveat.  When this was written those headliners were only a few years old, so be gentle with the material now as it assuredly more brittle than in the 70s.

 

mike

 

[schuetz1619]

Many thanks to everyone who responded. Lost of ideas to sort through.

 

I suspect I'll clean it with one of the less-potent cleaners mentioned in prep for the suggested paint. The staining is more than 2 decades old and from the inside out--i.e. not superficial. Perhaps more aggressive treatment might help some, but I don't want to risk damage if I can possibly rescue it completely with the paint.

 

If not . . . Well, I do have all the proper new material needed for replacement, courtesy of W/N.

 

As always, I really appreciate the effort everyone has made to be helpful. That is the wonderful thing about this forum!

[tech71]

1 hour ago, gtc said:

The post is an agreement with your post,

I see you are fluent in Cryptic😉 No worries

Edited February 15, 2023 by tech71

[esty]

as you are learning from the guys here, cleaning a headliner is science, somewhat like determining the origin of a germ...it requires a complex mixture of water, peroxide, bleach, enzymes, foam enhancers and other ingredients

 

 

 

[BarrettN]

18 hours ago, gtc said:

 

More on Brakleen:

 

Don't Use Brakleen to Clean Everything in Your Shop

WWW.ROADANDTRACK.COM

---

Think twice before squirting this ubiquitous solvent.

 

Wait, did I say moron? - No disrespect intended.

Thanks for posting this - I'm one of those guilty of using it for all sorts of things and not taking proper precautions. Probably has something to do with all the solvents I was exposed to as a teenager working in my Dad's body shop. 

[Dick R]

At the risk of being considered nuts, for cleaning headliners, I used a shoe cleaning product that I got nearly 10 years ago at the Del Mar Fair near San Diego from some guys hawking it like it was a slicer and dicer.  It's meant to clean shoes and I think they really pushed it for sneakers and running shoes.  It's a cleaner, not paint or coloring.  

 

When I acquired my 2002 about 7 years ago, my headliner was a real mess.  It was sound but full of stains.  Because I thought I had nothing to lose, I gave the shoe cleaner stuff a try.  I put some on the stiff bristle brush that came with it and just rubbed the headliner and it immediately made an incredible difference.  It came out great.  And the stains have not returned.

 

I just discovered that you don't have to wait for your county fair to find this stuff - it's on Amazon for 32 bucks including the brush.

Amazon.com

WWW.AMAZON.COM

 

[gtc]

5 hours ago, BarrettN said:

Thanks for posting this - I'm one of those guilty of using it for all sorts of things and not taking proper precautions. Probably has something to do with all the solvents I was exposed to as a teenager working in my Dad's body shop. 

- Know what you mean on the teenage exposure, it just didn't seem that important and the more you got, the less it seemed to matter.

 

It is pretty scary if you're welding with Brakleen in the mix too. Gotta credit tech71 for the heads-up though as the link is just additional info. Anything to save the remaining brain cells is a good cause.

[TobyB]

I like it when I'm not thinking, and get brake cleaner onto a plastic that can't handle it.

 

Instant crazing, followed by cracks.

 

oops.

 

t

what's wrong with leaded gas?

[joebarthlow]

I recently used Griot's Interior Cleaner on the headliner of my Sprinter to remove some nasty water marks due to condensation buildup. Used a lintless cloth to apply. Worked great. Later used the same stuff on some upholstered furniture with good results

Edited February 17, 2023 by joebarthlow