So I just finished doing the headliner on a 98 Civic (Vinyl liner) Heavy Smoker. I went through 6 cotton towels (once they were white now yellow..lol) but the headliner is Super clean and the smell of smoke has diminished by at least 50% and thats without touching the seats/mats/carpets/dash yet!!

My question is for 'Cloth' Headliners.... do you have a list of do's and dont's for them?? When I started detailing the guy who taught me told me never to wash headliners (cloth ones) because the glue is so thin that it will come apart..... what he said has always made sense and there are others who have backed up what he said........BUT.......

there has got to be a way to clean cloth headliners and rid them of yellowing/dirt/smell etc... cuz I know from experience that you can wash every inch of a car but if the headliner stinks or its dirty it wont smell fresh, which is my goal when cleaning an interior (and thats before I spray any scents) is there any product out there made specifically for headliners? or what do you guys do to clean one??

 

 

Require special care and attention, as cloth type headliners are assembled with foam backing and usually glued to a fibre roof panel. If the headliner becomes wet, it can cause the head liner to delaminate and fall down. An interior cleaner (303 TM Fabric & Vinyl Cleaner) should be used. Spray onto a terry towel and wipe very gently

Do not spray products directly onto head lining. Wipe lightly making sure not to leave headliner wet. Inspect and re-clean as necessary. It is better to clean twice, rather than to allow the head liner to get too wet. An alcohol based aerosol glass cleaner may also work for this operation because of its quick evaporation. Vinyl headliners should be cleaned the same way.
Methodology
•Lightly brush the headliner with a natural-latex sponge or a horsehair brush, they have very soft bristles that are gentle and is specially made for headliners or leather surfaces, this will loosen dust / dirt and make vacuuming easier (for very light dust or lint use a rolling lint brush)
•Do not use a stiff brush as you may snag or tear the headliner material
•Lightly vacuum the headliner to remove loose dust
•Spray 303 CM Cleaner & Spot Remover on to a 100% cotton terry towel
•Cleaning the headliner a quarter section at a time, use very light and even pressure on the towel to work the cleaner into the fabric. Do not saturate the material or use much pressure on the towel
•Use a fresh, clean damp, 100% cotton terry towel to remove the soil / dirt
•Frequently rinse the towel in clean warm water to ensure all dirt I soil is removed
•If the vehicle is fitted with a sunroof, open it a couple of inches, as dust builds up at the front edge.
•Clean this area before closing the sunroof and proceeding to the rear of the sunroof.

Foam & Fabric Adhesive:
This one-of-a kind adhesive Caraway’s Foam & Fabric Adhesive bonds fabric, carpet or Velcro®, to foam, it's great for headliners, loose carpet, and Velcro® backed polisher pads. Adhesives are susceptible to the strong solvents in auto detailing products; it isn't long before some of them will dislodge the Velcro® from your foam pads. Make a quick repair with this adhesive for use on loose carpet or a headliner. The sticky adhesive bonds quickly and never leaves stains or residual odour

Hope this helps...

 

Wow - great info there.