The roof lining is an important component of a car that most car owners never realize until it gets dirty. Also known as the headliner, the fabric attracts dust, dirt, oils, smoke, coffee spills, fingerprints, and many other things that lead to the formation of stains on it. Car owners wash the cars from outside and clean the interiors with a vacuum cleaner but forget to clean the roof liner.
However, the car roof liner needs cleaning as frequently as you clean the interior of your car. Every time when you wash your car, you should clean the liner using a damp sponge. There are different methods that you can use to clean a roof lining. Let us explore all the ways to clean your car’s roof lining.
In order to clean the roof lining effectively, you need to know about its several parts. It is made of different materials, including foam, board, and fabric. Now the part that we can see and is exposed to dust is the fabric. We need to clean the fabric without altering the layers underneath the fabric. If we use water or cleaner to clean it, the board under the fabric should not be moistened.
Microfiber cloth
The simplest method to clean a car roof liner is to wipe it with a microfiber cloth. Simply wipe the fabric with the microfiber cloth over the entire surface of the ceiling. The fabric is delicate, and pressing it hard can damage it. So, you should not press too hard while wiping the roof lining. The method is also known as spot cleaning.
Deep Spot cleaning
If simply wiping with a microfiber does not work, and some stains are left after cleaning, you need to try deep spot cleaning. The method involves cleaning with a microfiber cloth but using a cleaning solution. You can buy an upholstery cleaner from a store that sells car accessories.
If you already have an upholstery cleaner, you can use it to clean your car roof lining. Spray the cleaning solution on the stains and wipe them with the microfiber cloth. Most of the stains on the fiber will be removed using this method.
Brush Cleaning method
If some stains are left after wiping with a microfiber cloth, you can use a to remove them. Make sure that you use a soft bristle brush to clean the stains as hard bristles can damage the fibre. Spray the upholstery cleaner on the spots with stains and use the brush in a circular motion on those areas.
The bristles of the brush help clean the dust and dirt deep within the fibre to remove the stains. After using the brush, wipe away the cleaning solution with a microfiber cloth. The method will remove even the tough stains from your roof liner.
Clean with a vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner is used to remove the stains from your roof lining. Car vacuum cleaners are good enough to remove the dirt and dust from the upholstery, but you can use it for the headliner too. Use a soft-bristled brush on the fabric before using the vacuum cleaner.
The brush will loosen the dust or dirt so that they can be easily pulled by the vacuum cleaner. Do not push the brush too much into the fabric; otherwise, it can damage its fibres. After that, use the vacuum cleaner to clean it thoroughly.
Deep Cleaning with Steam Cleaner
Your headliner is more delicate than the upholstery. So, when it comes to cleaning your car’s headliner, home cleaning should really be the last resort.
This is because steaming is required for deep cleaning, and the steaming process returns a steady rate of heat and moisture to the fabric. The roof liner can become loose from the board and the other parts supporting it.
For steam cleaning, you need a steam cleaner machine, some water in a bucket and a cleaning solution.
1. Fill the steam cleaner machine with hot water and some cleaning solutions. The machine is instructed to mix the exact proportions of cleaner water.
2. Turn on the steam cleaner. If it takes some time to heat the solution, wait for it to be ready.
3. Fit the narrow upholstery cleaning adapter on the pipe of the steam cleaner. Then start cleaning the roof liner using the adapter.
4. Start at one corner of the headliner, spray the cleaner on the surface of the cloth, press the trigger and proceed at a steady rate with the headliner. For your reference, the rate of 3-4 inches per second is achieved by moving the headliner steadily and preventing the foam from damaging.
5. Move the headliner in the same direction in long strokes at a uniform rate, until the surface is cleaned thoroughly. Remember to press the trigger between strokes. Make every next stroke with an overlap of half an inch with the previous stroke.
6. Make sure to clean the spills of soap water on the car’s interior.
Leave your car in a well-ventilated area and roll down the windows if you can keep your car safe. It can be a whole day to see the headliner dry completely or quickly if you use fans to blow the air inside your car.
You should not use the car until the headliner is completely clean and dry. Once the headliner is completely dry, continue to move your hands on the fabric. This will remove the dry lines from the cleaner and give your headliner a uniform new look.
The Mobile Roof Lining Brisbane offers cleaning and car roof lining repair Northside, Brisbane, Ipswich and Gold Coast. If you are located in any of these areas, you can hire them for cleaning or repairing your car roof liner. The company has ten years of working experience on headliners of all types of cars.
Final Words
Cleaning the car roof lining is simple if you have the right tools. The key to having a clean headliner is to clean it regularly with a soft microfiber cloth or vacuum cleaner. You need to use deep cleaning only when it is not cleaned for several months. Using the above-given methods can help you to clean your car roof liner at home.
