water has staind my roof lining..has anyone had success removing stains?
many thanks

 

Are you certain the stain was caused by water? As the glue and foam underneath the headliner fabric break down, they also cause stains. Some members here have had some success mitigating those stains with various solvents, albeit temporarily. The only permanent fix is to pull down the headliner, scrape off the disintegrating components, replace them with better materials, and then reinstall the newly-recovered headliner....

 

the rubber seal around the door was pulled by one of my passengers and let water into the car deffo water damge..thanks for your reply

 

I don't know if this will work on the water stain but try rubbing alcohol. On the convertible headliners like Jon was talking about it does a good job of cleaning them. I would try a inconspicuous spot first.

 

Dennis,

I had a water stain on the main roof lining of my XJ40 from a faulty sunroof seal. It was the same material and never successfully cleaned. Improved it with foam interior cleaner but it was still noticeable.

With your skills and facilities, recovering the roof lining shouldn't be a problem.........?

Graham

 

thanks gra
Ive heard that the roof lining is a pain..ill have a test fiddle and if it looks to much of a job .. ill just live with it..its only minor so im not too upset..dosnt warent a new lining
cheers
Dennis

 

dennisw,
Assuming the headliner is the same velour as in the convertible, it is a polyester or acrylic velour that is washable, meaning you can take a sponge with soap and water and try and rub out the stain. Don't allow it to dry or you'll get a ring, take a hair dryer or an air compressor and blow it dry.

 

I have had success (in cheaper cars) using this:
Dilute per directions, spray on, and hoover off with a wet vac.

Spray lightly as it might affect the underlying material. That said, in other vehicles I have wetted spots pretty heavily with no ill effect. I used to own a cleaning company.

If shipping costs into the UK are too high then any good commercial carpet cleaning solution should work. Try to avoid the rubbish sold to consumers.

 

I've had excellent results using one of those Shop hand-cleaning towelettes that come in a plastic tub and pop up one at a time as you pull them. Sometimes they come with a pumice-type grit on one side of them, and they're great for cleaning your hands, elbows, etc, after getting 'down & dirty' I just use the un-gritted side, and rub the spot gently, turning or changing the towel frequently. Worked wonders on the grey velour liner on my convertible top!