14 replies to this topic

[nealg]

Hi, i`m sure this has been asked loads of times. Any good products for cleaning headling as mine is minging.....

[jiffyman]

Take it you mean head lining?? lol

Right, warm water, just water first.... you can you a bit of washing up liquid if you have really stubborn dirt.

Work it really well, and use a MICROFIBRE cloth to clean it off!!

These cloths are fantastic!!

ALSO, you can finish it off using Armourall vinyl cleaner, damn good stuff too, again, use the micro fibre cloth to get it off!

I used to use dusters, microfibre cloths dont leave 'fluff' behind and remove more of the 'gunk'!!

[cursedblad3]

mine is disgusting all yellow and stained, cigarettes....

just another reason i dislike smoking

I've been told white spirit before i've yet to try it though...

Edited by cursedblad3, 12 June 2007 - 08:18 PM.

[stardude]

mines all stained from smokers. i tried white spirit didnt do anything.

anybody else got any suggestions?

adam

[Silicon Skum]

I have a suggestion!

Go to the local shop / supermarket and get a pack of cheap wood floor wipes (the type that use alcohol), you know for those "Swiffer" thingies (looks like a mop). The surfactants and alcohol / propanol will shift the staining from the head lining.

Failing that, there is ONE thing that WILL clean the head lining, but it *WILL* damage it if not used carefully! Go to Halfrauds and get a small tin of Celly thinners, use a COTTON cloth (it will dissolve synthetic materials) and pour a small ammount onto the cloth. Then wipe GENTLY over the lining and use a CLEAN DRY cotton cloth to dry the thinners off the lining (DON'T press hard! the vinyl will be SOFT and easy stretched or damaged untill the thinners have evaporated from the vinyl ! ). Only do a small area at a time and wipe clean straight after.

Do NOT soak the lining with thinners, it will disolve!


I've used this method to clean my head lining in my car (had celly overspray on it), and it removed ALL grime - it also will remove the top layer of vinyl if not carefull!. But it DOES work well, just be carefull how you do it.

SS

[Amy]

Try EVERYTHING before you go down the thinners route!!


Ususally, unless it's tough dried on paint like SS said, then you should be able to remove it with some elbow grease and general household cleaners.

You also need to know whether the headliner is vinyl or fabric, as some later minis have a fabric headlining and it's much more difficult to clean.... Fairy in hot water with a soft brush and lots of patience is good for both types, if there is stubborn staining on the fabric type, then try foam upholstery cleaners.

But definitely don't go putting celly thinners on a fabric headlining, and I personally wouldn't advise it on a vinyl one......
Any drips in your car that you don't notice, will eat into vinyl seats, carpets, and exposed paint work, it's not a job for the slap happy and certainly isn't worth the risk in my opinion!

I once owned a mini where a previous owner was disabled and used to sit for hours in his car smoking!!! The headliner was revolting and literally Yellow after years of nicotine..... It ALL came off eventually with hard work, hot water and soap!


Good Luck!

[Jammy]

I reckon Vanish would do the trick!

[PhoenixSimon]

I used some trainer cleaner and it worked really well, gel like stuff for cleaning sports shoes/trainers

[JD8891]

Baby wipes!! use em for cleaning most stuff inside.

[taffy1967]

I've heard about using thinners many times, but if you own a 1960's Mini with gold brocade detailing then you really need to be careful because it will remove the gold.

And it's then not much fun having to paint it all back in with a special pen.

[Big_Adam]

Set the head lining on fire.

~No more stains ever then.

[Silicon Skum]

Try EVERYTHING before you go down the thinners route!!


But definitely don't go putting celly thinners on a fabric headlining, and I personally wouldn't advise it on a vinyl one......
Any drips in your car that you don't notice, will eat into vinyl seats, carpets, and exposed paint work, it's not a job for the slap happy and certainly isn't worth the risk in my opinion!

Quoted because Amy is correct! Celly is REALLY a last resort (I should have pointed that out, but it WAS 5am... ), so try everything else first. The smoke stains are not realy nicotine (though there is some there) it's actually TAR.

You need to use a thinner that will dissolve the tar / oil, and the best for that is usually alcohols (ethanol, Methanol, Propanol, Pentanol etc.). The most effective would be the mix of Ethanol and propanol + sufactants (like a soap) that are commonly found in household cleaners such as Windowlene (quite effective) or floor wipes (very effective, plus smell nice too).
At a pinch, you could even use strong vodka, though you might have trouble explaining the smell to police, if you get stopped soon after cleaning....

If you want to DIY a cleaning solution, try mixing a bar of hand soap, white vinagar, and methanol (methylated spirits) in a 50 -50 mix (50% soapy solution to 50% methanol). It will smell a bit funny, but it does make a great cleaner for grimy and oily surfaces.

SS

[charminbear]

At a pinch, you could even use strong vodka, though you might have trouble explaining the smell to police, if you get stopped soon after cleaning....

SS

Since when has Vodka smelt of anything !!

[Silicon Skum]

At a pinch, you could even use strong vodka, though you might have trouble explaining the smell to police, if you get stopped soon after cleaning....

SS

Since when has Vodka smelt of anything !!

It smells of ETHANOL - you know, ALCOHOL, if the vodka you've been drinking doesn't, then you need to have a work with your local shop...

Actually, Vodka DOES have distinct smell to it, it's faint, but it's defo there. I can smell what mixed drinks have which alcohol. I even proved this years ago while at college, I could tell which drink was vodka (60% vol) and coke, and which was watered down pure ethanol (60% vol) and coke (happened to be doing a science course so had access to pure ethanol from the labs - minus the "distaster" to stop you drinking it...).
The VERY pure, multi-filtered vodka doesn't have this smell, because it's mostly ethanol and water at this point.

SS

[Nic]

my headling isnt to dirty but it i think has been faded around the edges from the sun and gone a yellowy colour, can i remove that or would it be best to get some kind of paint for it. also my headlining is fabric on the back with i guess vinyal on the front as its from a early 73 mini. what would you advise??