Why should you clean your car headliner?
Things like cigarette smoke, dirty hands, and even roof leaks can leave your car ceiling looking worn out and neglected. Regular cleaning helps keep the interior looking fresh, prevents odors from building up, and extends the life of your headliner.
Things you’ll need to clean your car headliner
Microfiber cloths
Soft-bristled brush
Fabric or upholstery cleaner spray
Steam cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
Three ways to clean your car headliner
Spot-clean your headliner
Step 1: Remove any loose debris stuck to the headliner by wiping it with a microfiber cloth or gently brushing it out with a brush. Ensure that you do not rub the dirt particles into the headliner’s fabric.
Step 3: Wipe away any excess moisture with a dry microfiber cloth and allow it to dry completely. Check to see if the stain is gone once dry.
Surface clean your headliner
Step 1: Spray upholstery cleaner evenly across the entire headliner, being careful not to soak it. You should give specific attention to the regions, corners, and crevices around the lights, overhead console, and sunroof that are extremely grubby.
Step 2: Let the cleaner sit for a while to work its magic on the stains. If you’re not happy with the result, you can reapply and repeat the process.
Step 3: With a soft-bristled brush, gently scrub the entire headliner. To ensure an even clean, make sure you work on each area of the headliner. If you don’t brush every little nook and cranny, the stains may show up once it dries.
Step 4: Let the headliner dry completely by blotting any moisture using a microfiber towel. After that, let it air dry. This could take an hour or two, depending on how wet it is.
Step 5: If the stains persist, repeat steps one through four. Tough stains may require a second cleaning. However, if the second surface cleaning does not yield results, you will need to deep clean your car’s headliner.
Deep clean your car headliner
If surface cleaning does not work, you’ll have no option but to deep clean your headliner. The reason you don’t want to employ deep cleaning procedures right away is that, if not done properly, it could damage the glue that holds your headliner in place.
Step 1: Heat up your steam cleaner following the device’s manufacturer’s instructions. It’s time to work on the headliner once the steam cleaner has heated up. Check if you need to use a cleaning solution or water in the device.
Step 2: Once the steam starts to fill your car, steam your headliner in sections. Hold the steamer over each part for a few seconds to remove odors and tough stains. Do not prolong this step. The deeper the steam penetrates, the more the glue in the headliner melts. This will almost certainly result in a sagging headliner.
Step 3: Scrub with a soft-bristled brush or microfiber cloth, and vacuum or dust off the dirt that gets loose.
Step 4: Let the headliner dry completely to prevent the adhesive from failing and mold and mildew from growing. You can open the windows and doors of your car and air dry or use a couple of fans to speed up the drying process.
Step 5: You may notice some tracks on a car’s headliner after cleaning and drying it. Running a clean hand over them will readily remove them, but only after the headliner is completely dry.
If you’re short on time or not sure if you can do this at home – just don’t. Drive over to a friendly neighborhood car wash near you and get your car deep cleaned by folks who know what they’re doing. Before we leave you and your stain-free car to get back on the road, here are answers to a few questions we thought you might have.
How do you clean cigarette smoke from a car headliner?
How do you get water stains out of a headliner?
How do you get grease out of a car headliner?
Bonus tip – DIY car headliner cleaning solution
Anna Hughes enjoys turning complicated automotive topics into practical, reader-friendly content that helps everyday drivers feel more confident about car ownership. Her goal is to make learning about cars less stressful and a little more interesting along the way.
