How To Get Water Stains Out Of Car Headliner? [ Explained ]

Eliminating water stains from the car headliner might be difficult sometimes. If there has been a water leak in the car or a rainstorm, you will get water stains on your car headliners. The headliners are composed of soft textiles covered with materials like leather, fabric, suede, or vinyl.

One should never ignore the stain on the headliner and clean it as soon as possible. It is easy to clean the stains when they are fresh. Your headliner can get water stains for many reasons.

The most common reason is the coating or sealant worn, used to shield the headliner’s fabric from being moist. It leaves the soft fabric more prone to absorb liquid, which eventually can lead to staining or discoloration.

There are numerous methods to eliminate water stains from your headliners, but we will always advise you to use the least aggressive technique.

There could be many other causes, but you should clean it earliest. If you do not treat it, it can damage the headliners further and will lead to replacing the entire component.

How to get water stains out of the car headliner?

You will need the following items to clean the water stains off a car headliner.

• Dish soap
• Bucket
• Two microfibers towel
• Soft toothbrush or brush
• Spray bottle
• White vinegar

1. Water and soap

Put two drops of dish soap in a bucket and add lukewarm water to it. Add a nominal quantity of dish soap to the bucket and keep stirring the mixture until it has dissolved.

Dish soap is a great cleanser. It breaks down grease and oil because of its degreasing agent.

Its high pH helps to eliminate sweat, dirt, and other unpleasing elements from the headliner’s fabric. On top of it, this cleanser does not leave any residue on the headliner because it is not harsh on fabrics.

2. Add to spray bottle.

You can soak a microfiber towel in the bucket or put the mixture in a spray bottle. However, most people prefer bottle spray for more convenience.

You have to be specific with the quantity of solution getting soaked in the towel because there has to be enough solution to clean the headliner. You will have to be vigilant that it does not have much liquid, which can cause more harm than good.

3. Spray the mixture

After putting the mixture in the bottle, spray the water on the stains. The mixture should be enough to cover up the stains, and be cautious that you do not leave the headliner soaking wet. It is plausible that you might have to repeat this particular process one more time to terminate the stain entirely.

4. Use a soft brush

Get a soft toothbrush and use it in a circular motion on the water stains to agitate the dirt from them. Apply enough pressure to loosen up the residual dirt, resulting in stains on the headliner. Generally, you need to clean for two minutes, but it depends on the stubbornness of the stain.

5. Wipe the Headliner

When you get the desired result after cleaning the headliner with a toothbrush, it is time to use a clean microfiber towel to wipe it.

If you do not see the result, then repeat the process from step 4. Most probably, you will get the result after the second round. Lastly, use white vinegar on the areas with water stains earlier to disinfect them.

Summing it up

It is a simple 6-step process to make your headliners shine like new ones. A stained headliner vitiates the beauty of the car from the inside. So, it is imperative to get it cleaned. If you find the above process difficult, consult a specialist for it.