Interior cleaning

[design guru]

I am looking to give the interior of my car a good clean, the roof headlining is quite dirty and I have never done it since purchasing the car. Its not so bad that there is stains, just the odd mark here and there.

I have a steam cleaner but am worried about it damaging the headlining. I've seen images of the headlining in some cars sagging. Is there a safe way of doing this. I have used the steam cleaner on the leather seats and it does a great job of loosening the dirt.

Any thoughts on a good method to clean without causing any damage would be more than welcomed.

Also the seat belts need a good clean. seen some videos where they pull the belt and clean it section by section, is this the best way?

W220 S320cdi 2001

 

[Martin 1]

Hi, don't use a steam cleaner on the headlining, it will certainly destroy any adhesives used. OK on carpets but nothing else, it'll also damage leather, wetting stitching and de-laminating the surface, also allowing the leather to stretch and sag, proper leather cleaner only. You could use a weak solution of washing powder on the headlining keeping it as dry as reasonably possible. Cheers, Martin.

 

[clk320x]

I am looking to give the interior of my car a good clean, the roof headlining is quite dirty and I have never done it since purchasing the car. Its not so bad that there is stains, just the odd mark here and there.

I have a steam cleaner but am worried about it damaging the headlining. I've seen images of the headlining in some cars sagging. Is there a safe way of doing this. I have used the steam cleaner on the leather seats and it does a great job of loosening the dirt.

Any thoughts on a good method to clean without causing any damage would be more than welcomed.

Also the seat belts need a good clean. seen some videos where they pull the belt and clean it section by section, is this the best way?

W220 S320cdi 2001

What about a slightly damp microfibre cloth

 

[Martin 1]

sounds good !

 

[MercedesDriver]

As already mentioned use slightly damp microfiber. I have used Chemical guys carpet cleaner CHEMICAL GUYS FABRIC CLEAN CARPET & UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOO (diluted in warm water) and it did miracles on my 124’s headlining, fabric seats and carpets which were discusting when I bought it.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

what about those aerosol foaming carpet / upholstery cleaners........

 

[ellmo]

Hi, don't use a steam cleaner on the headlining, it will certainly destroy any adhesives used. OK on carpets but nothing else, it'll also damage leather, wetting stitching and de-laminating the surface, also allowing the leather to stretch and sag, proper leather cleaner only. You could use a weak solution of washing powder on the headlining keeping it as dry as reasonably possible. Cheers, Martin.

it wont damage the leather, steam is one of the best options to help clean leather as it will open the pores up and then use and APC and a cleaning brush to agitate the grime away. just make sure to wipe down with clean water after.

 

[Martin 1]

Most modern leather finishes do not leave a porous surface ! You run the risk of the sealant, colour and finished surfaces de- laminating.
Connally or similar are the answer.

 

[ellmo]

Most modern leather finishes do not leave a porous surface ! You run the risk of the sealant, colour and finished surfaces de- laminating.
Connally or similar are the answer.

Leather by nature has pours, like most stuff in life, even metals have. you are only opening them up with steam. have a look on youtube, there are lots of top end detailers that use this method.

 

[clk320x]

Leather by nature has pours, like most stuff in life, even metals have. you are only opening them up with steam. have a look on youtube, there are lots of top end detailers that use this method.

I thought automotive leathers have a sort of top coat sprayed on them?

 

[whitenemesis]

Indeed all automotive leathers bar the very highest grades have a PU coating and are practically impervious.

Use a damp cloth for general light cleaning. If particularly dirty, a proprietary cleaner is good as is a lukewarm solution of wool detergent. Never over wet the leather. Conditioners are pointless and may even promote cracking by remaining tacky and trapping grit etc.. in creases.

If you want the smell of new leather try Dr Leather wipes or put a cloth with some Gliptone on it under the seat.

 

[tommytucker]

As for the seat belts you've got the right idea. When I did mine I mixed some vanish with warm water in a bucket, pulled the belt all the way out and held it open with a couple of clothes pegs and used a small scrubbing brush followed by a good rinse. Oh you may want to cover the seat with a dust cloth, only thing is unless you know you can get them dry before you let them retract, this may not be the right time of year to be doing it.

 

[design guru]

Thankfully I car share so my car will be sitting on the driveway for a week. I am hoping to give the interior a good clean this weekend, I have used baby wipes on the seats before and it does a great job of removing the dirt but I also have some Gliptone and conditioner.

Thanks for all the tips on the seat belt cleaning tips, mine are quite bad that even if a ran a wet wipe along them it would be a massive improvement. A big thanks to Martin1 for the tip on not using a steam cleaner on the headlining otherwise you may have seen another post on 'How to get the headlining to stick back in place'.

The car has gone past 200K so the leather is quite well worn but there are no rips so I'm lucky there, just general dirt that has built up and a clean is long overdue. I would have guessed any original sealant on the leather may have worn off by now so the conditioner would be a bonus. Hopefully a week of sitting will let the conditioner dry naturally and settle in.

 

[Alex225]

My Mrs had a Focus and the headline was stained. I just used a damp microfibre and some Interior Shampoo by Autoglym. Easy to get off the shelf and works very well.

Autoglym don't always make the best products but some of them do exactly what they say on the tin.