DIY car ceiling cleaning

The ceiling is a part of the interior that is often neglected when washing.
However, this part of the interior absorbs cigarette smoke and other odors, collects dust, and may contain stains of dirt. The headliner can become dirty in areas where the driver's and passengers' heads touch it with hair. When transporting large objects, they can touch the ceiling and pollute it. The ceiling in the car does not need to be cleaned too often, unless people smoke in the car all the time. After thorough cleaning, you can periodically remove individual dirt, if necessary. It is better to wash the ceiling first, before washing the rest of the interior, since the cleaning agent may get on the already clean interior or glass, which will require repeated washing.

In this article we will figure out how to properly clean a car ceiling with your own hands.

What is needed to clean the car ceiling?

Microfiber towel (preferably several).
Special upholstery cleaner or carpet cleaner. You can also use a highly diluted all-purpose cleaner for household purposes. The product must be poured into a spray bottle. We will look at the effect of special foaming agents in more detail below.
A soft brush or brush with soft bristles to better target individual stains.
A vacuum cleaner with adjustable power and an upholstery attachment, or a handheld vacuum cleaner for the car interior. If you do not adjust the suction strength of a powerful vacuum cleaner, it can damage the upholstery, separating the material from the substrate.

Household chemicals and folk recipes

To avoid going to the dry cleaner, you need to purchase a set of cleaning chemicals. The automotive chemicals market is filled with a huge selection of different products.

The best cleaning compounds:

Tuba Von emsal is a foam stain remover. The powerful formula of the cleaner penetrates deep into the material, removing coffee stains, juice stains, and greasy marks. Do not wet the cloth with water; use only foam stain remover for cleaning. One bottle is enough for one sedan ceiling.
Hi-Gear Super Stuff creates a foam that penetrates deeply into upholstery materials and removes stubborn dirt. Foam stain remover restores the appearance and texture of the material, eliminates unpleasant odors. The cleaner creates a protective film on the casing. It enhances the ceiling's resistance to stains.
Profoam 4000 is a foam cleaner. Use to clean ceilings, seats and other fabric surfaces. Surfactants remove dirt from fabrics well and do not damage the structure of the surface being cleaned. Cleans without streaks.

Use chemical compounds with gloves. The drugs are harmful to the skin of the hands.

You can make your own cleanser. You can remove grease stains, lipstick marks, or juice stains using homemade methods.

Traditional recipes:

A good cleanser is made from table vinegar. It is diluted with water. Vinegar perfectly removes greasy stains without damaging the upholstery. Dampen the microfiber and gently wipe the dirty areas. Take a clean, damp cloth and remove any remaining vinegar.
You can wash the leatherette with dishwashing detergent. Pour the gel into a container with water, beat into foam. Apply the foam to the leatherette, rub, and walk along the ceiling with a damp microfiber.

Artificial suede (Alcantara) is cleaned with a foam sponge. Do not use detergents, foam cleaners for leather, velor or fabric. Separate products are sold for Alcantara. Foam in an aerosol package is applied to the entire surface of the ceiling, left for 3 minutes, and removed from the covering with a soft cloth.

DIY car ceiling cleaning

It is necessary to provide good lighting so that the surface and the cleaning process itself can be clearly seen.
Open windows for ventilation while cleaning.
First you need to vacuum the ceiling. Use a special sheathing attachment. Do not use powerful vacuum cleaners at full power, as the suction force can break the adhesive bond and separate the material from the substrate. Use either a special car vacuum cleaner or a regular vacuum cleaner at low power and with an attachment. This will prepare the headliner for washing.
The headliner consists of a thin fabric with very short pile, which should not be wetted too much or rubbed vigorously with a brush. Extreme wetness can affect the adhesive that holds the fabric to the soft backing. The glue may then peel off and the material will sag, which will require repair of the ceiling trim. Therefore, when cleaning the ceiling trim, it must be kept as dry as possible.

Improper cleaning of the ceiling can cause damage to the material, including its separation from the substrate and sagging.

In most cases, using a damp microfiber towel to clean the ceiling will be sufficient. You can read in detail about the structure of microfiber fibers and its cleaning effect in the article “Microfiber for the car. Advantage, choice of application.” It is better not to use strong chemicals, but only mild products. Most contaminants are dust or absorbed cigarette smoke. Such stains can be washed simply with damp microfiber. It can remove tons of dirt. She needs to be driven in one direction and turned over to a new side each time. This way, dirt will collect inside the microfiber and will not rub against the surface. When the clean sides run out, you need to rinse the microfiber towel and change the water to clean water.
To clean the headliner, you can use a special upholstery cleaner (for example, SONAX XTREME Upholstery & Alcantara cleaner in an aerosol) or a diluted all-purpose cleaner. You can also use professional carpet cleaners with a sponge. You need to dilute the carpet cleaner with distilled water (10 to 1).
The rich foam of special detergents prevents the ceiling material from being soaked and wet through, unlike simple soapy water.
Before cleaning your headliner, it is important to first try the product you want to apply on a small area, in the least visible place.
Do not try to wash the entire headliner at once, as the foam will dry out. Spray an even layer of foam ¼ part at a time. Leave the foam to act for 1 minute, then wipe off with a damp (wet and wrung out) microfiber.
You need to act carefully and accurately, without excessive pressure and quick movements. When washing the entire area of the sheathing, make a forward and backward motion.
Allow the sheathing to dry after each cleaning step so that it does not become soaked through. Use a dry microfiber to remove excess moisture from the ceiling material to prevent soaking.
If some areas are more dirty, apply a little more cleaner to those areas. In these places, you can use a brush or a brush with soft bristles to gently work on the dirt. Next, use a microfiber towel to remove dirt and dry the material.
Spraying the detergent and absorbing it into the microfiber can be done several times until a satisfactory result is obtained.

Safe products and tools

The car vacuum cleaner is compact in size and greatly simplifies daily cleaning.

You cannot do without tools and a set of products during the cleaning process. List of what you need:

Powerful vacuum cleaner. To treat hard-to-reach areas, you will need a crevice tool. Bagless models can also be used to collect foam.
Toothbrush. Needed to clean especially narrow crevices.
Sponge. For convenience, you should choose a large and dense one.
Microfiber cloths or cotton towels. Required for applying and wiping off cleaning solution.
Brush. Its density is selected according to the material of the upholstery. It should not damage the fabric or skin, but at the same time, you must choose a brush with stiff enough bristles to remove dirt.
Bucket and rubber gloves. Gloves should be thick so that they do not tear during cleaning and you can use water at a higher temperature.
Hot water. As hot as rubber gloved hands can tolerate.
Auto chemical goods.
Hairdryer You can dry the upholstery with a regular hairdryer to speed up the drying process.

A steam generator and an industrial vacuum cleaner will greatly facilitate the process of cleaning the interior, but there is no urgent need to purchase them. How to choose auto chemicals: criteria

It is advisable to purchase chemicals not at car dealerships, but to order them on the Internet. Moreover, you need to search for it using the query “chemicals for car washes.” The issue will be specialized products, and not solutions for household use. The average cost of a good product is 500 rubles per liter. Moreover, this volume is enough for several cleanings.

Criterias of choice:

does not contain aggressive solvents;
has a neutral pH (preferably);
Concentrated and well foaming.

To clean car seats at home, you need to spend about 800-1000 rubles. This includes the cost of the product itself, sponges, brushes, napkins, and rubber gloves.

Removing individual stains

You can use a special product to remove stains.
When removing individual stains, never spray detergent directly onto the ceiling material, otherwise you will end up with a visible stain. Apply a small amount of cleaner to the microfiber and begin to gently rub the stain in a circular motion. Turn the microfiber over to the clean side to avoid re-contaminating the surface. This way, the stain will gradually transfer to the microfiber, and the upholstery will be cleaned.
If the microfiber does not wash away the dirt, then you can use a soft-bristled brush (or a toothbrush) or a brush, making circular movements and creating foam. Next, you need to carefully wipe the foam with a dry microfiber to remove any dirt raised by the foam.

Apply a foaming agent or other product to the brush and begin to wash the stain in a circular motion. Remove the remainder with a microfiber towel.

Work from the edges to the center to avoid the appearance of a visible outline around the stain being washed.
For stubborn, stubborn greasy stains, mix white vinegar with warm water (water and vinegar, 3 to 1). Wet a soft-bristled brush or brush into the resulting solution and gently scrub the stain. White vinegar also works well against cigarette odor embedded in the headliner.
Also, greasy stains can be treated with isopropyl alcohol. Apply alcohol to the stain, let it soak in for 1-2 minutes, then wipe the remainder with a clean cloth.
When washing the stain, make several attempts if necessary.
When removing surface hardened or dried stains, it is important to get as much of it dry as possible before applying the cleaner. By dry removing most of the stain, there is less chance that the stain will rub into the fabric when washed. To remove dry dirt, you can use a knife blade and carefully scrape off the dirt. In most cases, dried stains can be completely removed this way. When scraping off dry dirt, you can hold the rag with your other hand so that the particles fall into it and not onto the seats. Remaining particles can be removed with a soft brush or vacuum cleaner with an attachment.
When cleaning individual stains on a thin ceiling fabric, the freshly washed stain will almost always look cleaner than the surrounding area and stand out. To solve this problem, you need to dampen a clean microfiber and smooth (blur) the freshly washed, prominent stain into the rest of the headliner. It will be like a smooth transition. This will make the clean stain less noticeable.

Instructions for cleaning the car interior

When cleaning, it is important to consider the material of different surfaces and choose the appropriate cleaning products

The general sequence of actions for cleaning the interior includes preparatory work. If the contaminated areas are in an accessible place, then disassembling the seats is not necessary. To wash the seats in the car yourself, you need to drive it to a place where there is access to hot water and electricity. An equipped garage (water can be heated on a portable electric stove) or an area in front of the house is suitable, provided that you have a carrier with a long power cord. First, they clean up the interior: collect large debris and vacuum the interior, otherwise dust will add dirt when it comes into contact with water.

The procedure for cleaning fabric and velor interiors:

The detergent concentrate is diluted in a bucket of hot water in the ratio specified in the instructions and stirred. Moreover, 70% of the volume should be occupied by foam.
Foam should be scooped up onto a sponge and applied to the contaminated surface. It is necessary to clean the entire surface, and not just particularly dirty areas, because dirty stains will remain. Use the product carefully, avoiding contact with eyes. If an aerosol is used, it is sprayed onto the upholstery and rubbed in with a napkin.
After this, leave the product for a few minutes.
Using your cheek, rub off the stain (if the ideal result cannot be achieved, you will need to repeat the procedure again after washing off the composition). For velor use a soft brush, for fabric - a hard one.
Collect dirty foam with a vacuum cleaner and napkins.
Ventilate the car or leave the windows slightly open so that the moisture evaporates faster.

Even though your hands were protected with gloves, they should be washed thoroughly with soap after completing the procedure.

A steam generator is ideal for cleaning velor interiors. It carefully cleans the upholstery, without the risk of damaging the material.

Cleaning genuine leather interior:

After preliminary preparation, you need to turn on the stove and let it run for 5-10 minutes if cleaning is carried out during the cold season outside or in an unheated garage. Warming up the interior will make it easier to remove stains.
Special compositions for natural leather are a cream that needs to be rubbed in, applied to a microfiber cloth.
Then leave the cream to act for a while and wipe the surface with clean microfiber. According to user reviews, products from companies such as Turtle Wax, Wolfgang Leather Care, LIQUI MOLY, Meguiar's are good.
After the interior has dried, apply leather conditioner. It will significantly extend the life of the leather interior. Preference should be given to expensive water-based products. They do not leave marks on clothes and do not damage the skin. They need to wipe the surface and wait for it to dry.

Natural leather is difficult to care for. It should not be cleaned with soapy water, vinegar, soda, or salt. This can lead to clouding and cracking of the surface.

Artificial leather is less demanding on detergents, so you can use dishwashing detergent or a saturated aqueous solution of laundry soap:

Half a bar of laundry soap is grated and poured with freshly boiled water. Volume ratio 1:3 (or 1:4).
Then stir the solution so that the soap dissolves and cool it to an acceptable temperature.
A microfiber cloth is soaked in the solution and the car seats are wiped.
The foam is removed with a clean, dry cloth. If desired, you can apply a care product for artificial leather.

Leather interiors should be cleaned every 3-4 months.

Soap solution or special aerosol products are successfully used to clean plastic elements. It is enough to distribute the composition over the surface, rinse with water and wipe with a cloth. To avoid the appearance of old, difficult-to-remove stains, it is necessary to wipe the plastic elements daily with wet wipes.

Cleaning a car ceiling with a steam cleaner

A steam cleaner does a good job of cleaning. You can use a quality steam cleaner by wrapping the nozzle through which the steam comes out with microfiber. The steam will help lift dirt from the surface, and the microfiber will absorb it.

You should use the steam cleaner with caution, preferably only on stubborn stains. There is no need to overheat the ceiling and do not unnecessarily saturate the ceiling material with moisture. The material is glued to the backing, and steam can weaken the glue and the material may sag over time.

Recommendations

The ceiling in a car gets dirty more slowly than the seats, but requires proper care. You can clean it without resorting to paid chemical cleaning of the car. The main thing is to follow the recommendations.

Helpful Tips:

Do-it-yourself cleaning of the car ceiling is carried out using special compounds. Incorrect selection of detergents will lead to changes in color and streaks.
Select cleaning compounds based on the sheathing material.
The cleaning product is tested before use. Apply to an inconspicuous place on the skin.
Brushes should not be used on fleecy fabrics. Velor and carpet materials are washed with microfiber. Wash in the direction of the pile.
Genuine and artificial leather, vinyl covering can be cleaned with a washing vacuum cleaner, a thick cotton towel or a soft brush.
You cannot use a regular vacuum cleaner. The fastening of the casing is broken. The pressure created by the vacuum pulls the material and separates it from the car body.
It is better to wash removable ceilings from the outside in good lighting.
Cleaning is carried out completely, not locally.
It is necessary to thoroughly wash detergents from the upholstery, otherwise stains will remain.

You will be able to get a good result if you follow these recommendations.

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Cleaning the interior ceiling with Tornador

Tornador is a compressor-powered pneumatic tool that can effectively clean any interior surface, including the headliner. This tool uses a very small amount of liquid when cleaning and does not saturate the headliner. It does not change the structure of the upholstery, as happens when scrubbing difficult stains with a brush. This tool can be useful for both professional detailers and car enthusiasts. Tornador has many advantages, but its disadvantage is the need for a compressor. You can read more about this tool in the article “tornador, dry cleaning machine.”

Folk remedies

Saving on the purchase of expensive products intended for cleaning car dealerships, motorists use what they find at home:

Vanish stain remover can be used to remove stains from white or beige upholstery, but be careful.
Tea or coffee stains are removed from fabric or skin with ammonia. You need to soak the fabric in the solution and place it on top of the stain. After 15 minutes, wipe the area with a microfiber cloth.
Traces of ink and felt-tip pens can be removed with alcohol or vodka. Moisten a cotton pad and rub the stain.
Light-colored upholstery can be cleaned with lemon juice filtered from the pulp. You need to soak a cotton pad or sponge in the juice and rub it into the stain.
To remove greasy stains, use starch, baking soda, talc or fine sawdust. The stain is covered with a dense layer of powder, and after 15 minutes it is removed with a vacuum cleaner.

The advantage is that these compounds are at hand and do not need to be purchased specially. If something is not suitable for cleaning the interior, it will be used for other purposes. Car cosmetics are a special investment of financial resources and sometimes considerable ones. There are two disadvantages of traditional methods:

not always effective;
may damage the upholstery.

It is recommended to first check how the composition affects the material in an inconspicuous area. Otherwise, whitish spots, streaks, hair loss, or cracking of the skin in a visible place may occur.

What should you avoid when cleaning your car ceiling?

Never scrub stubborn stains with force.
Do not use brushes with hard bristles.
Do not use ammonia based cleaners.
It is important not to saturate the ceiling sheathing completely, as this may affect its delamination from the substrate.
To clean the interior ceiling, do not use aggressive cleaning agents. They can have a destructive effect on the sheathing adhesive.
Do not use anything abrasive on the interior ceiling.

Cleaning steps

The process of cleaning a car ceiling itself consists of several stages.

Dry cleaning

Before wet washing, the ceiling is dry cleaned. To do this, you need to take a dry cloth (preferably microfiber) and wipe the ceiling with it. If there are fluffs on the surface of the ceiling covering, then cleaning should be done in their direction.

You can also use a vacuum cleaner to get the best results. Both special (car) and regular variations are suitable. However, when choosing the second option, you should remember that if you overdo it with power, you can compromise the reliability of the adhesive coating.

Wet cleaning

After dry cleaning, you can proceed to the second stage - wet cleaning. Here, the first step is to apply special detergents to the surface of the ceiling. Products from well-known brands are usually sold with a spray bottle, which greatly simplifies the cleaning process. If there are oil stains on the canvas, use a solution with laundry soap or washing powder and water.

In order to achieve the greatest effect from washing, the products need to be allowed to soak into the ceiling surface a little so that they react with contaminants. It is worth remembering that large stains should never be rubbed too hard, as this may damage the structure of the fabric. They should be wiped slowly with a soft microfiber cloth until completely removed.

The nuances of cleaning and washing the ceiling

Like any process performed by a person without experience and skills, measures to bring the interior in general, and the ceiling in particular, into order are fraught with some secrets.

a) Type of upholstery material (carpet or velor fabric, leather or leatherette, etc.). It is natural that the choice of cleaning agent should take this fact into account.b) Accurate calculation of the force applied. Violation of this factor can lead to damage and compression of the upholstery.c) Nature of contamination. Ignoring this nuance will lead to the futility of the entire process described above.

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In principle, this problem can be solved with the help of ordinary dry cleaning of the car interior. However, many people prefer to clean the interior themselves. Partly because of the high prices for dry cleaning, partly because of the desire to do it yourself.

In any case, if you are faced with the question of how to effectively wash the ceiling in a car, it is best to turn to specialists. In specialized stores there is a fairly wide selection of all kinds of products with which you can wash any stain. In addition, these products will never harm the surface you are about to clean.

Causes of ceiling contamination in a car

The car's headliner becomes contaminated when it is touched by hands, head or clothing.

But the most common causes of dirty car interiors are the following:

Restlessness of young children. It has been noted that children are not able to sit still for a long time, so when moving by car to another city, you can expect that the child will stain the entire upholstery of the car with his hands and feet. A serious problem arises when two or three children sit in the back seat, then at the end of the trip you can witness the presence of traces of palms smeared in chocolate, splashes of juice, and traces of food.
Actions of adults. But not all pollution is caused by the influence of a child; even adults themselves can stain the ceiling for a number of reasons. For example, a tall passenger caught in a downpour, or relatives placing a rather large load in the back seat.
Use of tobacco products. A common reason for a car's upholstery to be of a dirty hue is the driver's smoking. The smoke emitted by cigarettes remains on the ceiling, and the smell is absorbed by the paneling; it is simply impossible to do without washing.

Among the most common polluting factors of a vehicle are trips with the windows slightly open, when all kinds of midges and dust particles from the roads penetrate into them.