Fix fabric headliner water stain in Class A Motorhome

[Sue+Jer]

We are fixing up our Class A to sell and have an ugly problem.  A roof water leak last winter stained the fabric headliner and panels around the driver and passenger area.  The roof leak has been fixed, but the cab area is streaked with dark brown water stains.  I've tried upholstery cleaner, which only made a small difference.

The original fabric color is med. beige, but at this point any color would be an improvement.  Short of pulling everything off and reinstalling new fabric, is there any dye or fabric paint product that might work?

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated!  Thanks!

Sue+Jer ???

 

[Jackliz]

We are fixing up our Class A to sell and have an ugly problem.  A roof water leak last winter stained the fabric headliner and panels around the driver and passenger area.  The roof leak has been fixed, but the cab area is streaked with dark brown water stains.  I've tried upholstery cleaner, which only made a small difference.

The original fabric color is med. beige, but at this point any color would be an improvement.  Short of pulling everything off and reinstalling new fabric, is there any dye or fabric paint product that might work?

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated!  Thanks!

Sue+Jer ???

Howdy, Sue+Jer.

I have used Tilex Mildew Stain Remover with very good results  on brown water stains on a WHITE fabric (Ozite)ceiling. You could try it on a very small area and see what happens. If you do use this product, cover everything that you are not cleaning with plastic or some such stuff, wear clothing that you won't mind getting spots on, wear rubber gloves and if possible, open the window for ventilation.

I would spray a little Remover onto a cotton ball, then daub the cotton ball on a small area of the stain. See what happens. Maybe the stain will become lighter. OR the Remover might remove the stain and the color of the fabric, too.  Regardless of what happens, spray a little clear water on the area once the Remover has finished working. Dry with a WHITE cloth. 

My last thought is that the stained area is fairly large, say 3' x 3' or so, installing new fabric might be the easier way to go.  Please let us know what happens. Good luck.     

Regards,
Liz
[edit]Fixed quote tag[/edit]

 

[Jim Dick]

Hi Sue & Jer,

If you can find a spot inside a cabinet try a little brake cleaner. It's pretty much the same as dry cleaning. I've used it on fabrics and carpet with great results. I can't gurantee it will remove water stains but it might be worth a try. Be sure to test a hidden spot first to be sure it doesn't cause a problem.

 

[Pat]

Sue+Jer:  At BB&B or maybe it was Linens & Things I found a bottle of stuff called Gonzo.  I bought the bottle of liquid, not the spray.  I had water stains on cloth walls plus rust stains from screws that I removed from some built-in cabinets.  My cloth walls are a medium grey.  I felt Gonzo did a great job lifting out the rust, and it removed the water stains reasonably well.  They are near the floor behind my recliner, so I didn't take the time to continue working at it with multiple applications.  You wet a cloth and dab on the stain.  The wet cloth lifts out the stain, so you keep applying Gonzo to clean parts of the cloth.  The key thing was that the Gonzo didn't leave any stains or discoloring.  I have soot on my light grey ceiling fabric from the HVAC.  Gonzo didn't do very well with that; although, I barely tried.  Gonzo has no smell.  Supposedly it's great for pet stains and odors.  Anway, I'd use it again.  It probably would have done a better job had I worked at it longer.

--pat

 

[Karl]

Sue & Jer,

Jim's idea is a good one, but you should be careful and not soak the fabric with it. It's trichloroethylene and/or carbon tetrachloride, which may soften or dissolve the adhesive. You could end up with your ceiling fabric un-stuck from the ceiling. Use a clean cloth just slightly dampened with it and, as Jim said, try it first in an cabinet or overhead where it's not visible. And make sure you have adequate ventilation!