QuestionQUESTION: Hi from Portugal. I have to clean this jewel in about two days. All cloth in very dark (almost black from exhaust smoke, I guess, the leather is worn out, carpets are also almost black. My main concern is the ceiling lining. Any special advice?
ANSWER: How on earth did exhaust smoke enter the passenger compartment?. the Wilton wool or West of England broad cloth should only be cleaned with a dry cleaning agent such as the type garment dry cleaners would use. ask your locale dry cleaner for help in this, better yet ask at least a couple of them in order to confirm that you are being recommended the correct material and method. best regards George
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Headliner Cloth
QUESTION: How on earth did exhaust smoke enter the passenger compartment?
My guess: years and years in the same garage where day to day cars in use are kept. Start the engines inside, leave the windows opened and there you have it!
I cannot explain the deep black stains that move around in the cloth when we clean them. No matter how much you extract, it just keeps coming up from the inside.
I've used a dry cleaning agent - Benzine - didn't work.
Regards,
Miguel
Answerwhat a shame. Well Miguel in most instances this would be considered a total loss and the interior would require a refit. if this is your car then you can try something more drastic, if this is someone else's then explain it to the owner that you will attempt a solution with no guaranty. try an upholstery shampoo machine for the suction, use a hand held spray bottle and spray a small section and suck out the grime, try this in a small inconspicuous section, and only use water at first to see if the dust / soot will suck out. if you need it use a mild detergent that is used on wool, in the states we have a product called woolite. it is very gentle and i have had success with light cleaning. your case sounds pretty severe though. best of luck with this please keep me abreast of your progress. best regards
