r/Cartalk • u/Poisonedoceans • Oct 29 '24
General Tech How to remove oil stain from mechanic? Cloth interior. Apologies if this is the wrong flair
I had a really shit experience at this mechanic, and I’m not sure why he was even touching this part of my car considering I was there for a tire patch. I think this is oil or grease? I’m honestly not sure
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u/doransignal Oct 29 '24
Folex carpet cleaner. Amazing stuff
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u/BusyAtilla Oct 29 '24
This. I am a mechanic and sometimes transfer grime. It is excellent. AWESOME works great as well.
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u/Far-Upstairs4169 Nov 04 '24
If you are a mechanic,, I have a question for you,,I lost the car keys for my truck...I never made an extra,which isu dumb on my part...anyhow a guy came out and and made a new key...it opens the doors but it doesn't let engine turnover..so now what should I do?? Any answers would help..thanks Cindy
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u/KarmaNPossum Nov 23 '24
Depending on how old the vehicle is, maybe the locksmith (or whomever) cut the key, but it still needs programming to show it to start the become? They sometimes do this when a person is locked out as it gets you in, but nothing more. Two of my siblings whom are mechanics, & a SIL who is a parts manager of 30 yrs, work for dealerships. They told me in the past that you have to have your title or your purchase contract to prove you're the owner of you want a replacement key programmed. I had needed to get a 2nd key for my '07 Hummer... None of my local/rural dealers kept key codes for vehicles that old though. It was a plain key with a plastic end, so the chip inside the plastic needed coding.
If the key is plain metal (without any plastic at the top end) call the person who made it and ask them to redo it.
Best of luck!!
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u/Classic-Record8225 Oct 29 '24
Worked in hospitality. The housekeeping supervisor had boxes of this! Eventually she showed me some gnarly stains that folex removed without issue. Magic ain't no lie and you can't say that about many products
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u/Knife-Fumbler Oct 29 '24
You take it back to the mechanic and ask for his boss.
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u/Poisonedoceans Oct 29 '24
Oh man, the boss was the worst part of it all. He also tried to lie right to my face about everything, and I called this morning just to hear “well we didn’t do that” Like BRO?!?!
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u/LandsOnAnything Oct 29 '24
What a shithead. I'm a workshop manager myself and just yesterday I had a car cleaned out myself because one of our techs accidently smeared dark grease on a small area on the headliner, just like yours. We just apologized, customer wasn't pissed but a little annoyed but we assured him that it'll be okay and he left happy.
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u/Hilby Oct 29 '24
I think they were "Snooping" in your car when they were inside. I'm going a long way on this assumption, but it's the only thing that comes to my mind.
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u/ziksy9 Nov 01 '24
Sorry "bro", I dig around in my engine bay, get all greasy, then I hop in, wipe my hands on the headliner and head to work to sit at a desk.
Fuck, I'm sorry, it was obviously me.
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u/Silmefaron Oct 30 '24
Call once more and threaten to chargeback with your credit card for damages, see if they comply then. If not, request a chargeback through your CC company
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u/101Spacecase Oct 29 '24
Oh such a huge issue. Over and over I see this....Wear some gloves people gezz
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u/Poisonedoceans Oct 29 '24
Right!!
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u/Big-pp-the-3rd Oct 29 '24
That’s not a gloves issue, that’s a dirty hat issue, I would know because I’m a mechanic and do it occasionally.
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u/Rockos1911 Oct 30 '24
I'll make an addendum to wearing gloves, take them off for interior work. Wearing gloves doesn't matter if you just rub a greasy monkey print on something. If the car's gross, change into some fresh ones.
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u/pollitoconpapas1 Oct 29 '24
Unfortunately, this happened to me this week. They actually wore gloves and still got it dirty. I went back and they took it off.
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u/kobakip Oct 29 '24
I don't think it's because of wearing glove or not. It's being dirty in general.
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u/AshlandPone Oct 29 '24
I have a smart car. Smart loves to make its dash two tone by putting fabric on it and the mechanics always get it dirty.
I also have white leather seats with coloured cloth centers, to match the dash. What i have used, was the Bissell carpet scrubber. It's in a blue spray can with a scrubby bit on the end that is kind of in the shape of a rotary motor's rotor, with sort of soft bristles attached. Spray, gently work in, dab out with a white microfibre you don't care about staining.
I had a boyfriend who once spilled the oil from Mary Brown's spicy fried chicken into my damn seat. I thought, because they use cayenne and it was oily chicken grease, that my seat was ruined forever. 9 months later i had a "what the hell, can't ruin it worse" moment. Above is what i did, and the stain lifted out like it had never happened.
I swear by the stuff.
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u/SwankyDirectorYT Oct 30 '24
No way a smart car owner! How is the ownership experience?
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u/AshlandPone Oct 30 '24
I love it, but i am eccentric. I even tow with it.
I'd say the one i have is probably the one that anyone could drive without major issues. It's got a normal transmission and normal handling, and is about as fast as any honda fit, or hyundai venue.
Most people who i lend it to come back surprised. It's a far cry from the smarts of old, which I also liked a lot.
Sadly it was too little too late, and people just sort of ignored it.
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u/SwankyDirectorYT Oct 30 '24
Dang do you have any pictures of you towing with it? I would love to see it! How heavy of a load can it do?
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u/AshlandPone Oct 30 '24
It's rated for 2000 lbs if the trailer has its own brakes, or 1500 without, but only 120 of tongue weight. You have to balance your load carefully. I have pictures of her pulling uhaul sport, 4x8, 5x8, and 5x10 trailers.
Dm for pics. It won't let me attach here.
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u/OllieChaos Nov 02 '24
Have you tried using that carpet scrubber on the "soft side of velcro"esqe trim they use around footwells etc? I've got a smart roadster hard top, they're notorious for leaking so I keep the seals well greased up, but that does mean I get quite a few fingerprints on the inside when I take the roof off!
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u/AshlandPone Nov 02 '24
Do NOT scrub the squigglepatch of carpofluff! Nonono. DO use the carpet cleaner. Spray on, and scrub very gently with a colour matching microfibre or the softest softness of uncoloured toothbrush (new) that you can buy. Repeat a few times, or you'll end up with an aging geography teacher's combover, upside down, for a roofliner.
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Oct 29 '24
Can you go back to talk to a manager? They should have to pay for that to get cleaned properly
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u/MomsBoner Oct 29 '24
Yeah how is this not the first thought? I'd be pissed if the mechanic did this and didnt even tell me about it, so i'd go back and nicely tell them that they forgot some dirt in my car.
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u/OG365247 Oct 29 '24
Maybe OP is the mechanic?!
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u/Poisonedoceans Oct 29 '24
lol I wish I was a mechanic! I had such a blowout with them yesterday night, they tried to gaslight me acting like I didn’t know shit about my tire and tried to overcharge me for a patch which turned into a full on replacement, and then lied to my face about the cost EVEN THOUGH the cost they told me it’d be is WILDLY different. Turned into a huge ass argument. I was there last night, and didn’t see it until this morning. Them leaving the big ass oil stain doesn’t surprise me at all, and I’ll never go back there.
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Oct 29 '24
Unfortunately when it comes to shitty customer service they thrive on people to just not go back, and they continue on to shitty service. I used to go to a mechanic who the owner was super knowledgeable and nice and when his company expanded he hired workers, one of which took phone calls and was off the line disrespectful. He’d tell you in a blunt voice things that were lies, or the owner was too busy and couldn’t take a message etc he’s worked there for a while now but I think well if everyone just gets upset at him and just doesn’t call anymore how will anyone else not call him on his rudeness? This is a recent issue I’m still dealing with but getting a higher up manager may be the ideal solution at least to show their wrong doing. If they do nothing then at least the faults have been shown, and perhaps warnings could be set so new customers can be aware of
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u/TheBermflowBrewer Oct 29 '24
Mechanic here. Take it the fuck back and make that lazy asshole clean it themselves.
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u/ShowUsYourTips Oct 29 '24
409 carpet cleaner should remove it. Has done wonders removing oil and grease stains for me, even for clothing.
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u/Zinkobold Oct 29 '24
Brake cleaner on a shop towel. Then turn the shop towel on itself to clean, do not spread it on the headliner
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u/stoned-autistic-dude Oct 29 '24
One drop soap in about 8 oz water. Done.
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u/AdeptOaf Oct 29 '24
I swear by a product called Tub 'O Towels. I've used it to clean everything from carpet to bike drivetrains, so it might work on your headliner too.
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u/Jaded-Statistician-2 Oct 29 '24 edited Oct 29 '24
Brake cleaner on a clean rag have done miracle to me when i did stain the interior
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u/SimmmySAFC Oct 29 '24
Brake
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Oct 29 '24
[deleted]
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u/AdultishRaktajino Oct 29 '24
Chlorinated probably would be ok. The stuff with TCE, not pure acetone. (Tetrachloroethylene is also a dry cleaning chemical)
Depending on how you look at it, may be slightly worse for the environment and slightly cancerous.
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Oct 29 '24
Be carefuk with the type of towel you use because it may fade away the structure of the part and will leave a mark. Clean but not invisible
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u/JankyTime1 Oct 29 '24
So few people know this but CRC red can is stain removal magic. As someone else mentioned it's the same chemical as dry cleaning fluid.
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Oct 29 '24
[deleted]
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Oct 29 '24
Where tf do you live? Does the drugstore also sell cyanide to the butterfly collectors too? I just peeked about online and it’s available from a specialty chemical supplier for about $500 a quart.
lol at this quote from Wikipedia
It is assumed that carbon tetra chloride was still used as a dry cleaning solvent in North Korea as of 2006.
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u/KamakaziDemiGod Oct 29 '24
I bet they also sell chloroform as a sleeping aid, snake oil and the old coca cola with cocaine in it
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u/RGeronimoH Oct 29 '24
Damn, how old are you?!!! Carbon tetrachloride was phased out of use in dry cleaning chemicals in the 1950’s and completely banned in 1970.
It was great to use then, but only if you didn’t like your liver or kidneys to function properly.
Edit: Does anyone realize just how bad something had to be for you in order for it to be phased out in the 1950’s???
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u/Impressive-Shame-525 Oct 29 '24
Dawn Power Scrub cleans just about anything. Little bit at a time, don't scrub too hard and risk smearing it further.
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u/Funny_Maintenance973 Oct 29 '24
There is what appears to be french and Spanish on the label. Is that common in the states?
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u/Impressive-Shame-525 Oct 29 '24
In my area, no. It's English and Spanish
I was a bit off, it's Dawn Power Wash
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u/FrenchFryCattaneo Oct 29 '24
That's probably the canadian version, they're required to have everything in english and french
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Oct 29 '24
Blue magic works wonders, it takes off grease staind and doesnt cause the color to bleed.
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u/weaver2109 Oct 29 '24
Scrubbing bubbles works wonders on headliners and visors. Spray it on, let the foam dissipate, then dab it away with a microfiber towel, don't rub it in.
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u/random_agency Oct 29 '24
Goof-off is my goto stain remover.
If it really tough. Gasoline on a rag.
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u/Last-Assistant-2734 Oct 29 '24
Spray on interior wash, rub rub rub with a sponge. Repeat as needed.
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u/The001Keymaster Oct 29 '24
Tuff Stuff. It's great. Just test a spot first to make sure color is safe. I've never had an issue though. It takes tar and chip rocks stuck to floor mats off. Along with every bit of tar. It took a whole glass of red wine spilled on our silk chair out. It's seriously magic.
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u/Cultural_Thing1712 Oct 29 '24
Talk to the mechanic. This is a pretty sloppy job.
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u/Poisonedoceans Oct 29 '24
I had such a blowout with them yesterday night, they tried to gaslight me acting like I didn’t know shit about my tire and tried to overcharge me for a patch which turned into a full on replacement, and then lied to my face about the cost EVEN THOUGH the cost they told me it’d be is WILDLY different. Them leaving the big ass oil stain doesn’t surprise me at all, and I’ll never go back there.
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u/Cultural_Thing1712 Oct 29 '24
Oh damn that's a lot worse than I thought. Yeah, take your business elsewhere, finding a good mechanic is like finding a needle in a haystack these days.
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u/Loose_Screw7956 Oct 29 '24
A spray bottle of soapy water, not too much soap. Spray it on a rag until damp and wipe it into the headliner with semi-moderate pressure.
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u/Darkhorse182 Oct 29 '24
Don't use too much soap or cleaning product ('cause you'll need to get it all off), but whatever cleaner you use agitate it gently. Use a soft long-bristle brush, soft toothbrush, microfiber, etc. But don't crank too hard on it!
The fabric is held up by a thin layer of adhesive. If you brush it too hard, you'll break down/rip the adhesive layer behind it, and it'll start to sag away from the roof.
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Oct 29 '24
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u/Doobage Oct 29 '24
Dawn Platinum Power Wash. I use that on my driveway for oil spill and it is great!
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u/Devrgar Oct 29 '24
FOAMING GLASS CLEANER. MUST BE FOAMING. WIPE GENTLY WITH MICROFIBER AND PULL IT AWAY LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO CLEAN A GOLB OF KETCHUP OFF YOUR SHIRT WITHOUT SPREADING IT. WILL COME RIGHT OFF.
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u/chucks97ss Oct 29 '24
I use Tuff Stuff which works great for exactly this.
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u/possumpussy- Oct 29 '24
Random questions is this out of a Chevy Cruze that's totaled? Lol if so it's a quicidence I tell ya
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u/Ok-Ad-3894 Oct 29 '24
I’m a dealer mechanic and I do this to customer cars all the time. All I use is glass cleaner and a clean rag and it comes right off
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u/Solicon_100 Oct 29 '24
Chemical Guys interior cleaner. It is clear and pretty much unscented. Use a microfiber cloth and wipe away !
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u/eggplantfood5 Oct 29 '24
Awesome from the dollar tree. Don't use full strength, it needs to be diluted. We removed urethane from headliners with this product. Urethane is worse than any grease.
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u/inkedfluff Oct 29 '24
Go to an auto parts store and grab some foaming upholstery cleaner, it works great for this type of thing.
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u/K10RumbleRumble Oct 29 '24
Tuff Stuff always worked well for me in situations like this. Likely not ALL grease. Could be mostly just dust/dirt.
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u/martpr_v8 Oct 29 '24
Those handy wipes the tradies always carry work wonders.. took a load of blood off of a customers headliner just the other week with them. Granted the oil will be a lot more stubborn but it will shift the majority of it.
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u/microphohn Oct 29 '24
Microfiber cloths work like MAGIC to clean interior fabric. I had multiple 12 packs of soda explode in the back of our van when they were left in there and the cans froze in the winter cold.
It took a lot of work, but the basic cloth with water and a bit of Dawn was enough to make it appear like it never happened. 36 cans of coke exploded back there and there's ZERO evidence of it now.
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u/Colin_with_cars Oct 29 '24
Scrubbing bubbles foaming bathroom cleaner. It’s the best for any interior car surface.
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u/Altruistic-Radio-701 Oct 29 '24
I've used this stuff to get oil off seats before. Worked well for me. Ambersil 7003A 500ml Auto Groom Upholstery Cleaner https://amzn.eu/d/4wGFvTe
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u/NEALSMO Oct 29 '24
I’ve always used my go-to all purpose cleaner on a microfiber cloth. Works great. I have folex and sprayaway at my disposal too, so will try those next time.
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u/Lxiflyby Oct 29 '24
I’ve used chlorinated brake cleaner (non flammable, tetrachloroethylene) I would not use the flammable stuff though
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u/GTAmark Oct 29 '24
My old shop foreman told me to use silicone spray to clean some dirty seatbelts. Worked great!
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u/showmethebiggirls Oct 29 '24
Take it back and make them fix it, this is unacceptable. I know it happens but they should have noticed and taken care of it before giving your car back.
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u/Vellioh Oct 29 '24
This isn't dirty hands this is a dirty hat. With that position the mechanic clearly grazed his head on the liner when getting in and didn't notice. That mechanic juice gets everywhere.
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u/tarmacandsteel Oct 29 '24
As a mechanic and small business owner, I'm sorry that this has happened to you absolutely drives me mental when my lads or I do this by accident, and with that said alot of the time when we have done this if it has been left like yours has it's because we genuinely didn't realise we'd done it.
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u/MatWhite95 Oct 29 '24
I’m a mechanic by trade and swear by “TEC99410 Workhorse” Works magic on headliner cleaning and has not failed me yet! Not a bad product to keep around, but the technician / mechanic shop that performed the work should rectify this for you.
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u/Loninappleton25 Oct 29 '24 edited Oct 29 '24
I will just throw in a tip I saw on youtube that works for me regularly on grease/ oil fabric stains: a paste of baking soda and dish soap/ handsoap. Work the paste in with a tooth brush all directions. This will not change the color of the fabric. The action of brushing into the fibers is what should work. Rinse well with the soft brush. I've followed that with a strong wet vacuum like at the service stop.
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u/carbonite1983 Oct 29 '24
This is weird, but at the assembly factory I work at, we used to use quick drying contact cleaner on the flip down mirrors. That stuff is straight up cancer in a can though, so be very very careful.
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u/MtlGuy_incognito Oct 30 '24
The mechanic should clean it. At work we use wurth active clean but dawn dish soap is a great degreaser.
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u/ABakedPotato_FGC Oct 30 '24
Make the shop do it. I’m a mechanic and if I did this BS I would get a strong talking to for being such a dipshit. They would also apologize to the customer and offer to pay for it to be cleaned properly by professionals
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u/A_generated_username Oct 30 '24
I’ve been doing auto upholstery for over a decade. I keep a bottle of diluted engine degreaser on hand, like purple power. I use it to clean everything in the interior. For leather, I just go over it with leather conditioner after cleaning.
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u/Wiplashjr Oct 30 '24
Sometimes, a degreasing wipe can work. If I get something on a headliner at work I use a gojo rag
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u/Sourplastic Oct 30 '24
Well unfortunately these things happen all the time at shops, since they’re usually dirty and the techs are dirty. People drive their car in and they got the visor down sometimes, sometimes the dude getting in is a lot bigger than the owner, etc whatever. He should have cleaned it. They make headliner cleaner that works. If you can’t find that, paper towel and brake cleaner surprisingly will work in a pinch. I would spray a good amount on a paper towel and then pat it gently and that usually lifts grease, oil, dirt off there and doesn’t discolor headliner most cases*** I would test it in an inconspicuous spot first.
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u/solidus_snake256 Oct 30 '24
I really high quality automotive degreaser is great for cleaning any fabric surface without removing color or damaging it. I use it everywhere. The best thing is restoring white shoes or hats. Love that stuff. It just leaves everything really dry so you want to condition it afterwords. No need on fabrics like your headliner.
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u/quietbear92 Oct 30 '24
omg i dislike it when this happens. I usually wipe the inside down with warm soapy water....
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u/Pretty-Possible9930 Oct 30 '24
he could have had a hat on and hit it.
I have done this before without knowing
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u/Dirty_white_cat Oct 30 '24
Turtle with that yellow brush on top it can do miracles once I cleaned dried blood with that stuff it took me literally minute to make it spotless it’s not cheap (around 20€) but it’s worth every penny
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u/Notbingdotcom1 Oct 31 '24
Good brake clean and a coloursafe rag work too, try anything in an inconspicuous spot first though
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u/Better-Delay Oct 31 '24
I use cirtrol. Takes grease out of beige rv carpets. ( btw if you make rvs with white and beige interiors, I hate you)
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u/Hugh_jakt Oct 31 '24
Same happened to me with my local dealer. Drives me up the wall. Used to detail on the side.
Dish soap to lift the grease. Or any degreaser. Spray nine works ok. Use a tooth brush to scrub in circles and blot with a cloth or paper towel. Go light on the liquid do not get it too wet or else it will spread and stain. You need something that foams. These kinds of stains are tough to get out of the headliner material. I've had mixed results with oxyclean.
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u/curi0us_carniv0re Oct 31 '24
How to remove it? Bring it right back to the mechanic and demand the pigs clean up after themselves.
Honestly I wouldn't have even driven off the premises having seen that....
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u/Heavy-Actuator7396 Oct 31 '24
I’ve had good luck with Folex. I think Amazon and Home Depot sell it.
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u/stormsec_creations Nov 01 '24
A clean rag and some spray ammonia window cleaner will take it right out.
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u/Mustardbiscuit2 Nov 01 '24
I was a mechanic for 8 years, if by some chance this happened, usually on the carpet floor mat, we would spraycarb cleaner on a rag and gently brush it off.
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u/happy_meow Nov 01 '24
I have used this concoction with fantastic results 1/2 cup of soda water, 1/4 cup of white vinegar A few drops of dawn dishwashing soap in a spray bottle. You can add a few drops of essential oil too
I sprayed using a spray bottle and a brush, simply wipe with a clean towel. Make sure to vacuum first
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Nov 13 '24
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u/Which_Violinist3736 Nov 15 '24
How to remove an oil stain from a mechanic? I’d start by having him or her take a shower.
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u/Musty69Pickle Oct 29 '24
Take it straight back and make them clean it. I work on semi trucks, the greasiest dirtiest vehicles on the road. And this is completely unacceptable, even on a corporate fleet where the drivers don’t even own the trucks. Something like this in a commercial auto shop is means to get a guys fingers broke
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u/DaddyPig24 Oct 29 '24
Unscrew it. Rub butter into it, then soak in soapy water and use a brush on it.
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u/Poisonedoceans Oct 29 '24
Alright that actually made me laugh
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u/DaddyPig24 Oct 29 '24
😂 it’s actually serious. I walked oil on my cream carpet once, someone told me to rub butter on it. Worked a treat.
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u/Polymath123 Oct 29 '24
This happened to me when I brought my wife’s car in for service. The manager came out with a can of “headliner cleaner.” He sprayed a little on a rag and a few wipes later it was all gone.