Does anyone kjnow how to remove water stains?

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gwistrup

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I have a 1940 Standard Tudor that has its original interior in relatively good condition except for some water stains on the fabric. Is there a way to remove them without ruining the fabric? If not, is there anyone out there that makes similar material? I have read that with Lebaron and Bonney gone this has been a problem.
 

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gwistrup said:
I have a 1940 Standard Tudor that has its original interior in relatively good condition except for some water stains on the fabric. Is there a way to remove them without ruining the fabric? If not, is there anyone out there that makes similar material? I have read that with Lebaron and Bonney gone this has been a problem.
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The short answer? NO.
 
Not knowing how fragile your original upholstery is, it would be tough to give a sure answer as to what approach to take to remove the water stains. I have used an aerosol carpet cleaner my wife bought some time ago on some delicate fabric material and had good success. It sprays out a foam and soaks into the fabric. You might check Google or Amazon to see what they offer.
 
gwistrup said:
I have a 1940 Standard Tudor that has its original interior in relatively good condition except for some water stains on the fabric. Is there a way to remove them without ruining the fabric? If not, is there anyone out there that makes similar material? I have read that with Lebaron and Bonney gone this has been a problem.
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If you have decent original upholstery I would leave it alone. Old original paint and upholstery gets more attention than a fresh restoration.
 
Most people confuse water stains with mouse pee stains, it’s more likely the latter. I cleaned a 57 Studebaker with the attachment from a Home Depot carpet cleaner machine.
 
I bet you are correct about the mouse pee. So you used a carpet extractor from Home Depot? What type of detergent/soap did you use with it?
 
Water stains are actually mineral stains left at the end or edges of where the water dries on the material. That is why there is a "water ring" left after a spill. You might try spraying the area with a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and white vinegar and then patting it dry. That is how I got a water ring out of my rear seat back. I had tried carpet cleaner and it did not remove the mineral stain. Art
 
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qwistrup, I used regular carpet cleaner. Unless you absolutely know you had a previous water leak, it’s mouse pee.
 
It can be sometimes worth making contact with one of the larger museums. They often have conservation departments and they may be able to offer some advice as to methods or materials to assist with your problem. I did this several years ago for a car that had problems with the upholstery and found the information given to me very helpful.
 
A seat cushion or backrest may be easier to clean than a door panel. The problem is the condition of the panel board underneath the outer cover. Most are some form of cardboard and they don't do well when they get wet. A person would do well to find a dry way to clean the material on the outside. don't know how things would react to a dry cleaning fluid but there may be no other way to do it.
 
That has to be a enormous and incontinent mouse to leave such a stain. I believe its just a leaking 1/4 window. Try a gentLe approach first.
 
my4dv8 said:
That has to be a enormous and incontinent mouse to leave such a stain. I believe its just a leaking 1/4 window. Try a gentLe approach first.
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I agree that it looks like a leak from the vent window and that using a light touch would be best. My answer about it being dried mineral stains is from advice I got from a person that works for a disaster clean up business. They go in after floods, fires, storms and such to clean structures and furniture removing water, smoke and other damage. I would not scrub the material but would pat it dry after rewetting just enough to disolve the stain. Art
 
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