Headliner stains 86 mariner 3697

[Great laker]

My 36 mariner has brown stains on the outboard headliner sections. We worked on them last year and lightened them up greatly but they seem to have returned. Any thoughts on removal/elimination?
One suggestion was white shoe polish.
Not sure if I could find replacement headliner fabric that would match.

[waybomb]

Try a small section with scrubbing bubbles and a tooth brush, then with water and soap, then water.. It worked for us.

But you may want to take down all the outer edges so that you can re-tighten or replace all the railing bolts.

We replace them with new bolts, nylon insert locknuts, and re-bedded it all. They leak. That's where the staining is coming from.

[Viper]

Agreed. Cleaning the headliner is not addressing the real issue. The staining will reappear.

[Great laker]

Makes sense the rail would be the source. eliminating that water source, should of course be the first point of action. The admiral was concerned it might be tough to evenly re-tension the liner. But we've gotta do what needs to be done!
Thanks!

[waybomb]

You don't need to take the liner apart at all.

Pop off all the decorative screw covers, and unscrew them. Look behind, you'll find more. The pieces come down intact. No need to touch the headliner at all.

And once you start cleaning, you'll see how dirty the headliner really was - you will end up doing the whole thing with a toothbrush.