How To Clean & Protect Your Convertible Soft Top

If you own a convertible car with a fabric roof, it's important to be aware that this part of the car must be treated differently to that of the panels and the wheels; it's not merely a case of just washing the whole car with the same product as all detailing products are designed and formulated differently so it's best to use dedicated detailing products for individual areas.

When tackling the convertible fabric roof on any vehicle, there are two staple products you're going to need. First up is the Rag Top convertible fabric roof cleaner, which is a deep-cleansing shampoo solution to remove ground in dirt, as well as mould and moss to bring a new life to fabric convertible covers. The second product you'll need is the Rag Top convertible fabric roof protector, which is a protection barrier spray for all types of fabric vehicle hoods, protecting against the elements to repel road grime and dirt getting ingrained into the surface. Our Rag Top convertible fabric roof protector also features added UV protection to reduce colour fade.

But, before you even think of using them, you'll need to prep your car.

Firstly, you'll need to do an all-over snow foam. Snow foam your car as you would normally; jet wash it off first to release any loose debris and dirt, then add your snow foam lance to the jet wash to give your car a full coating of foam. Allow the snow foam to dwell for several minutes before washing off, to get the maximum efficiency from the product.

Always working on a vehicle from the top down, it's wise to work on your roof immediately after performing the snow foam treatment stage. Ensuring the roof has been rinsed thoroughly of any snow foam, take Auto Finesse Rag Top convertible fabric roof cleaner and a good quality upholstery brush - you can use a sponge if you prefer but brushes will agitate the solution slightly better and get in between the fabric fibres better - and spray it liberally across the fabric surface. Agitate the solution using the upholstery brush or sponge - work in small areas to help the brush get deep into the fibres - then rinse down and wash the rest of the vehicle as normal.

Once the whole car has been washed and is now clean, ensure the fabric roof is completely dry before applying the Rag Top convertible fabric roof protector.

You should be at the finishing stages of your detail by this point. Simply spray a light even mist over the fabric roof and simply let it dry. Once one coat is dry, apply another until you have three light coats built up. Once you've completed all three, leave it to cure for around 2-3 hours. Ideally the car will be out of the elements with zero chance of getting rained on.

And that's that. That's how you clean and protect your fabric convertible roof. If you have any fabric questions or any queries on anything else, drop us an email at support@autofinesse.co.uk.