Soft top cleaner ?

Jaws

Jaws

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C class, Chieftain
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
The soft top on the Smarty Cabriolet has gone a bit green and manky ..
The crap will not come off with ordinary stuff and not even with a jet wash !
Anyone got any suggestions ?
Unwilling to spend £15 to £20 on something that may not work !
 
Cheers... That was one I was reluctant to look at too hard due to the price, so its good to get feedback
Does it get that awful green colour off as that is my prime concern ?
 
To be honest I don't know if it gets green off but it works a treat, leaves the roof looking like new again and it has some protection in it.
 
Is the awful green stuff the same as you get on motorhome awnings .. ?

If so I would use a bucket of warm water, a splash of dishwashing liquid and about a cupful of thin bleach..
wash with a soft car brush, and leave for half an hour then hose off..

that's how I clean awnings.. also used this solution on the RV roof to remove the green moss

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If it's green algae then diluted bleach(quite weak) works well.
 
You could use any good quality all purpose cleaner

If you go on Detailing World and search for soft top cleaner it will bring up many suggestions :xsmile:
 
Depending on roof material.On my Mx 5 which was made of a kind of vinyl I used traffic film remover 50/50 in a spray bottle& a small scrubbing brush & lots of water.If it's a material hood i would try autoglym hood restorer.
 
Cheers RichR, but I really wanted input from folk who have actually tried stuff rather than a retailer who will sell anything as long as there is a profit ( if you see what I mean :-) )
I shall go with Jim and Jays suggestion and see what happens ( its a good cheap option too which I always like !! LOL !! )
 
Masman said:
Depending on roof material.On my Mx 5 which was made of a kind of vinyl I used traffic film remover 50/50 in a spray bottle& a small scrubbing brush & lots of water.If it's a material hood i would try autoglym hood restorer.
Click to expand...
No, not vinyl at all, it is cloth so what ever I use I will then have to reseal it but that is the easy bit ! Got lots of experience with waterproofing all sorts of materials over the years thanks to being a soggy biker !! :xrofl:

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Excellent.. Cheers guys.. Sounds like the way forward then.. I would have gone with the bleach but autoglym seems to be a complete job.
 
Yup, Autoglym cabriolet roof cleaner every time. Used it on an MG canvas roof when it went mouldy. It came out looking like new. A certain amount of elbow grease is required though.
 
Elbow grease ... That sounds either expensive or something approaching work ...Damn !!! :xwink:
 
Jaws said:
The soft top on the Smarty Cabriolet has gone a bit green and manky ..
The crap will not come off with ordinary stuff and not even with a jet wash !
Anyone got any suggestions ?
Unwilling to spend £15 to £20 on something that may not work !
Click to expand...

You could try on a 'small' area first a green slime (natural) product remover.

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I use Renovo soft top cleaner on my Eunos then Renovo ultra proofer. My soft top is vinyl but they also do one for Mohair roofs John. Much praised in the MX5 Eunos forums. Readily available on flebey. Fantastic results.
 
You rub the cleaner in first with a sponge and leave for ten mins then wash off. When dry the ultra proofer goes on the same way and when dry it's done.
 
I cleaned some stains from the awning of my old G reg, someone, a prior owner had put some sort of grease on the "elbows" of the awning frame and it rubbed off on to the vinyl.
I used "Starbrite RV awning cleaner" I got it fro from Halfords I think


Just been out to the garage the price sticker is still on it from 4 years ago, £11.95
 
Just been and checked and there are two bottles one is a cleaner and ones a protector both autoglym but it makes the roof looks like new every time. If you have a halfords trade card you should be able to get discount on them. Failing that they quite often run 3 for 2 offer.
 
Jaws said:
Cheers RichR, but I really wanted input from folk who have actually tried stuff rather than a retailer who will sell anything as long as there is a profit ( if you see what I mean :) )
I shall go with Jim and Jays suggestion and see what happens ( its a good cheap option too which I always like !! LOL !! )
Click to expand...

Its a detailing forum not a retailer :xsmile:

Auto Glym is a good product you may even find a cheap car shampoo will lift the green stuff

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So far I have had three solid suggestions repeatedly all from pro's like Manda :-)
Most are going for the Autoglym jobby, but a fair few have gone with weak bleach or the othe group, white vinigar.. but all have said go with the Autglym to finish the job :-)
 
Jaws I am no professional i know but I am a bit of a stickler for good job (I think I get it from my Dad he used to go round and check the trucks were clean in the yard and polish with a hanky if they weren't,t!!!!) my car roof looks as good as the day it was bought and has only ever had autoglym used on it.

What colour is your softtop?

Mines black and I wouldn't go near it with bleach. Girl - talking but in the same way as I wouldn't put bleach or washing powder products containing bleach in a dark wash in the washing machine.

Andrea
 
I have cleaned my Smart cabro roof with Autoglym fabric cleaner and was really pleased with the results,like Jaws I had a lot of green on the fabric. It does cost but found it cheapest on Amazon, you get two bottles and an stff sponge in the pack. First use the sponge and cleaner to get all the yuk off the roof, then when you have rinsed off all the cleaner apply the waterproofer. Be very careful when spraying the waterproofer as it can stain paintwork and obscure the windscreen, so better if you mask it off first. Once completed the rain will bead up on the fabric. PLE
ASE do not use bleach as it will fade the fabric.
 
Got some mildew on the black [EDIT fabric] hood of the MX5, will autoglym remove this also?
 
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You Can Try Autosmart TFR (Truckwash) with a garden spray type bottle better than lots of "halfords" type products.

TRUCKWASH 39 XLS
This is Autosmart’s premium TFR. It contains ‘traffiwax’ which adds shine to paintwork and is the most cost effective way to clean your fleet and care for your livery.
OR
TRUCKWASH 66
Tough cleaning power for removing heavy soiling, degreasing chassis, plant and machinery.

I get it 25 lts at a time from mobile van but if you have a Polish hand wash near you they use it in a very very diluted mix
Truckwash 66 will clean most anything ,lovely on engines etc but be careful on paintwork if used neat it will streak if left on ,
rinse well ,

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I use a lot of Autosmart products and am very impressed with their quality. However I would not recommend using TFR on a fabric roof.
Autoglym would be suitable for any fabric roof, to get the best results requires a lot of elbow grease
 
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Mind is now set.. Autoglym it is ( though gonna have to put it off for a while until I can justify £20 for a wash and brush up with Woman ! )
 
Renovo is probably the best stuff but the most expensive, I have tried Autoglym on my Bmw 645 it was ok but not brilliant. When I come to sell the Bmw I will get Renovo to make it look as best as I can.
 
Looked at that.. and another detailer warned me off of it.. Said it was great if you are gonna sell the car but if not, it does need repeat performances regularly to keep it up to scratch
Yes, I know all the products will require a refresh but he said expect to redo it every couple of months otherwise it starts to look very odd indeed ( he did not go in to details ! )
 
,On a soft top, do not use anything with bleach in it, it will rot the stitching very quickly apart from eventually rotting the fabric.

If it is green with algae, spray it with Polycell Mould Cleaner ( available at most diy stores) this does not contain bleach, it contains the same chemicals which are used in Boracol, a surface biocide but, very diluted. If you can get hold of some, use diluted Baracol 10RH I could let you have a litre if your passing Argyll! Leave for a couple of days then wash with warm soapy water. The mould cleaner will continue to prevent re growth of the algae for about 6 months. If required, restore the finish with Renovo products, I have used these on classic car hoods and they work. In my experience, applied properly, Renovo will keep colour and last well.

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