Does anybody use any good soft top cleaner/protector they could recommend using?
autoglym interior shampoo to clean it and then either autoglym bumper care gunk or autoglym vinyl and rubber care spray (I alternate between these two).
While I should obviosly buy shares in autoglym, it does leave my hood a nice black.
I have been using a turtle wax soft top cleaning kit. Its quite expensive at £16, but Halfords keep having all Turtle wax products buy one get one free which makes it abit more reasonable s:wink: :wink: s:wink: Apparently they have this deal on at the moment.
You get a soft top cleaner and a conditioner. Its easy to use, and lasts a good while. Makes the soft top look well - nice a black.
I was told by main dealer to use handsoap, but just used warm water for 1st few weeks before I started buying the turtle wax product.
My company uses Auto Smart products and I managed to blag a gallon of vynyl dressing, it looks a bit like watery milk but after putting it on quite liberally then wiping it down straight away, it always comes up like new and I don't mean that plasticky type of shine, when wet it goes beaded like a good wax polish on paintwork.
Les
Quote from: "insomniac"I have been using a turtle wax soft top cleaning kit. Its quite expensive at £16, but Halfords keep having all Turtle wax products buy one get one free which makes it abit more reasonable s:wink: :wink: s:wink: Apparently they have this deal on at the moment.
You get a soft top cleaner and a conditioner. Its easy to use, and lasts a good while. Makes the soft top look well - nice a black.
I was told by main dealer to use handsoap, but just used warm water for 1st few weeks before I started buying the turtle wax product.
i use this as well i find it quite good i dont use it all the time though just every about once every 3 months or so
One thing I think I forgot to stress is to remember that your soft-top is vinyl, not cloth... so double check the products you look at (some are designed for cloth). Hope that's obvious, but thought I'd better say just in case.
I use this to clean it:
m http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8837 (http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8837) m
makes it nice and black.
Then this to waterproof it:
m http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8838 (http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8838) m
The proofer makes the water bead off the top and lasts about 3 months. s:) :) s:)
Quote from: "phil4"One thing I think I forgot to stress is to remember that your soft-top is vinyl, not cloth... so double check the products you look at (some are designed for cloth). Hope that's obvious, but thought I'd better say just in case.
There's one thing that our hood isn't, and that's vinyl. The material is called double-duck (IIRC), and consists of a course cotton outer layer (which is sealed to prevent dirt getting stuck to it), a butyl rubber middle layer (to keep the water out) and a soft cotton inner layer (the head-liner)
Personally I use AutoGlym's soft-top care kit and have done for the past 3 years (not done the new car yet as it's only 5 months old)
Quote from: "SteveJ"Personally I use AutoGlym's soft-top care kit and have done for the past 3 years (not done the new car yet as it's only 5 months old)
Quoting myself (and GSB) from another thread, cause the search seems to be broken again s:roll: :roll: s:roll:
Quote from: "Tem"Quote from: "GSB"I have used the fabric hood kit for the last 18 months with no problems and always have a very nice finish on my hood...
FWIW, I contacted Autoglym about this matter and they told me NOT to use their fabric hood kit for our top, but the Bumper Care.
Quote from: "Tem"Quote from: "GSB"Oooh... Any idea what the reasons were? or is one better tha the other? As far as I can tell the fabric kit consists of a very mild detergent to remove the dirt, followed by a waterproofing solution. It works really welll...
Basically because our top isn't fabric. It does no harm and it can be used safely, as I did for the leftovers I had. But it's not the best way to take care of our top. When you run out of that, try to clean the top with the Interior Shampoo and then use the Bumper Care to protect it. Have to admit I was surprised of the difference it made.
Quote from: "SteveJ"[There's one thing that our hood isn't, and that's vinyl. The material is called double-duck (IIRC)
I sit corrected... and humbled s:) :) s:)
So does that mean I shouldn't be using the Renovo stuff then? s:? :? s:?
Does anyone else use this?
Quote from: "Two's Company"I use this to clean it:
m http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8837 (http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8837) m
makes it nice and black.
Then this to waterproof it:
m http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8838 (http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8838) m
The proofer makes the water bead off the top and lasts about 3 months. s:) :) s:)
I can vouch for this, i use it and its great
I used the renovo product a couple of weeks ago, and my roof went from a very tired appearance to a clean dark finish like some of the newer 2s I've seen prepared at Mr T' showroom. So it seems effective to me. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
I've used the Renovo kit for vinyl - although Steve is saying that the top isn't vinyl, I think that it is nearer to vinyl than fabric. Renovo gives good results both in cleaning and proofing and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
Quote from: "RUSTY"Steve is saying that the top isn't vinyl, I think that it is nearer to vinyl than fabric.
You're both right, it's not really vinyl, but in practice very close to it.
Try the Zymol range, I've use to use Autoglym, as it was the only product for me - how wrong was I. Try Zymol and never look back! w www.zymol.co.uk (http://www.zymol.co.uk) w
I have had fantastic success with the AutoGlym bumper care stuff. Gets it REALLY nice and black (apply with a sponge liberally. Makes a bit of a greasy mess to you and the hood for a while, but it does dry, looking VERY nice) and to boot it is VERY waterproof. I washed the car TWICE this weekend cos it rained straight after the lovely sunshine and after doing the roof, the water just ran off. Love the stuff. Can't vouch for the Zymol stuff, but I have heard very good stuff about that too.
Quote from: "John Woodward"Makes a bit of a greasy mess to you and the hood for a while
Try this next time...first do the top normally, then "wash" it with a pressure washer (garden hose rinse might do the same, not sure) and then wash the car normally. You'll get the excess off the top and it won't leave any marks, cause you just washed them off the car s8) 8) s8)
Right oh Tem. Will give that one a go! Nice one!
Quote from: "insomniac"I have been using a turtle wax soft top cleaning kit. Its quite expensive at £16, but Halfords keep having all Turtle wax products buy one get one free which makes it abit more reasonable s:wink: :wink: s:wink: Apparently they have this deal on at the moment.
You get a soft top cleaner and a conditioner. Its easy to use, and lasts a good while. Makes the soft top look well - nice a black.
I was told by main dealer to use handsoap, but just used warm water for 1st few weeks before I started buying the turtle wax product.
I must be doing it all wrong! It still looks grey after using the Turtle wax product s:cry: :cry: s:cry:
The turtlewax one doesnt make the roof black, it just cleans & protects it (which is fine with me!).
Hi,
Cant miss a good offer, so I went out and got the Turtlewax cleaner/protector kit. Following the 1st use it is excellent. I had cat footprints and mud on my roof-it dealt with this easily where soap and water didn't and the roof is back to immaculate. Can't reccomend it enough.
Just on the Turtlewax offer...I bought a whole load of Turtlewax products and did a quick calculation for the total cost. When I got to the checkout it was a lot more! I questioned the total and was told that you get the cheapest products free. The grey matter went in to overload for a few seconds then I told the cashier all I wanted was the 2 roof cleaning kits. I paid, got one for free. Then bought the two wheel cleaning products, then the polish, well I'm sure you get it. The cashier wasn't best pleased, but they started it and I got everything at buy one get one free. You know it makes sense.
Blackrat
blackrat sounds legendary .. I love annoying the 17 year old max muppet workers at halfrauds!