Perhaps you have had your convertible roof professionally cleaned and you wonder whether you can do this yourself. That is absolutely possible! Cleaning a convertible top is actually not that difficult; With the right methods, anyone can clean a convertible top. However, it is important that you first inform yourself about the right products and methods. Improper handling can cause damage to the fabric.
Cleaning your convertible top: tips
When cleaning a convertible top, a number of aspects are very important. If you stick to this, not much can go wrong. Therefore, follow our directions.
Tip 1: Do not go through the car wash with your convertible
Even the convertible car wash can damage your convertible. That is of course undesirable. Would you like to know more about this? Read in this blog 5 reasons why the car wash is a bad idea.
Tip 2: Use the right products
It is often thought that normal cleaning agents can also be used for cleaning a convertible roof. However, this is not true. Many cleaning agents damage the cloth or affect the color.
Tip 3: Use the right brush
If you use a good convertible top cleaner, this cleaner will do most of the work. But a good brush is also important. Make sure that the brush is firm, but not too hard. What is a good firm brush? Think for a moment about a brush with which you can polish your shoes. This is a brush that is gentle on the material, but with which you can still exert sufficient force. At Ultramar we use a brush which is also resistant to chemicals.
Ultramar recommended brush
Tip 4: Regular maintenance is the key to a clean convertible top
Of course it is better to ensure that the convertible top does not get so dirty. Actually that is very simple. Here's what to do: wash the convertible cloth regularly with lukewarm water and a soft brush. For example, do that every month. This way the dirt does not get the chance to really adhere to the cloth. It doesn't get the chance to penetrate deep into the canvas. This makes it easy to remove. You actually never need cleaning agents.
Tip 5: Prevent green deposits on the convertible roof
Regular cleaning with lukewarm water has another important advantage! A dirty convertible top stays moist longer. Fungi, algae and mosses easily grow on a damp convertible top. These algae and mosses provide the well-known green deposits. Not only is that an ugly sight. It is also a lot more difficult to remove from the convertible top. The best way to prevent this is to impregnate the cloth well.
Cabriodak met groene aanslag
The secret behind a clean convertible top is therefore: wash regularly with lukewarm water and a soft brush and impregnate well.
Cleaning the convertible top: professional advice!
As the owner of Ultramar, I've seen thousands of convertible tops pass by. Some were old and worn. Others were just a year old and already completely dirty. One of them was cheap convertible cloth from "fargogistan", the other one was cabiolet cloth from the well-known manufacturers.
There is a solution for all such problems.
All you need to do is clean the convertible top in a few simple steps. And of course always with the right products. To make it easy, I have incorporated the steps in the Ultramar 3-step plan. Would you like to receive this handy step-by-step plan? Request it below:
Here is a brief overview of the steps:
- First clean the convertible top with lukewarm water
- Spray Sprayhood & Tent Shampoo on the wet cloth. Brush in well.
- Rinse the convertible top with water after approximately 20 minutes.
- Let the convertible top dry.
- Is there still dirt to be seen? Then clean further with Power Cleaner.
- Let Power Cleaner work in until you are satisfied. This can take hours.
- Then rinse the convertible top well.
- Now let the roof dry.
- Finally, you should impregnate the convertible top for the best protection.
What is a good convertible top cleaner?
Have you already searched on Google? Then you have probably seen that a lot of products are sold for cleaning a convertible roof.
All these products are special convertible top shampoos and cleaners. At least so it seems. In many cases, it is standard cleaning agents that do something. One a little more than the other. They are just not specially developed for cleaning convertible cloth. And they certainly don't take into account the different types of dirt.
But what is a good convertible roof cleaner? As far as I'm concerned, a good cleaner must meet a number of conditions. Here are the main ones:
1: The convertible top cleaner must not collide with the impregnating agent
Regular cleaning with lukewarm water is important. But impregnation is even more important. If you ensure that the cloth always has the best protection, dirt can hardly adhere. After all, prevention is better than cure.
Impregnation agents and cleaning agents are not crazy about each other. In fact, as soon as they meet, it's war. That's why rinsing is so important. In this way you ensure that as little cleaning agent as possible remains in the cloth before you start impregnating.
There will always be some cleaner left behind. That in itself is not a bad thing. At Ultramar I have ensured that the cleaning agents and impregnating agents are coordinated as much as possible. Precisely to avoid the risk of war. If some cleaning agent remains in the cloth, the impregnating agent will not immediately kill.
2: The convertible top shampoo should foam well
Many cleaning agents do not foam at all. This is also the case with tent cloth cleaners and convertible top cleaners. That has a big disadvantage. If you don't see any foam, how are you supposed to know if the shampoo has been rinsed properly from the cloth? (That is just so important when impregnating later. See 1.)
Sprayhood & Tent Shampoo is made in such a way that it foams extra. As long as you see foam, you will continue to rinse. This will reduce the chance of problems with impregnation in the future.
Cabriodak met schuimende shampoo
3: The convertible shampoo must be suitable for every convertible top
The convertible cleaner may work fine on a certain type of convertible top. But on the other convertible roof it does nothing or perhaps too much. The shampoo must therefore be suitable and, above all, long-term tested on all kinds of cloths from all manufacturers.
Do you still have questions about cleaning your convertible roof after reading this article? Then take a look at this article: Cleaning a cabriolet roof? - 21 Tips