Roofs up for winter: how to clean your convertible top

convertible car in winter

When the sun shines bright in the summer sky, nothing beats the feeling of driving a convertible. In fact, if you were to ask us to choose between a ride in a fancy hardtop or a budget convertible, if the weather was right, we’d pick the latter every time.

 

But what happens to convertibles when the sun doesn’t shine, as is always the case throughout the Great British winter?

 

During this time, your convertible roof has a lot to deal with, including sleet, snow, ice and rain, so it’s always best to make sure your hood is cleaned and prepped for the season ahead.

Know your roof

Before you dive in and start buying a range of cleaning products for your convertible roof, it’s important to know whether you’re dealing with a fabric or vinyl top. After all, the cleaning products you buy will be designed for one of the two, meaning if you’re unsure, you could end up wasting your money on a useless product.

 

To find out if you have a vinyl or fabric hood, grab a small cup of water and gently pour it onto your roof. If the water soaks through, chances are you’ve got a fabric top. If the water gathers or runs straight off, you’ll be dealing with a vinyl hood.

Cleaning your vinyl roof

Cleaning and prepping your vinyl roof isn’t too dissimilar from cleaning your car – it just takes a bit of water, some elbow grease and the right cleaning products.

 

Start by getting rid of any excess dust and dirt by gently scrubbing your roof with a soft brush – something like the Streetwize 2 in 1 Blaster Brush with Jet Spray is perfect. Then, mix some vinyl shampoo in a bucket with some warm water before working it into your roof with a brush. Once you’ve gently scrubbed every inch, rinse with a fresh bucket of water.

 

Once your roof has dried, don’t forget to add some vinyl protectant. Not only will this help to maintain your roof’s colour and shine, it’ll also help to prevent cracks appearing as the temperature drops.

Cleaning your fabric roof

Just like cleaning your vinyl roof requires a special type of shampoo and protectant, the same rules apply when cleaning your fabric roof.

 

The process is pretty much the same – although a fabric roof requires something a little firmer in order to scrub away all those pesky stains and dirt, so you might want to invest in something like a horse hair brush.

 

Once you’ve scrubbed away the surface dirt, work some fabric cleaner and warm water into your roof before allowing it to dry.

 

Next, it’s time to protect it – a process that’ll help to increase its water resistance during heavy downpours. To apply, simply spray the protecting solution onto your roof, then give it 20 to 30 minutes to dry (preferably inside a garage, as opposed to outside).

 

If you’ve found this article useful, be sure to head back to CarParts4Less and check out our blog the next time you find yourself in need of some top automotive tips!