Soft tops are no less than a luxurious part of your Jeep which enhances the overall ride quality. These breathable tops hold the power to make the summer night’s long drive even more serene as you can witness the glistering sky and cold moonlight from inside your cabin.
The good news is that with a few minutes of care and regular cleaning, you can get the most out of this investment. But wait, from regular cleaning, we don’t mean an ordinary hand wash since doing so may lead to leakage and premature deterioration of your soft top which in turn leave you with hefty replacements.
Cleaning Process
Thus, to save you from such a hassle, today we’re going to pen down the detailed, stepwise method of cleaning a jeep soft top. Just follow these simple steps to keep your convertible soft top as fresh and appealing as new.
Cleaning
Pick a bright, sunny, and warm day for this cleaning chore so the soft top won’t take days to dry up. Start by parking your convertible in a shady place and rinse the entire top once with water.
Once done, pick up a soft bristled cleaning brush and rub it on the wet top in a side-to-side motion. Remember that you need to be gentle while rubbing the roof since going too aggressive may leave the top with absurd scratches and stray fraying.
If your soft top is made up of fabric, you need to pay special attention to the cleaning of its seams and stitches. For this, get an extra fine, small detailing brush to rub across narrower areas.
Once done with cleaning a certain section, quickly rinse it with clean water and make sure to rinse out all the cleaning agents. Never let the cleaner sit on the roof for too long otherwise it will get dry up there, making it hard for you to rinse it out.
After this, move to the other section and keep repeating the process until the entire roof gets crystal clean. In the end, rinse the entire top with clean water, one last time to make sure it’s free of suds.
Drying the Soft Top
You don’t need to pull your convertible out in the sunlight to dry its roof. Instead, get a microfiber towel, place it on the soft top, and gently press it on there. The towel will soak up all the moisture and even leftover dirt and cleaner. Keep in mind that you need to stick to the pressing method instead of wiping it out.
For complete drying, you may also consider leaving the top outside for a while, for air drying. Just make sure not to put the top back until it gets dried completely otherwise mold and mildew may infest there. Once dried, you can move to the last step of applying for protection.
Protecting the Soft Top
A fine film of good quality protectant can keep the dirt, grime, and any other pollutant from seeping into the soft top. Not only this but protectants also hinder the moisture from setting within your fabric top which otherwise may lead to mold and mildew growth.
To apply the protectant, all you need to do is to mist it on the soft top thoroughly and let it sit there for 15-20 minutes. Mostly the single coat of protectant is sufficient for making your convertible top weather and water resistant but for enhanced protection, going for a second coat will be fruitful.
Wondering how to figure out whether you’ve applied a sufficient amount of protectant or not? Well, there’s no one-line rule here. You’ll just know when your fabric soft top will stop accepting the weatherproof technology.
Quality Material
You can’t pick up the right cleaning agent as long as you are not sure about the soft top material. Generally, the soft tops are made up of vinyl, canvas, or fabric over which various solutions are applied to achieve the final look. The best way to find out about the exact soft top material is to get in touch with the manufacturer and ask for the information.
However, if you are purchasing a second-hand convertible or buying your vehicle from a dealer then it’s possible that the convertible’s original soft top might have been replaced. In this case, you should not rely on the manufacturer’s information and ask for the details about soft top material from the dealership.
And if you can’t find any way to contact the dealership or manufacturer, there’s another way with which you can test the soft top material. In this, all you need to do is to sprinkle a few drops of water on your convertible top. If water begins to soak in, the soft top is most probably made up of fabric.
On the other hand, if water just smears or sits on the soft top, it’s vinyl. Once sure about the material, you can confidently bring the safe cleaning agent and protectant accordingly.
Right Soft Top Cleaners
Many people make the mistake of washing soft tops with shampoos and soaps high in chemicals that do more harm than good. Keep in mind that you should not even think about cleaning your soft top with harsh cleaners like bleach, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, vinegar, or alcohol since doing so will either deteriorate the overall quality or cloud your soft top.
If your soft top is not too dirty, rinse it only with clean water and that would be enough. For stubborn dirt or mud stain, use strong water jets. On the other hand, to clean fabric tops, opt for vacuum cleaning to extract dirt and debris. Cleaning fabric soft tops is more difficult than vinyl ones but the good part is that they don’t come with the fear of getting cloudy.
Still, never settle for anything less than specifically manufactured soft top cleaners and protectants. The best cleaners are the ones having neutral pH and no-bleaching agent. And most importantly, avoid cleaners and protectants having gloss enhancers in them since these will turn out to be dirt magnets, adhering more dust on your soft top.
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