What is the best way to keep the top clean?

 

Park in a garage. And keep the top down ALWAYS when you drive.

Knowing that you can't do those things 100% of the time, here's what I do:

1) Treat your top twice a year with Raggtops, 303 Fabric Guard, or a similar fabric protector. Both companies also make cleaners which work well before the treatment step. These treatments repel water, protect against UV damage, and keep stuff you don't like from sticking or absorbing into the weave.

2) Other than this twice-a-year cleaning and treatment, only rinse your top with plain water (no soap, and no automated car washes). While getting the top nice and sudsy may make you feel like you're cleaning it, the soap/detergents tend to stay in the weave of the fabric and attract MORE dust & dirt.

3) When it's dusty, I often vacuum my top with a soft brush to get the crud out of the weave.

4) Sometimes I use one of those sticky tape lint/pet hair rollers on it - it's AMAZING how much black road dust it will get out...

5) NEVER park under trees... sap is your worst enemy (followed closely by bird poop).

 

I treat ours (one black top, one blue top) with RaggTopp fabric protectant twice a year, and generally ignore it during car washes, except to just rinse it off with water. You definitely don't want to scrub it with soap and a mitt or rub it dry, because you'll get lint all over it, and the protectant won't last as long. You can blot it dry with a lint-free cloth if you want, though (I use the large waffle-weave microfiber towels for drying)

The MINI top is pretty stain-resistant and stays looking good with minimal care.

 

I read a nice semi-stiff brush also helps take debris out. I like the lint-roller idea too. I'll be ordering Raggtopp's kit or 303 this week.

 

I bought a nice bristle brush (actually a real bristle hairbrush) for this - it DOES work well... but the roller works better.

And +1 Scott - I dry with a waffle weave. Sometimes I use my jelly blade to gently sweep the beaded water off the top first (even thought that's technically "rubbing" and technically a "no-no"... I don't think it hurts anything)...

 

Well, it's "rubbing", but you're not going to get much lint from a jellyblade, so it's probably okay. Likewise, a jellyblade isn't going to absorb any of the protectant out of the top, so you're okay there as well.

As an aside, how do you like the jellyblade for the painted surfaces? I have one of the Griot's Garage water-wiping blades (closed-cell foam blade in a wooden handle), but I'm seriously underwhelmed by it. It gets the water off fine, but no matter how lightly I glide it over the surface, it leaves ultra-fine parallel scratches in my wax/sealant. (The scratches don't go into the clear coat like swirl marks, but they're still visible until I re-apply the wax or sealant).

 

I have nothing but love for the jelly blade... no issues that I've detected so far - just have to make sure it's CLEAN and dust-free before using (I always rinse it and wipe it well with my hand and rinse again...

But now that I'm almost always using compressed air for all the nooks and crannies, I could blow off the standing water almost as easily... will probably start doing that...

 

I (and many other convertible and boat owners) use a mild solution of Woolite applied with a soft clean bristle brush and rinsed thoroughly several times for cleaning. Dry with a MF cloth - no lint! 303 Protectant brushed on a couple of times a year.

 

+1 On Raggtopp. That's what I used on mine and the deep black returned. I generally vacuum it before each car wash.

 

Having bought my cabrio fairly recently, do I need to treat it right away or does it come with some sort of protectant on it already?

 

+1

When I discovered how well these work, I bought a box of the economy-sized rolls at Target.

As far as cleaning goes, I use the Griots convertible top cleaning kit. It's easy to use and works great. Plus one on the large waffle-weave for drying.

 

^^^^^
+2 Love this tip

 

Mine looked pretty good for the first 6 months so I suspect it did. I've read to wait a year. I guess that is if you do a yearly cleaning. I'd do it after six months and start doing it twice a year after that.

 

Where is the best place to get the cleaner/treater? Mine needs it, I haven't ever thought about it before, but I am NOW!

 

I get the cleaner/protectant from Detailers Paradise, Stacy. Of course, it's easier for me since I order so much from them already.

BTW, I don't use the Raggtop, I use Renovo.

Cleaner & Protectant:


Both are available at DP.

 

My top didn't look as "beady" as I'd hoped in this morning's dew. I guess I have one more new ownership chore added to my list.

 

Thanks. I'll put that on my calendar!

 

Has anybody been caught in a rain storm and the top won't close...?just wondering...plan to trade my 07 mini for and 09 or 10 convertible next May...hurry up calendar....how do you get cartoon mini pictures like on this site..?

 

Never been caught where it wouldn't close, but I have been in the rain with the top down.

In my 05, 30-35mph keeps the front seats dry & 40-45 keeps my back passengers from getting soggy. Any faster, & you get this amazing watter blade comming off the windscreen. It looks like your MINI has a force field above it.

We were playing with the rain while we were driving & noticed that if you put your hands in the rain while driving, they feel wet, but as soon as you pull them back in the car, they are already dry because of the wind. It was pretty cool & everyone was amazed.

 

blimey,
thanks for the list of tips. It's just what I needed for the future.
billie

 

messed up and caught the edge of the convert top with some wax--now its white--anyone have a good solution other than painting it with black paint--just kidding!!

 

I'd go at it with some 303 cleaner and a toothbrush...

 

I have several customers using the Raggtop, seems to work well and has UV protectants in it.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/product...cat=302&page=1

 

Just picked up my 2007 cabrio. The original waterproofing had completely worn out. Cleaned it with 303 cleaner and then treated it with 303 protector. The darn top soaked up about 16 oz of the protectant. Apparently the previous owner didn't know much about convertible top care. But it sure looks nice now

 

I got the 303 from some boating supply place on-line (boater's wholsale something, maybe - its been a while). Anyway, the 303 is amazing. Haven't used anything else.