New owner here...please excuse if this is repeated ad nauseum...

When you wash your cabrio, do you wash the top, too? With the same car wash as the body?

I've washed Elton twice, once to clean the bugs off from his maiden voyage and this morning to strip the wax so I can Zaino him. I just sprayed off the top with water and dried him...looks great and the water is still beading, so I'm curious what everyone else does.

I do have some RaggTopp on order, but I figure I won't have to treat his top until the Fall.

 

I'm pretty sure you'll get differing answers to this question but my answer is this...
As new I did not put anything on my top other than a fresh water rinse to keep the original waterproofing intact.
If it had something like bird poop then I would use warm water to soften and remove.
After a year or so I still don't use any chemicals on it other than the occasional re-waterproofing (there are several types that work really well).

What my mechanic told me from day one has really worked great for me and
I believe has kept the top looking like day one new and that is to vacuum the top
instead of washing it to remove the dirt and grit instead of imbedding it into
the fibers with washing.

 

^ That's good advice. I don't have a cabrio, so excuse my intrusion. My mommy has an old (well, '96) Jag soft top that I take care of on occasion, though.

For general cleaning, either vacuum it when you do the interior or hose it off with clean water when you wash the outside, but keep the soap away from it for the most part. You can scrub a little with a soft-bristled brush and that'll get a lot of the crud off. I got mom a fairly long-handled one at Murray's that works pretty well.

When needed (you'll know it), there are several different soft-top cleaners out there. I did hers with 303 fabric cleaner and the same brush. You'll want to get it nice and clean before you put your protectant on, so lather it up, then rinse really well. After I got it nice and clean (and dry!) I sprayed it (or pour it into a different container and brush it on may work better, I lost a fair amount in the wind) with 303 protectant.

 

Great advice It's basically what I do

Lois

 

Thanks, all. I appreciate the advice as I've never had a rag-top before. I kinda figured less is more with the cloth top. I had heard really good things about both the 303 and the RaggTopp. I know the manufacturer recommends RaggTopp, so that's how I'm gonna go when he needs it. I will look into getting a brush for him, but I'm going to have to hide it so my hubby doesn't steal it and use it on his wheels or something...he doesn't get it - a car is a way to get somewhere for him

 

Well.. my MINI is a way for me to get somewhere. In style, quickly, while having loads of fun (and using very little petrol).

Congrats on the new cabrio, btw, very pretty!

 

I used Raggtop cleaner and protectant about a month into ownership.

Yesterday after our Colorado roadtrip, I discovered some souvenirs from the birds and lots of dust. I scraped the spots gently and then vacuumed the top.

I think I'll need to use the Raggtop products again though.

Congratulations on your MCSC. Long live the superchargers!