Cleaning a white vinyl top.

[Darter6]

Need a few suggestions for a good way to clean white vinyl top. Any tips will be appreciated.

 

[toolmanmike]

Whitewall tire cleaner. A friend used Comet cleanser as well. I wouldn't use either if the top was old and crispy.

 

[dadsbee]

Scrubbing bubbles for Showers. Spray on, let foam and work the grain with an upholstery brush. Wipe clean.

 

[toolmanmike]

Scrubbing bubbles for Showers. Spray on, let foam and work the grain with an upholstery brush. Wipe clean.
View attachment 1951420
View attachment 1951421

Plus it kills all the germs!

 

[R413]

Simple green first, fairly mild. If not strong enough use Castrol Super Clean. This stuff is strong, it will damage cheap paint and un coated aluminum.

Spray on a 2 foot square area at a time. Let sit one minute and scrub with a brush then rinse off.
Wash whole top and the paint with soapy water afterward.

Don't let it sit longer than one minute.
Don't let it dry.
Keep paint wet so it won't stain it.
Don't answer phone or go in the house until done.

 

[Don Frelier]

The drill brush kits like this work really well.
Just plug it into an impact.

 

[66ChargerHI-PO]

Lysol would do it

 

[dadsbee]

I will note that from 1990 to 2019 I had used every cleaner known to man on my Superbirds original Black top. Would look good for a bit and go right back to looking Gray. Prior to the Aero Reunion in October of 2019 I used Scrubbing Bubbles... it stayed BLACK. It is still Black even after the body shop dust and aftermath, and all I did after that fiasco was wipe it off with a wet towel... pretty good for a 56 year old top

2019..

Today...

 

[Darter6]

Many thanks ! Great job with the Scrubbing Bubbles aka "Pour La Douche" Gotta laugh at that one.

 

[kiwigtx]

I was told by my Upholstery guy to never put any oily protectants like Armour-all and the like on the vinyl roof (black) - as it acts like a suntan lotion on the vinyl...eventually baking it.

Maybe conditions down under are a bit harsher with more UV floating around....but I always used just ordinary car-wash soap and made sure the roof was only sponge-cleaned and dried off immediately.

Roof still looks minty fresh after 25 years.

 

[Dave6T4]

Simple green first, fairly mild. If not strong enough use Castrol Super Clean. This stuff is strong, it will damage cheap paint and un coated aluminum.

Spray on a 2 foot square area at a time. Let sit one minute and scrub with a brush then rinse off.
Wash whole top and the paint with soapy water afterward.

Don't let it sit longer than one minute.
Don't let it dry.
Keep paint wet so it won't stain it.
Don't answer phone or go in the house until done.

I would not use Castrol Super Clean anywhere near a car. This stuff is pretty caustic, and will easily spot paint if not used carefully. I was using it to clean a piece of aluminium trim, and it partially dissolved it. Lesson learned. I have used Spray 9 with good success.

 

[sam dupont]

Never been rich enough to afford a vinyl top car... but I've cleaned a lot of Tolex on old guitar amplifiers. Working on an old silver face Fender Princeton right now. I use a scrub brush to remove dust and dirt before scabbing with liquid dish detergent. I never apply a protectant as I sell the clean and dry amps, warts and all. I leave that decision to the next owner. It take elbow grease, so I like the looks of that brush kit