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

 

[mmissile]

I always used ajax cleanser and a brush. Rinsed super well, them put vinyl treatment on them.

 

[33 IMP]

I don't recall ever having a vinyl roof car , so, .... with a grain of salt.
I have a spray cleaner with bleach (probably similar to bleche-white). I might try it on a white roof, certainly NOT on a black one.

 

[R413]

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.

That's why I have detailed instructions. It is a great product, but use caution as it is quite strong. Keep it away from aluminum.

It will clean a dirty neglected white vinyl top, and that's what this man is after.
t has uses, I use caution also. It's not mild. It works great on greasy drivetrain parts with a pressure washer.

 

[sam dupont]

I work for a museum and I clean a lot of items that are constructed of many different materials. My rule of thumb is to start with the softest methods first, and progress until I get what I want. Thus, dish detergent on vinyl. One can always go harsher, but you can't back up and fix something that was damaged by cleaning.* There have been antiques that I cleaned with only a cotton cloth and light rubbing. The patina sometimes confirms authenticity and often adds to an item's presentation.
* you can return cleaned brass and bronze patina pretty good with vinegar or a weakened muriatic acid, but it is obvious to a trained eye.