Maintaining your convertible top clean and functioning properly

Convertible tops appear great when your car is new. But I am sure that your car's convertible top will not look great without proper care, when your car is becoming old. You can protect and improve the durability of a convertible top only if you take care of it properly. Some of the tips for maintaining your convertible top clean and functioning properly are as follows:

Dust cleaning of your convertible top is an important step of maintaining your convertible top. Convertible tops must be cleaned at least twice a year. If your convertible has cloth top, vacuuming or whisk brooming can help in cleaning the top. If your convertible top is made of vinyl, you can easily clean it using water and mild soap or dish detergent. Do not use ordinary glass cleaner if your convertible top has rear plastic window as it may damage the plastic. You can also try using some good quality commercial cleaning solutions especially made for the type of top you have, if the top is very dirty. When cleaning the convertible tops, always use a soft toothbrush or nail brush to dust or remove the dirt out of the tiny crevices of the top. Always brush in circular direction to get effective results. After washing and cleaning the convertible top, let it dry completely before folding it down, in order to prevent the formation of mold or mildew.

Presence of scratches and discoloration of the convertible top not only reduces the look of the convertible top, but also of the car. Occasionally polish the metal mechanism so as to keep it beautiful. Check for any damage or tears or weak spots or tears or ready-to-break threads. You can try to repair the damages if any at the earliest. You can re-stitch the loosening seams by hand before they become worse. You can insert a patch inside the top and securely stitch it or glue it using quality adhesive, if you notice a weak spot or hole at the top. For repairing holes or rips in vinyl top, you can use a vinyl repair kit. Before buying the kit, read the instructions carefully in order to buy the kit which is suitable for you. To remove any bubbles in the vinyl top, just prick the bubble using a pin and remove the air out. Press the vinyl against the roof in order to reseal it, when the air is out.

If you feel that your convertible top has discolored or faded, you can use special sprays that are available for restoring the color. You have to just spray over the top. But ensure to mask the surrounding areas of the car before you use these sprays. Always spray the same color or slightly darker shade to hide the spots on the top.

Most of the modern convertible tops have a glass rear window. Rear plastic windows seem to be the first part of a convertible top to get damaged. If your convertible has plastic rear window, ensure that it is not getting crumpled by the raising and lowering mechanism of the top. To avoid rusting, you can apply some wax at the metal mechanism. In order to make the metal mechanism work smoothly, you must lubricate or apply oil at the hinges. To avoid staining of the top, you can apply some oil.