oldtrlrnr

I'm looking for info on care & cleaning of the soft top on my 06 S2K.

Soap OK during car wash? BTW someone mentioned it's better to use liquid dish soap than the powder laundry soap - does it matter?

What about treatment to preserve fabric? Extend water resistance? E.g. just spray with silicone occasionally? Anything better?

payyourtoll

I dont know about powder vs liquid, I would imagine liquid would be the suggested type

As far as preserving your soft top, a recommended product is 303 protectant. It will seal up the material, and slow-down or even prevent the color from fading

http://www.303products.com/main.php

xviper

No, no, no, no, no! Don't use dish soap or laundry soap. Any car care guy will tell you this. You might use something like a Dawn liquid dish soap ONCE, to get the old wax off before starting a new coating, but never again.
Use a car wash soap. It's designed to clean the car (including the top) and leave the previous wax or protectant in place. Dish soap is a grease and wax cutter. You don't want it to take off your hard work and have to wax every time you wash.

Once cleaned and dry, apply something like 303 Protectant onto a lint free cloth and wipe the cloth over the soft top material. Don't over do it. Keep the top up overnight for it to dry a bit. Then it's good to go. If you use too much, it'll run next time you wash the car, but this is only cosmetic. Repeat the 303 a couple times a year, more often if you park in the hot sun a lot with top up.

MikeyC

Also, just so you know the top on the S2K is made of vinyl and not fabric. It sure does look like fabric though!

Just to throw in my $0.02 I prefer the Ragg Top products to 303. I find the Ragg Top seems to last longer for me.

wanabe

list of some of the products that work on our tops for preserving:

303
vinylex
raggtopp (they make separate products for vinyl and fabric- make sure to get the vinyl product)- i agree with mikeyc on this...

oldtrlrnr

Glad I asked.

>>the top on the S2K is made of vinyl and not fabric<<

I didn't know that, and would have assumed fabric - thanks.

I see that 303 Products has several products:
- Convertible Top Cleaner
- Fabric Cleaner (sounds like it would be good on our living rm upholstery)
- Fabric Guard
- Aerospace Protectant

If I go with 303 Products, it looks like I should use the Convertible Top Cleaner to wash it, then apply the Aerospace Protectant - sound right?

I see that RaggTop has a similar set of fabric/vinyl cleaner and protectant.

I'll pick up some car wash soap & wool washing mitts at the local auto parts store, probably order the 303 or Ragg stuff online.

Thanks, all.

) Bob Peitzke
Lovin' driving my S2K with top down in our sunny weather now.

Kens_s2000

OK....This is the first post that I've read about cleaning the top. I previously heard not to use soap or any thing else to clean or preserve the top. since, 2003, I have been using water and a tooth brush to get the bird crap off!

So....Again, is it ok to use cleansers and protectants on the top. I would really like to hear professional responces and not "Well, I do it so it has to be ok" type of responses.

s2ksimon

raggtopp and Porsche Tequipment get my vote

MikeyC

It is absolutely OK to use cleaners on your top. I'm not saying all cleaners are OK though. Things like car wash soap and designated vinyl cleaners are definitely OK.

I wash my top with car wash soap along with the rest of the car on a weekly basis. I wouldn't use a car wash soap that has wax in it though (FYI most don't but check the label). This could contribute to dulling the top. Once a month or so I clean it with the Ragg Top vinyl cleaner and apply the Ragg Top vinyl protectant. If you don't protect your top it will fade over time.

usace

I agree with everything that's already been said. It's definitely ok to clean the top with car wash soap, which I think is the easiest thing to do (just wash the top while washing the rest of the car). And you should definitely use a protectant to keep the top in good shape. If your top spends any significant time in the up position then it will be exposed to UV rays from the sun, which over time can start to dry out and break down the material. 303, vinylex, raggtop, etc. all have UV blockers to combat this. If you're still hesitant about using these products then do a search in this forum for soft top care... probably once a week a new topic is started about this. So, there's a lot to read.