Can I put my convertible through a car wash?
Yes, you can put a soft top through a car wash, but remember, not all car washes are made equal. The older nylon brush types are fairly rare these days, but they are safe to use on an infrequent basis. We would have more concern about their effect on your paintwork than your hood. They can be quite harsh and some manufacturers of after market hoods do not recommend them.
These days, most automated car washes are soft-cloth or touchless, and these are perfectly fine to use.
We recommend you find a car wash that looks clean, well maintained and is operated by a reputable company. Some that are not well maintained, not working efficiently, or maybe just because they want to speed up the process to increase profits, will use extremely harsh soaps which can strip all the weatherproofing off your roof... they may also stain chrome and metal and etch and bleach plastics. This warning doesn't just apply to automated car washes, but also hand car washes.
It should go without saying, but when taking a convertible through a car wash, make sure you have the roof up, firmly secured and latched down.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 23/08/2022 16:24