VW Beetle convertible with a very dirty roof. No magic product -- mechanical brushes, strong detergent, multiple passes. Two-year waterproof coating with antifungal. Old ?for= link slugged.
There is no magic product that cleans a convertible roof -- it takes the right detergent and the right brushes, and it takes time. We use mechanical brushes that remove 80% of the effort, but even then a roof this dirty might need washing through three or four times until the water runs clear. You cannot do it with a domestic pressure washer; the high pressure damages the fabric.
Once clean, the roof has to dry fully before a waterproof coating can bond to it. The two-year coating we use repels water so the hood does not stay soggy in rain, and contains antifungal agents that slow the regrowth of moss and lichen. The coating does gradually lose some of its hydrophobic effect as dust breaks down the surface tension, but the antifungal protection continues, and the roof stays much easier to keep clean. After the coating dries, the car can go back out in the rain.
If your convertible roof feels sopping wet to the touch after rain -- not just damp, but wet through -- the waterproof coating has worn off and it is time to have it treated.
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