Cleaning Mold Off a Soft Convertible Top

One of the main dangers for a soft convertible top is the growth of mold on the top, this will most likely result in black stains which will grow larger over time if not taken care of.

The main cause of mold growing on the top of your car is usually weather conditions where the car gets wet and is parked in a damp or shady place where the top does not dry off, these are perfect conditions for the growth of mold.

In this project I will show you the routine which I found to be the safest and most effective way to get rid of the mold and keep the top looking good.

In the case of mold time is of the essence, the sooner we take care of the mold the bigger the probability it will not return or happen again.

Tools:

1. Table spoon.
2. Large bowl.
3. Large water bucket.
4. Micro-fiber cleaning glove or cloth. If any of those are not available a clean soft sponge will do.
5. Pressure washer. A normal garden hose or the bucket will do as well.
6. Car chamois - optional.

Supplies:

1. 1/2 cup of dish soap.
2. 1/4 cup of baking soda.
3. 1/4 cup of 5% vinegar.
4. Cup of water.
5. Soft convertible top car soap.
6. Car soap.

As for the car soaps use which ever one you like, I will attach a picture of the convertible top soap I use but any one is fine.

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

If using a pressure washer please make sure to use low pressure as high pressure will damage the soft top.

The first step is making the solution to kill off the mold and make sure it doesn't come back.

We take the bowl, spoon, dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, and water.

1. We pour the soap into the bowl.
2. We pour the baking soda into the bowl.
3. We pour the the vinegar into the bowl - the solution will fizz up quite a bit, don't be alarmed this is part of the process.
4. Stir the solution, after the entire solution is mixed we add the cup of water to make it a little bit more easy to spread on the top of the car.

The solution is now ready, make sure not to let it sit for a long time as it will harden a bit.

In order to apply the solution to the car we first do a quick rinse of the soft top.

Use either the pressure washer or a normal hose, make sure to take off any grime or dirt that is on the top.

Once the top is clean of all loose dirt or grime make sure to get every part of the top wet before proceeding to the next step.

It is time to apply the solution to the soft top.

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

It is highly recommended to test the solution of a small side corner of the soft top in order to make sure that there is no unwanted affects to the top.

Use the micro-fiber glove/cloth to spread the solution on the soft top and all places where there is visible mold.

Even if the mold is in a small area it is important to cover the entire top as the solution is quite effective in cleaning the soft top and so other areas which have not been cleaned would appear as still having dirt and so have different visible color.

After covering the entire top let the solution sit for 15 mins on the soft top in order to kill the mold.

We now can wash off the solution.

Again use the pressure washer or the hose to wash off the solution, after that has been done we move on to using the soft convertible top soap.

Apply the soap to the top and rub with the micro-fiber glove/cloth in order to insert the soap into the top. Use the glove/cloth only after you have washed it to prevent having some of the solution on it.

The final step is cleaning the entire car, we need to wash the soap off the car and make sure none of the solution is left on the car (not only the top).

I recommend to proceed to washing the entire car already.

Make sure to dry the car using the chamois or leave it in a dry and sunny area to dry off.

Over the next few weeks keep an eye of the appearance of new mold growth.

If there is any new mold the problem might be in the interior of the car and the problem could be bigger than expected and I would recommend to conduct a complete check of the interior by dismantling the soft top.

To prevent the situation from occurring again make sure to keep the car in a dry place and in the rainy season see that it dries up after heavy rainfall.