Hi chaps,

Got a few cosmetic issues to sort with the Coupe, one of them being a roof that dirties way too easily.

It's showing signs of wear a little due to age and I don't want to keep scrubbing it and have ingrained "lichen" (possibly) that I want to shift.

Was wondering if I got a steam cleaner if it was ok to carefully steam clean it? Could then do my seats, alloys and engine I guess too.

Other option is to get a carpet/upholstery washer as no soft top cleaners seem to really shift it deep down and may need to clean spores I guess.

Thanks

hmmm a difficult one, I would get onto smart and ask, if there is a membrane sandwiched in the roof, the steam could deform it, if it is just a single layer mohair then it's probably okay to, it may even shrink it up a little and make it nice and tight again.

Thanks.

I think steam would be the best cleaning and wouldn't require any more rubbing, showing up the rods beneath! :-O

Not sure if I read someone on here saying it was double duck??? Think it is two layers though. Everytime I see another soft top fabric it always looks tougher than mine. Guess it may be a smart thing.

Will check with smart of Blackpool but they aren't too hot for technical stuff.

According to a recent post I saw by Messy, there IS a rubber membrame in the roadster softtop roof - so be careful....

Thanks. May still go for the steam cleaner to do my seats and alloys etc and try a wet vac on the roof.

Gonna be going for a hardtop in Summer methinks. Really want to get it clean first then stow it away. Tired of it looking dirty and tired

Would a steam cleaner be ok on the roof bar seals? Got green bits that need shifting!

neva had any probs with using my carpet cleaner on the roof amazing wat comes out wen ur dun

Thanks.

Wish I'd got a wet vac sooner as the roof is much more patterned around the frame then it used to be

smart of Blackpool said not to steam clean as it will remove the Scotchguard?? Wish it was Scotchguarded!

May go for the Vax 6131 and upholstery tool then next month.

Been quoted £1016 for the hardtop and bag which is hard to swallow when the car is 5 in October.

What vac do you use and what do you use to clean it?

It may not be to your standards of cleanliness but I've found the hood cleaner from Smart OK...then re-proof the roof. The algae...green stuff grows on a wet roof in the sunshine especially when the water doesn't end up in droplets.

For seats and things I've used upholstery cleaner from B&Q...it sorted out milk stains and chocolate...Regards ACE

Cleaniness Like it.

Just want the green bits and sort of powdery patches dead!!!

Tried most of the cleaners over the years (Autoglym, Renevo and Turtle Wax) but the Autoglym seemed best but non would really get them all out.

Will go for the Vax option and may try Fabrosil(sp?) as a proofer due to it's price and literally coat the bugger in the stuff.

The beeding was good a while back but I think all the rain, frost and snow has killed it quickly.

It's a job for Easter :-S

It's called Fabsil (I think)...on my last trip to a camping shop the aerosol can was about a foot high and cost £8.00. It is much less than what you get at car places.

About three weeks ago I did clean my roof and waterproofed it...the only thing I did different is that I've been covering the car with an old sleeping bag and a Halfords cover...so whilst it sits in the sun there is no light so it cannot grow. My old white van had a green roof which went brown in the summer when it died.

This weekend I decided my Cabrio roof needed treatment (I didn't bother to clean it) but there was only just enough to spray the Roadster roof and the Cabrio so perhaps the Fabsil is not so concentrated. On reflection you can get it in a tin so you'd paint it on (I was hoping to scrounge off my neighbour who had a whole tin for doing his gypsy caravan roof...but they went out)...Regards ACE