Fabric Soft Top

[JBT]

Well I've searched here and on the miata.net forum, but I can't find any info on the care and feeding of the cloth soft top - particularly the NC variety. Even the owner's manual avoids the subject and refers to the vinyl type .

What do we have in the way of corporate knowledge regarding best practice in:

cleaning
protection from staining and fading
continued waterproofing (if needed)
spot removal of stuff like bird poo

[MX5-SP]

You could try Mark (aka Polarbeer aka SPy vs SPy) ....he has one of those funny looking rag-tops on his SP.

[AJ]

just wash it the same as you wash the rest of the car John...........don't go getting all paranoid on me mate

[JBT]

Nobody

[meanmx]

Don't know if it is similar to mohair but all I do is wash it with the car. Soaks up a crap load of water but comes out looking clean. Otherwise look for the fabric roof specialist stuff at all the usual mx5 resellers.

Ben

[Juffa]

I have a Robbins Cloth soft top on Tweety. It came with care instructions which just say to wash it with mild soap and water. So I just wash it with my normal carwash (Meguiars Gold). It beads up beautifully.

J

[JBT]

Thanks for that info everyone. I might look at some of that fabric guard type stuff in the future and just wash it with mild car wash stuff.

[Charlie Brown]

JBT, After 3 year’s ownership of the Classic with a fabric roof and now the NC for the last 18 months, all I have used is water.
No soap, no car wash, no after market cleaning products or finishes.
It still beads up and I think the reason it does this is because I haven’t stripped away the original protection in the material by using said soap or cleaning products.
My advice is just wash it with water, forget the other stuff.

[JBT]

Thanks CB. I washed it (very early) this morning but, in the dim light, it didn't seem to bead. Mind you, it is black now instead of the dark grey colour it was when we picked it up. Nothing leaked in - good sign.

[green_comet]

Autoglym Fabric Cabriolet Hood Care Kit

A two part kit which cleans and preserves.
The fabric hood cleaner (500ml) will remove soiling, stains and contamination from natural and synthetic fabrics.
The fabric hood protector (500ml) will re-waterproof, protect and preserve the hood from the elements.
A must to keep your cabriolet roof looking and performing well..

[sliq]

what i would use in this case is the armor care and protection stuff they have for the interior.. it looks after vinyl too. doesn't really fix any fading permanently however it does extend the life of the soft top. it's hard to spray on and wipe with, so i just get a paint brush and slosh it all over her

[JBT]

I've been pestering Mazda Australia about the lack of info in the owners manual. I received this email:

The soft top of your MX5 already has a water protective property on it, We dont recommend an extra application to be added as it may do damage to the roof over a period of time. If you would like you can apply 'Scotchguard to liven up the appearance, but thats all we recommend.

Yours sincerely
Mazda Customer Service

[vak82]

Thanks for sharing that with us John. Much appreciated.

[sabretooth]

Maybe scrub it with some Omo??

[Uncle Arthur]

Maybe scrub it with some Omo??

Actually - perhaps Sabre is onto something.....

What about a eucalyptus woolwash or tea tree based product??? Even some of the orange oil products are very good and seem pretty gentle.....

If you have to use something to move stubborn stains, something like that might be a soft enough product, and natural too???