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Using protectants on cabriolet hoods - what to watch out for

Convertibles may do well in a garage or carport for protection but it is outside in the fresh air that they really come to life. If you protect your convertible from environmental factors, you will be able to enjoy your beautiful car for longer. Yet convertibles were made to be driven and that means going outdoors! Of course, there, it will then be exposed to potential risks like wind, weather, dust and dirt. Companies and enthusiasts have come up with a range of solutions over the years to help convertible roofs withstand the elements. Some of these ideas are effective, others less so and some can even cause damage themselves. The central theme here is always protectants for cabrio hoods so that is our subject for today.

Contents:

  1. What are protectants for?
  2. The properties of hood fabric
  3. When should protectants be used?
  4. Cleaning instead of protectants?
  5. Summary: As much as necessary, as little as possible

What are protectants for?

Soft tops are pretty cars and a few spend the majority of their time in temperature-controlled display rooms, protected from wind and weather. But most convertibles are bought to be used. So they are out on the open road. Sports cars are like good shoes: the look their best when new but they are made to be used. Take a convertible out on the road and environmental factors that impact the car are unavoidable – and that can have consequences for the roof, too. Intense heat and UV radiation, green staining and bird muck, dust and dirty rain can all attack the soft top. Protectants are often used to prevent damage from these factors. Protectants are designed to give the hood a protective coating that repels water and dirt. Given the range of influences attacking the fabric, a protectant may seem like a necessity rather than a luxury. Let’s take a look at the properties of hood fabric to determine whether that is really the case.

The properties of hood fabric

At Eurotop, our production department uses only Sonnenland canvas® to make our convertible roofs. This is an incredibly high-quality fabric, made in Germany and used to make hoods by well reputed car manufacturers the world over. The canvas has three layers, each with different properties. The outer layer is the colour that we see and is non-fade from the moment it leaves the factory. The midlayer is made from synthetic rubber and ensures that the hood stays waterproof. Any hood made using this canvas or equally high-quality hood fabric is non-fade and waterproof by its very nature. This makes protectants unnecessary as they would only provide characteristics that the material already has. If there is any water ingress through the hood, the midlayer must already have become brittle. Soft tops are used for many years before they start losing their integrity. 

When should protectants be used?

Convertibles are all different, just like their owners! And that means that they respond differently to the environmental factors they encounter, too – including the roofs. Some cars are kept in a temperature-controlled garage and only taken out in good weather, when the soft top is dropped and kept in a protective hood case or covered with a dust cover. The owner immediately and gently removes any dirt from the hood. For these cars, no protectant is needed. If using protectant, always ensure that you select a suitable product. The chemicals in unsuitable protectants can attack the fabric and cause irreparable damage. The protectant will also settle between the fibres, giving any rust or fine particles something to stick to.

So what is the benefit of applying protectant to a convertible roof? There are cases where the hood cannot be permanently protected from intense sunlight, green staining, bird muck or other dirt. If the car is regularly exposed to the elements then using a suitable protectant can be a good choice. Tree resin and green staining can be so tough that simple cleaning alone will not remove them. If resin or staining has stuck to the hood in high concentrations then it can be impossible to remove it without damaging the hood in the process. A good protectant will produce a lotus effect so that the water won’t sit on the hood fabric. Instead, it forms beads and runs off immediately, taking any dirt it contains with it and giving it no opportunity to stick to the hood.

Cleaning instead of protectants?

Handily, a high-quality hood is already good enough in itself that the owner will not need to regularly spend time and money maintaining their car hood. The dirt that accumulates from day-to-day use can generally be removed perfectly adequately in normal cleaning so protectants are superfluous. If a convertible roof is dirty, it is advisable to act fast. However, a soft brush and lukewarm water will often remove the problem. It is therefore often advisable to simply clean rather than using a protectant.

Summary: As much as necessary, as little as possible

If you want to protect your convertible roof from dirt and keep your car looking new for as long as possible, then you should think carefully about the role of protectants. There is no one-size-fits-all rule for using these products. It is more important to consider your individual circumstances and, if you are unsure, always ask an expert. If you have a high-quality hood then the fabric is protected from the elements by design and small amounts of dirt can be removed with a simple clean. However, if the car is to be driven regularly over a long period, then a protectant can be genuinely helpful.

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