What will OXYCLEAN do to a convertable top?

[Cremaster]

I have a tan top that is dirty. Grungy from road dirt and inattentive cleaning is more like it. Will OXY clean it, can it be rinsed clean, I need a brush but a horse hair is out of my range. Main thing is I don't want to destroy the top. I want it to last 3 more years and it is kept inside most of the time. I suspect 40 days in the sun when not being used. Your thoughts appreciated.

[jlb85]

Oxy will work and should not damage the top. Rinsing is paramount. Start with a low concentration mix and use any nylon bristle brush that feels moderately stiff. If you see scoring thrugh the fibers then the brush is too harsh. Its better to scrub twice with a too soft brush than to scrub once with a too hard brush.
Follow the Oxy wiith some normal car wash soap. Use a pressure washer to rinse off, and rinse until NO SUDS APPEAR FROM TOP. The most frequent failure of tops is from excess soap residue weakening fibers and entraping dirt (soap attracts dirt and pulls it into the fibers).
Once clean, let it dry out a few days. Once it is bone dry, apply Ragtopp or Aerospace 303 to protect. From then on, minimal soap is required for cleaning. Usually I skip the foam cannon on the tops and jjust rely on overspray and a soft but large brush to goo over the top really quick.
HINT: If it is dusty, try to vacuum the top with a stiff brush attachment on the vacuum first, then wash. Then, lightly brush between coats of protectant to even out the nap and flip fibers for better protectant coverage. Don't forget to clean and dress the underside and the rubber seals.

[aaron07]

Oxyclean can be used and also Dawn dish soap. Using products intended for covertible tops like 303 and Raggtop are much better.

[crazy4trains]

A horsehair brush can be had for under 10 bux. Either look online at amazon etc. or go to your local wallyworld and look in the shoe polish area.

[bmw42ofus]

"Top End"---a Surf City Garage product which can be ordered on-line from their website or walmart, pepboys etc...should have it for 9 to 10 dollars a bottle. A cleaner and conditioner all in one....Good luck

[chet31]

Listen to jlb, but I'll add, why use OxyClean for anything, Consumer Reports rated it middling of all the cleaners they tried. I'm sure it's decent, but certainly not the best for the buck. Anyway, you already own the OxyClean, it should be fine for your top, just use it at the lowest concentration that gives you a bit of suds, you should be fine. After cleaning, I rinse first with soft water from my inside taps, then distilled water (probably overkill), then 303 protectant. My top looks like new (11 years old). Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.