We clean a fabric soft top by hand: rinse it, wash it with a mild shampoo, work a fabric cleaner such as Dodo Juice Fibre Reviver into the weave and seams with a soft brush, rinse again, then proof the roof with Dodo Juice Fabricadabra. Keep it dry for a day afterwards so the proofing can cure.
What is the best way to clean a convertible roof?
Gently and by hand, with the roof up and latched. Wet the roof, wash it with a mild shampoo and rinse, then apply Fibre Reviver to the wet roof and work it into the folds and seams with a soft brush before rinsing again. Once the fabric is clean, a fabric sealant puts the water repellency back.
This guide covers fabric (canvas or cloth) soft tops. For a quick reminder before the cold months, our guide on protecting your car in winter covers proofing a soft top in a few lines; this page covers the full clean.
Is your soft top fabric or vinyl?
Check before you buy anything, because the products differ. A fabric roof has a woven texture you can see and feel. A vinyl roof looks and feels like a smooth or lightly grained plastic, and its care can differ. If you are unsure, the car's handbook or the roof maker will tell you.
- Fabric or canvas: the roofs Fibre Reviver and Fabricadabra are made for. Tightly woven fabrics take a sealant better than loosely woven or high pile materials.
- Vinyl: Fabricadabra's label lists leather and vinyl surfaces as well as fabric convertible roofs, but the soft top method below is for fabric. On a vinyl roof, follow the roof maker's care advice and test a hidden area first.
- Fabrics that repel water already: some fabrics, such as 100% polyester, are water repellent by nature and will not absorb a coating, although a sealant may still sit on the fibres.
What do you need to clean a soft top?
A mild shampoo, a fabric cleaner, two soft brushes, a fabric sealant and a towel cover the whole job. These are the products we use and recommend for it.
Wash the roof first
A pH neutral shampoo that is safe on all surfaces and contains no gloss enhancers or waxes, so nothing is left in the weave. 7ml to 10ml in a 15 litre bucket is enough.
Clean the fabric
A solvent-free fabric cleaner for soft-top roofs as well as upholstery and carpets. It is colourless, so it suits light fabrics; test a hidden area first.
Work it into the weave
Better Detailing Premium Natural Boar Hair Detailing Brush
Soft natural boar hair with flagged tips on a lacquered wooden handle, sold individually in six sizes. A smaller size reaches into folds, seams and around the rear window.
Maxshine Horsehair Brush Large
A 17cm wooden-handled brush with horsehair bristles that will not mark fabric, vinyl, leather or plastics, for the larger flat areas of the roof.
Proof the roof
A nano sealant that leaves a hydrophobic coating on fabric convertible roofs, upholstery, leather and vinyl. It repels water and dirt while the fabric stays breathable, and dries to an invisible layer when applied evenly. It sprays on, or brushes on in several coats.
Dry it
Mammoth Mini Triple Twisted Drying Towel
A dual-sided 1150 GSM towel, 20 x 40cm, for drying paintwork, glass, trim and fabric roofs.
Soft top products compared
| Product | Job | How to use it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| AutoBead Pure Shampoo | Wash the roof | 7ml to 10ml in a 15 litre bucket | pH neutral, no gloss enhancers or waxes |
| Dodo Juice Fibre Reviver | Clean the fabric | Apply to the wet roof, work into folds and seams, rinse, repeat if needed | Solvent-free, colourless, test a hidden area |
| Dodo Juice Fabricadabra | Proof the fabric | Spray or brush, whole panels up to the stitch lines, repeat coats | Keep dry for 24 hours; lasts 6 months or more |
| Mammoth Mini Triple Twisted Towel | Dry | Blot the water off, do not scrub | 1150 GSM, 20 x 40cm, safe on fabric roofs |
How do you clean a convertible soft top step by step?
Work in the shade with the roof up, wash before you deep clean, and rinse between stages so dirt and cleaner do not dry in the fabric.
- Check the roof: look for tears, lifting seams and worn stitching first. Cleaning will not fix damage, and scrubbing can make it worse.
- Brush off loose dirt: use a dry soft brush to lift leaves, dust and grit out of the weave and seams.
- Wet and wash: wet the roof with a hose and wash it with a mild shampoo solution such as AutoBead Pure Shampoo.
- Rinse: rinse the roof thoroughly, working from the top down.
- Deep clean: spray Fibre Reviver onto the wet roof and work it into the folds and seams with a soft brush, in straight lines with the weave.
- Rinse and repeat: rinse again, and repeat the cleaner on any area still marked.
- Dry or proof: blot off excess water with a towel, then let the roof dry or move straight on to proofing.
How do you waterproof a soft top?
Proof it with a fabric sealant once the roof is clean. Fabricadabra can go onto a dry roof for the best performance or a damp one for easier spreading, and every extra coat adds water repellence.
- Start with a clean roof: grease or fabric conditioner left in the weave stops the sealant soaking in evenly, so clean first.
- Apply whole panels: spray or brush Fabricadabra one complete panel at a time, up to stitch lines, creases, folds or other natural breaks, to avoid watermarks.
- Keep the coat even: high spots, drips or runs can look different once dry.
- Add more coats: let each coat dry, then repeat for more water repellence.
- Keep it dry for 24 hours: give it a full day to cure, ideally in a garage or a long spell of fine weather, as rain can carry uncured sealant onto the paintwork.
Wipe any overspray off the paint and glass as you go, before it dries.
Can you use a jet wash on a soft top?
We would not put a close, high-pressure jet on the fabric. It can force dirt deeper into the weave and stress the stitching and seals. Rinse with a hose, or keep a pressure washer well back on a wide, gentle spray if you use one at all, and let the brush and cleaner do the work.
How often should you clean and proof a soft top?
Clean it whenever it looks dirty or water stops beading, and proof it again when the repellency fades. Fabricadabra lasts 6 months or more; on a car that lives outdoors, expect 3 to 6 months, while a garaged car can keep a few coats much longer. Sunlight and use make the difference.
Common questions
Can a soft top go through a car wash?
Check your car's handbook first. Brushes and high-pressure jets are hard on fabric, seals and stitching, so we would hand wash a soft top and keep automatic washes for cars without one.
Can you use an all purpose cleaner on a soft top?
Start with the mildest cleaner that works. A strong all purpose cleaner can be too harsh for some fabrics and can strip existing proofing, so use a dedicated fabric cleaner such as Fibre Reviver and test a hidden area before anything stronger.
How do you clean the rear window?
Gently, and separately from the fabric. Clean it with a clean, soft microfibre and a cleaner the car maker approves for it, and keep brushes and fabric cleaner off it. Our guide on cleaning car windows without streaks covers glass.
Will a fabric sealant change the colour of the roof?
Fabricadabra dries to an invisible layer, with no change to colour or texture, when it goes on evenly. Uneven coverage, high spots or runs are what can look different, so keep each coat even and work in whole panels.
Fibre Reviver also cleans car seats and carpets: see how to clean car seats and carpets. For the rest of the car, our guide on how to wash your car safely covers the wash itself.
Need help?
Tell the TDHQ team what car you have, what the roof is made of and how it looks now, and we will help you choose the right cleaner and proofing. You can also browse our fabric protectants, fabric cleaners and the full Dodo Juice range.
Last updated 21 October 2026.
