Going through a carwash with a soft-top Jeep is worrying considering how delicate the materials from which soft-tops are made, be it vinyl, denim, twill, or sailcloth.
Does that mean you shouldn’t take your Jeep through a carwash? If not, do you just leave your Jeep covered in mud and dirt? This post attempts to address these questions.
Short Answer
Simply put, a soft-top Jeep shouldn’t go through a carwash because the brushes and chemicals that carwashes rely on for their operation can render the top and non-glass windows useless.
Ideally, you want to handwash your soft-top Jeep. If you don’t have the time or energy, you can opt for a touchless carwash.
How to Wash Your Soft-Top Jeep Safely
There are two ways you can go about washing your soft-top Jeep without having to worry about the top getting ruined. Firstly, you can opt for a touchless carwash. Secondly, you can go for the DIY route. The following paragraphs help shed light on both approaches.
Touchless Carwash
Touchless car washes don’t rely on brushes for their operation, so they’re pretty much incapable of damaging your Jeep’s soft top. Instead, they use high-pressure water to wash off the dirt.
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that touchless carwashes still utilize cleaning chemicals, which doesn’t make it the most optimal approach. Nevertheless, you should be able to find one or two reliable services in your area that opt for safe chemicals.
One more thing you should keep in mind is that it’s highly likely for some water to enter your car during the touchless carwash cleaning process. It’s not that big of a deal, really.
On top of using high-pressure water to wash off dirt, touchless carwashes use pressurized air to dry out cars, so no need to worry about spending too much time at the carwash waiting for your vehicle to dry.
While you’re at it, we recommend waxing your soft-top Jeep, especially if it’s black. Waxing your vehicle will help you maintain its aesthetics.
Downside
Apart from paying a few bucks, there’s a downside to opting for a touchless carwash. They may be safe and fast-paced, but they’re not as effective as standard carwashes that rely on brushes.
Like we already mentioned, the most ideal solution is to hand-wash your vehicle all by yourself. We’ll be covering the steps you need to take to wash your car manually very shortly.
If washing your vehicle manually isn’t an option and you want to ensure maximum effectiveness, opt for a carwash service that provides hand-washing services. Not only are they more effective than their touchless counterparts, but they’re also safer.
Sure, you’ll probably pay more, and it’s highly likely that you’ll have to wait longer, but you’ll drive out of the carwash with a smile on your face, knowing that your car is spotless.
It’s also worth noting that some of these carwashes that offer hand-washing services might have automatic dryers, meaning you don’t need to wait long for your car to dry. And even though such dryers rely on high-pressure air, you don’t have to worry. Your soft-top Jeep can handle it.
Manual Washing
Manually washing your soft-top Jeep, as we said, is the safest and most effective approach. It’s a little time consuming, yes, but it’s not like you’ll be cleaning your vehicle daily.
First of all, you need a pressure washer or a hose that’s connected to a high-powered outlet. It’s very critical not to stand too close to your car as you’re using the hose/washer so that you don’t damage the fabric. Ideally, you should be about two feet away from the car.
Next, you want to grab a bottle of car shampoo and begin covering the entire soft top. You want to employ a brush that’s designed specifically for car interiors to brush the dirt. If there are stains that are too deep for the brush to scrap, you can employ a harder one. Just make sure you don’t scrub too hard that you end up damaging the soft top.
The other end of the brush you’re using should be designed in such a way that it’s able to clean seams and corners, so don’t forget about that. After you’re done brushing the top, start rinsing.
Thereafter, you want to grab a rayon or polyvinyl towel to absorb excess water. It’s important to tackle each part at a time. Tackling the whole top at once increases the risk of mold. To add, it’s important not to use materials such as terry, paper, or even microfiber towels, as they’re not all that effective.
The next step is to let your car air-dry for a while. Make sure you park it somewhere where the sun is prominent so that it dries quickly. After it has dried properly, you need to utilize masking tape to waterproof the vehicle.
To add, you want to grab a can of a hydrophobic solution and spray it all over the top in straight motions. Make sure you’re about eight inches away while you’re spraying. Further, make sure you shake the can before you start spraying.
If the solution spreads, use a pre-wax cloth to wipe the top. And lastly, after the solution sets, start drying each part of the top at a time using a rayon, microfiber, or polyvinyl towel.
Final Thoughts
Going through an auto carwash with a soft-top Jeep might not be an option, but that doesn’t mean you should leave your car dirty. Hopefully, with the aid of the information shared in this post, you’re now able to clean and maintain your soft-top vehicle without any problems.