Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Top Care

Most automatic car washes are safe for a Smart Fortwo cabriolet top. But using a car wash with barrel brushes should be avoided. All Smart Fortwo cabriolet owners should use a fluorocarbon repelling system to protect their tops. There are kits developed exclusively for the cleaning and care of a cabriolet roof. Smart Cabriolet Top Care...Your Smart cabriolet top is basically just a piece of cloth that, when driving, gets everything our environment can throw at it. Smart manufacturers are aware of this and use high-grade and heavy-gauge materials for cabriolets.

But there still are things we can do to provide added protection to the material for longer-lasting protection to the Smart cabriolet top, which needs safeguards just like the car panel's paint, cloth, leather seats and even the carpeting.

For starters, most automatic car washes are safe for convertible tops, but those using barrel brushes should be avoided. Hand-washing will ensure the least amount of cumulative wear-and-tear on your cabriolet top.

Clean your top with mild dishwashing soap. Never use a cotton wash mitt on your convertible top. If you do, you'll see why!

For hard to remove spots, stains and to seal your top here are two products we recommend!

One product is terrific for cleaning your smarts cabriolet top as well as the carpet and upholstery. This is not a shampoo but a professional extractor that goes at the source of the cabriolet top's stain, braking it down and eliminating most spots and stains from your cabriolet top.

It’s called Smart Cleaner and sells in many high end car dealerships such as Porsche, Mercedes and Lexus.

The other product is a fabric-Guard protectant. Once your cabriolet top is cleaned and thoroughly dried apply Fabric-Guard Protectant sealant. We recommend you apply it evenly over any exposed fabric surface of the cabriolet tops in three light coats, allowing the product to dry 10 minutes or so between coats.

These two products are specifically for cleaning the Smart cabriolet roof and re-proofing that, when used correctly thet protect and preserve your cabriolet top, extending its life and helping stop dirt from penetrating the cloth to keep it looking clean and fresh. No matter what you use, make sure it does not contain any silicone, Freon, or CFCs.

We recommend all new Smart Fortwo cabriolet owners use a chemical with a fluorocarbon-repelling system. Products with these chemicals bond with the top’s fabric and repel liquid and dirt while, at the same time, providing ultraviolet protection.

You can use Scotch-guard on your Fortwo’s cabriolet top. It will make hosing off dirt and grime much easier. You should also try it on your Smart's cloth seats; it will do wonders and help in the long run with the car’s trade-in value.

If you've ever had that nasty and sticky tree sap on your convertible top, you know it's challenging to remove and can ruin your cabriolet.

Here's a useful tip that will help. Just use a little WD40, vegetable oil or PAM cooking spray to remove it. But, try it first on an unobtrusive area for color-fastness.

Hopefully, you'll never get green mold on your top. But if you do, there is only one thing I have found to remove it permanently and that is sodium hypochlorite. But it can also damage natural fabric.

It is very potent, and if the fabric cover is white or nylon (and stitched with nylon), no problem. If it is black, don't even think of using it. Again, use it first in an unobtrusive area to be certain of its effect.