Just got the Olds back from the paint shop and it looks great. Now I really need to clean the white ragtop. After speaking to the painter, he said not to use Bleche Wite (real spelling) or Raggtopp because the chemicals might damage the new paint/clear coat.

What is out there that might be a safer alternative? I'm thinking maybe Tide or OxyClean.
Does anyone out there have an idea on something that can be used, but is also safe for the paint?

 

I can't speak to how Tide would work, I don't believe there's an issue w/ OxyClean - it's mostly water & hydrogen peroxide.

I know Simple Green is safe for automobile paint and I'd prefer to use it to clean the convertible top. I use it to clean my convertible top.

 

I would suggest that no matter what you choose to use, that you drape the body of the car in some water proof material to prevent any chemical from getting on the newly painted surfaces!

 

I had mine painted about 5 years ago....my top was in great shape but real dingy. While at the paint shop a rep from one of the paint supply companies came in, said for $100 I will re-paint your top. I jumped at the deal. Five years later it still looks like new. A little soapy water and a soft brush and all of the dirt is gone. I know this isn't exactly the information you were looking for....just another option. For the life of me I can't remember the name of the product he used.

 

For just general cleaning I use Mc Guires gold car wash and a soft rag. When things get very dingy I will use Oxy Clean with good results. Note that my paint is in excellent shape and not green but is about 15 years old and has been washed over a hundred times. New paint may be softer and more chemical sensitive.... Tedd

 

bleche white worked for a while but not so much anymore. Oxyclean didn't do much either. simple green was ok. I may try a 5 part water 2 part bleach mix. Top is only 2 years old

 

I had completely forgotten about Simple Green! I'll give that a try. It should clean it really well, but I doubt that it can whiten the top the way Bleche Wite does.

 

I had my top done a couple years ago and I told the installer what should I use to clean my top. He said never use any chemicals. Use regular soap and a soft bristle brush.

 

I have two white tops on two different Oldsmobile's. I would not recommend bleech white on one especially around new paint. Plus I have been told it can dry rot the material and threads.
I have used a product called marine clean designed for boat interiors with decent results. But with new paint what I did was take masking plastic (what most body shops use to tape off large area's) and cover all the painted surfaces. Then mix up some dawn dish soap a good brush and go at it. That's what I did to my Cutlass white top after I painted it. Although that was nearly 25 years ago. Just be careful with chemicals aroun your new paint. Joe

 

This weekend I went ahead with the Simple Green plan. It did a good job at removing a winter's worth of accumulated dust and grime. It is definitely whiter than it was, although I think that Bleche Wite would have worked better, I'm not taking any chances with a new paint job.

 

nice work! Joe