Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
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NEW Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush - How to clean and protect a convertible top
Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush
Haartz official statement about the RaggTopp/Haartz Convertible Top Brush
Haartz has extended the precision used in manufacturing soft-top convertible material to the development of a brush that cleans the topping material nearly flawlessly every time. Through the partnership with RAGGTOPP for cleaning products, it made sense for both organizations to partner on a tool to help convertible owners protect their investment
Who are RaggTopp and Haartz?
Haartz
Founded in 1897, the Haartz Corporation is the worlds #1 supplier of automotive topping fabrics as well as a leading producer and innovator of interior trim materials including moldable skins and artificial leather. Chances are likely that if you own a convertible, the top was made by the Haartz Corporation. Because the manufacturer knows their product better than anyone else, when a manufacturer recommends and in this case endorses an outside company's products for use with their finished goods, that's as powerful of a testimony you can get.
The Haartz Corporation tests and endorses RaggTopp products for the care and maintenance of their convertible tops. When you consider the additional cost to purchase a convertible as compared to the hardtop version of a vehicle you know it's important to take care of the convertible top to not only protect your original investment but to also protect the resale or trade-in value of the vehicle. If you call around to any automotive top shop and get a quote to have a convertible top replaced and installed, then your REALLY understand how important it is to take care of your car's convertible top. Because convertible top materials like cloth and vinyl are more delicate when compared to the other surfaces found on a vehicle, first priority for care and maintenance goes to the recommendation of the manufacturer. In this example, Haartz only endorses one brand of products for the care and maintenance of their topping materials and that's RaggTopp.
RaggTopp
RaggTopp founded in 1998, is the number one selling brand for the care and maintenance of convertible tops. Rick Goldstein, the owner of RaggTopp is actually a close personal friend of mine. Rick knows convertibles. More specifically, Rick is a walking encyclopedia of all things related to the care and maintenance of convertible tops all the products in all the brands under the Wolfstein umbrella corporation are top shelf in quality. You can trust the quality and the performance of the product inside when the name RaggTopp is on the outside.
In my Competition Ready 3-Day Detailing Classes I show RaggTopp products exclusively for the class session on how to properly clean and protect convertible cloth and canvas top. Rick and his company are also a member and supporter of the International Detailing Association, (IDA), which is an organization working towards the goal of elevating the detailing profession for the benefit of all detailers whether they are members of the IDA or not. (Autogeek and I are also members and supporters of the IDA) RaggTopp is the ONLY brand endorsed by the Haartz company
What is it?
The Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush is a brush co-developed by RaggTopp and the Haartz company to clean cloth and vinyl convertible tops SAFELY.
I teach convertible top cleaning and protecting in my Competition Ready 3-Day Detailing Classes. The most important topic shared in the class on convertible top care is the session on convertible top cleaning.
Why?
Because it's the cleaning step where most people make mistakes. The two biggest mistakes people make are,
In the past, RaggTopp has offered safe solutions for cleaning both canvas, (cloth), and vinyl convertible tops. Now the other portion of the equation, the correct brush for safely washing convertible tops provides convertible owners with the right tools to do the job correctly and safely.
Review
To test out this new brush I washed my friend Darlene's 2016 Audi TT Quattro Convertible. When Nick first placed this new brush on my desk the first thing I noticed was the 2" length of the bristles and how they were perfect in their flexability.
Why is the bristle length and flexibility important? Here's a little bit of information about brush bristles work.
Bristles that are too stiff
If the bristles are to stiff, the scrubbing action is too aggressive. As this relates to cleaning cloth tops, using a brush with stiff bristles risks tearing the weave of the cloth and causing the fibers to separate from the weave giving a top a fuzzy appearance. Once you tear the fibers there's no way to undo the damage.
Bristles that are too soft or pliable
If the bristles of a brush are too soft or pliable, then you loose actual and effective scrubbing or cleaning action.
There are situations when you want stiff bristles like for scrubbing tires and there are situations when you want very soft of pliable bristles, like a detailing brush for interior detailing. When it comes to cleaning a cloth top you want something perfectly in-between. That is not to stiff and not too soft. That's how RaggTopp and Haartz designed their brush, the bristles are in that sweet spot that's perfectly in-between too stiff and too soft.
Length of the bristles
The length of the bristles on a brush has a huge affect on the performance of the scrubbing action. Very short bristles provide more aggressive scrubbing action. For example a quality tire brush has short stiff bristles. A toothbrush has short bristles. Long bristles allow the bristles to flex and bend more than short bristles and this decreases the aggressiveness of the bristles. The bristles on the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush are 2" long and this provides excellent flexability for the most effective scrubbing action in relationship to the flexability of the bristles. This also makes the brush very safe when scrubbing over the surface of a cloth top.
Flagged tips
The tips on the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush are flagged or split. This does two things,
1: Multiplies the available tips to reach into the naturally occurring pockets or depressions of a fabric with a weave pattern to the surface. These pockets or lower depressions of the weave is where airborne dirt, dust, pollen and other contaminants settle so this thousands of tiny tips are able to get into these areas to agitate the build-up of dirt and loosen it so it can be rinsed off the top. This is important because the other side of the coin when maintaining a convertible top is protecting the top. If you don't remove the dirt out of the weave of the cloth then you'll seal it in when you apply the protectant.
2: Prevents scratching when scrubbing delicate surfaces. The bristles are flexible and soft enough that if they were not flagged they would not damage a cloth or vinyl top so the flagging of the tips is just an extra feature that makes the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush the best option for properly washing and cleaning a convertible top.
How To use the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush
Step 1: Always start by flushing a convertible top with a strong spray of water to flush off any loose dirt off the top and out of the weave.
Convertible Top Tip
When water is no longer beading up on the top it's time to re-apply RaggTopp Fabric Protectant. As we can see by the picture below, it's time to re-apply the RaggTopp Fabric Protectant and I'll show you how to do this in this article.
Step 3: Spray the RaggTopp Convertible Top Cleaner directly onto the wet rinsed surface of the convertible top.
Step 3: Using the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush, agitate the cleaner over the surface.
The 2" bristles come in handy for reaching down to the portion of top material covered by the rear trunk lid without fear of the handle touching the paint.
Step 4: Thoroughly rinse the top to remove 100% of the cleaner and all dirt, dust, pollen and other contaminants loosened by the brush.
IMPORTANT
It's important to rinse the top until all the suds from the cleaner are remove and the rinse water runs clear off the top.
Be sure to rinse all the dirt flushed off the top off the body panels. This will act to rinse the body panels before washing them as well.
On Autogeek.com
Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush
RaggTopp Premium Fabric Convertible Top Kit
RaggTopp Premium Vinyl Convertible Top Kit
All RaggTopp products
Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush
Video - Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush
Haartz official statement about the RaggTopp/Haartz Convertible Top Brush
Haartz has extended the precision used in manufacturing soft-top convertible material to the development of a brush that cleans the topping material nearly flawlessly every time. Through the partnership with RAGGTOPP for cleaning products, it made sense for both organizations to partner on a tool to help convertible owners protect their investment
Who are RaggTopp and Haartz?
Haartz
Founded in 1897, the Haartz Corporation is the worlds #1 supplier of automotive topping fabrics as well as a leading producer and innovator of interior trim materials including moldable skins and artificial leather. Chances are likely that if you own a convertible, the top was made by the Haartz Corporation. Because the manufacturer knows their product better than anyone else, when a manufacturer recommends and in this case endorses an outside company's products for use with their finished goods, that's as powerful of a testimony you can get.
The Haartz Corporation tests and endorses RaggTopp products for the care and maintenance of their convertible tops. When you consider the additional cost to purchase a convertible as compared to the hardtop version of a vehicle you know it's important to take care of the convertible top to not only protect your original investment but to also protect the resale or trade-in value of the vehicle. If you call around to any automotive top shop and get a quote to have a convertible top replaced and installed, then your REALLY understand how important it is to take care of your car's convertible top. Because convertible top materials like cloth and vinyl are more delicate when compared to the other surfaces found on a vehicle, first priority for care and maintenance goes to the recommendation of the manufacturer. In this example, Haartz only endorses one brand of products for the care and maintenance of their topping materials and that's RaggTopp.
RaggTopp
RaggTopp founded in 1998, is the number one selling brand for the care and maintenance of convertible tops. Rick Goldstein, the owner of RaggTopp is actually a close personal friend of mine. Rick knows convertibles. More specifically, Rick is a walking encyclopedia of all things related to the care and maintenance of convertible tops all the products in all the brands under the Wolfstein umbrella corporation are top shelf in quality. You can trust the quality and the performance of the product inside when the name RaggTopp is on the outside.
In my Competition Ready 3-Day Detailing Classes I show RaggTopp products exclusively for the class session on how to properly clean and protect convertible cloth and canvas top. Rick and his company are also a member and supporter of the International Detailing Association, (IDA), which is an organization working towards the goal of elevating the detailing profession for the benefit of all detailers whether they are members of the IDA or not. (Autogeek and I are also members and supporters of the IDA) RaggTopp is the ONLY brand endorsed by the Haartz company
What is it?
The Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush is a brush co-developed by RaggTopp and the Haartz company to clean cloth and vinyl convertible tops SAFELY.
I teach convertible top cleaning and protecting in my Competition Ready 3-Day Detailing Classes. The most important topic shared in the class on convertible top care is the session on convertible top cleaning.
Why?
Because it's the cleaning step where most people make mistakes. The two biggest mistakes people make are,
1: Using too aggressive of a brush to scrub the top.
2: Using too aggressive of a cleaner to clean the top.
2: Using too aggressive of a cleaner to clean the top.
In the past, RaggTopp has offered safe solutions for cleaning both canvas, (cloth), and vinyl convertible tops. Now the other portion of the equation, the correct brush for safely washing convertible tops provides convertible owners with the right tools to do the job correctly and safely.
Review
To test out this new brush I washed my friend Darlene's 2016 Audi TT Quattro Convertible. When Nick first placed this new brush on my desk the first thing I noticed was the 2" length of the bristles and how they were perfect in their flexability.
Why is the bristle length and flexibility important? Here's a little bit of information about brush bristles work.
Bristles that are too stiff
If the bristles are to stiff, the scrubbing action is too aggressive. As this relates to cleaning cloth tops, using a brush with stiff bristles risks tearing the weave of the cloth and causing the fibers to separate from the weave giving a top a fuzzy appearance. Once you tear the fibers there's no way to undo the damage.
Bristles that are too soft or pliable
If the bristles of a brush are too soft or pliable, then you loose actual and effective scrubbing or cleaning action.
There are situations when you want stiff bristles like for scrubbing tires and there are situations when you want very soft of pliable bristles, like a detailing brush for interior detailing. When it comes to cleaning a cloth top you want something perfectly in-between. That is not to stiff and not too soft. That's how RaggTopp and Haartz designed their brush, the bristles are in that sweet spot that's perfectly in-between too stiff and too soft.
Length of the bristles
The length of the bristles on a brush has a huge affect on the performance of the scrubbing action. Very short bristles provide more aggressive scrubbing action. For example a quality tire brush has short stiff bristles. A toothbrush has short bristles. Long bristles allow the bristles to flex and bend more than short bristles and this decreases the aggressiveness of the bristles. The bristles on the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush are 2" long and this provides excellent flexability for the most effective scrubbing action in relationship to the flexability of the bristles. This also makes the brush very safe when scrubbing over the surface of a cloth top.
Flagged tips
The tips on the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush are flagged or split. This does two things,
1: Multiplies the available tips to reach into the naturally occurring pockets or depressions of a fabric with a weave pattern to the surface. These pockets or lower depressions of the weave is where airborne dirt, dust, pollen and other contaminants settle so this thousands of tiny tips are able to get into these areas to agitate the build-up of dirt and loosen it so it can be rinsed off the top. This is important because the other side of the coin when maintaining a convertible top is protecting the top. If you don't remove the dirt out of the weave of the cloth then you'll seal it in when you apply the protectant.
2: Prevents scratching when scrubbing delicate surfaces. The bristles are flexible and soft enough that if they were not flagged they would not damage a cloth or vinyl top so the flagging of the tips is just an extra feature that makes the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush the best option for properly washing and cleaning a convertible top.
How To use the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush
Step 1: Always start by flushing a convertible top with a strong spray of water to flush off any loose dirt off the top and out of the weave.
Convertible Top Tip
When water is no longer beading up on the top it's time to re-apply RaggTopp Fabric Protectant. As we can see by the picture below, it's time to re-apply the RaggTopp Fabric Protectant and I'll show you how to do this in this article.
Step 3: Spray the RaggTopp Convertible Top Cleaner directly onto the wet rinsed surface of the convertible top.
Step 3: Using the Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush, agitate the cleaner over the surface.
The 2" bristles come in handy for reaching down to the portion of top material covered by the rear trunk lid without fear of the handle touching the paint.
Step 4: Thoroughly rinse the top to remove 100% of the cleaner and all dirt, dust, pollen and other contaminants loosened by the brush.
IMPORTANT
It's important to rinse the top until all the suds from the cleaner are remove and the rinse water runs clear off the top.
Be sure to rinse all the dirt flushed off the top off the body panels. This will act to rinse the body panels before washing them as well.
On Autogeek.com
Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush
RaggTopp Premium Fabric Convertible Top Kit
RaggTopp Premium Vinyl Convertible Top Kit
All RaggTopp products
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