{"title":"Soft top waterproofing","description":"\u003ch2 id=\"speakable-headline\"\u003eSoft top waterproofing\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"speakable-definition\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoft top waterproofing\u003c\/strong\u003e: Waterproofing cuts down how readily the soft tops it suits wet out. It changes the way the fibres take on water and is chosen by the material and any coating already there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCleaning and drying are part of the prep; damaged seams or worn fabric don't get repaired by a fresh coat of waterproofing.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"koch-chemie-colourlock-allround-textile-sealant-st0-01-premium-textilversiegelung","title":"Allround Textile Sealant \"St0.01\" Premium Fabric Sealant","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKoch-Chemie \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e× COLOURLOCK\u003c\/span\u003e Allround Textile Sealant \"St0.01\" — Premium Fabric Sealant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeet the hard-working \u003cstrong\u003eKoch-Chemie × COLOURLOCK Allround Textile Sealant \"St0.01\"\u003c\/strong\u003e, the go-to answer for protecting and looking after the fabrics in your car. This premium fabric sealant shields your seats, carpets and other textile surfaces from dirt, moisture and stains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLong-lasting protection:\u003c\/strong\u003e the clever formula keeps dirt and liquids at bay for the long haul.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEasy to apply:\u003c\/strong\u003e it lays down effortlessly and dries fast, with no residue left behind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWorks on loads of surfaces:\u003c\/strong\u003e suited to every kind of textile in your car's interior.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLong-lasting protection for your fabrics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eKoch-Chemie \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e× COLOURLOCK Allround Textile Sealant \"St0.01\"\u003c\/strong\u003e gives every textile surface in your car proper all-round cover. Thanks to the advanced sealing tech, your seats and carpets stay clean longer and shrug off dirt and liquids far better. The sealant builds an invisible barrier that stops dirt and moisture soaking in, so your fabrics last longer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEasy to apply, quick to dry\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePutting on the \u003cstrong\u003eKoch-Chemie \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e× COLOURLOCK Allround Textile Sealant \"St0.01\"\u003c\/strong\u003e couldn't be simpler. Once you've cleaned the fabric thoroughly, you spray the sealant on evenly and it dries within a few minutes. The product leaves no sticky residue and works straight away. That's how you protect your fabrics quickly and keep them looking the way they should.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWorks just about anywhere\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeats, carpets or boot mats — the \u003cstrong\u003eKoch-Chemie \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e× COLOURLOCK Allround Textile Sealant \"St0.01\"\u003c\/strong\u003e handles every textile surface in your car. It guards against everyday grime as well as stubborn stains from drinks or food. So your car's interior stays clean and looking sharp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Koch-Chemie × COLOURLOCK","offers":[{"title":"500 ml","offer_id":49310011883855,"sku":"D1-KCX-524500","price":30.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"2x 500ml","offer_id":49670817841487,"sku":"D1-KCX-524500_2","price":60.74,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 x 500ml","offer_id":49670817874255,"sku":"D1-KCX-524500_3","price":90.18,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"5 liters","offer_id":49366315303247,"sku":"D1-KCX-524005","price":215.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/3272\/7375\/files\/koch-chemie-colourlock-allround-textile-sealant-st0-01-premium-textilversiegelung.png?v=1721915892"},{"product_id":"dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-impraegnierer-textilimpraegnierung","title":"A1 Cabrio \"Verdeck-Imprägnierer\" Fabric waterproofing","description":"\u003ch2 id=\"speakable-headline\"\u003eDr. Wack A1 Cabrio \"Verdeck-Imprägnierer\" makes a fabric soft top water-repellent and lets it breathe\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote id=\"speakable-summary\"\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat is Dr. Wack A1 Cabrio \"Verdeck-Imprägnierer\"? A proofing spray in a 400 ml can for textile convertible tops, meaning cotton blends, acrylic or Dralon. It doesn't clean, it doesn't re-dye, and it's explicitly not meant for tops made of soft PVC, vinyl or synthetic leather.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp id=\"speakable-definition\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Wack A1 Cabrio \"Verdeck-Imprägnierer\"\u003c\/strong\u003e is a fabric proofer from Dr. Wack that wraps each individual thread instead of pulling a skin over the weave. The manufacturer puts it like this: the active ingredients wrap around every fibre and, as they dry, stand up like lots of tiny umbrellas side by side. Between those umbrellas the fabric stays open.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat's the whole difference between proofing and sealing. A tarp keeps water out because it has no holes. A proofed soft top keeps water out because the water no longer wants to wet the fibre: with a surface tension of about 72 mN\/m it pulls itself into a bead and finds nothing to spread out on across the low-energy fibre surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat that means for you: the gaps in the weave stay open, and air and water vapour keep passing through. A top that's been coated with a closed film instead keeps the rain out too, but it locks the moisture from the cabin in. Anyone who's ever slept under a plastic tarp knows how that ends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTest winner, with the lab data to prove it.\u003c\/strong\u003e In 2020, KÜS, AUTO BILD and AUTO BILD Klassik tested ten convertible top proofers in a specialist chemical lab on identical black top fabric, measuring water repellency over ten rounds on a spray rating tester. The A1 was the only one rated \"highly recommended\": water- and oil-repellent, residue-free and easy to apply. Five of the ten products failed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOil runs off, not just rain.\u003c\/strong\u003e The same test checked oil repellency with oils whose surface tension is similar to tree sap. In practice that means sap, bird droppings and road film struggle to get a grip, and you have to go at the fabric with sponge and foam less often – on a material Dr. Wack itself rates as having low abrasion resistance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e400 ml, PFAS-free, not just for cars.\u003c\/strong\u003e Dr. Wack lists the current formula as 100 per cent PFAS-free. The can is also approved for awnings, tents and textile clothing – the stuff sitting in the same garage as the convertible that needs the same protection from the wet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote class=\"praxistipp\"\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay-to-day from Detailing1:\u003c\/strong\u003e What we see costing the most performance is one habit: spraying in the sun because the top dries faster there. Dr. Wack's own care tips say the exact opposite. Spray in a cool, shaded spot. Only once the top has properly flashed off does the car go out into the sun, because the warmth helps the active ingredients stand up. Each coat takes under 10 minutes to apply. The sun does the real work afterwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSeveral thin coats beat one heavy one\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShake the can, spray thinly and evenly from about 20 centimetres, let it flash off, then lay down a second thin coat – and make a point of not going back over areas you've already done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe reason is mechanical. The active ingredients have to stand up as they dry, and for that they need space and air around the fibre. Soak the surface until it shines and you wash them flat instead of letting them stand up. Dr. Wack puts it as a flat rule: don't saturate the sprayed areas – spray several thin coats instead and give the product time to dry in between.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether anything holds at all is decided before the first spray. The top has to be clean and bone-dry right through, otherwise the proofing sits on the dirt instead of the fibre. And surfactant residue is even sneakier than dirt: the manufacturer states explicitly that leftover cleaner stops the proofing from working. So after the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-reiniger-cabrioverdeckreiniger\"\u003eCabrio \"Verdeck-Reiniger\" soft top cleaner\u003c\/a\u003e, keep rinsing until the run-off stays clear and no white bubbles form anywhere. Then give the fabric time to dry out properly, all the way down to the bottom layer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMask off everything that isn't fabric. According to the manufacturer, glass, plastic windows and paintwork should neither be sprayed nor caught in the overspray. A strip of masking tape along the edge of the top and an old sheet over the rear window will do. Work outdoors in the shade, not on a hot surface and not in blazing sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe order on the top itself is unspectacular but it matters: pass by pass, overlapping, from one side right across to the other. A soft top is a sloping surface, and a spray that lingers too long in one spot collects there and runs. Evenly here means the same speed, a constant 20 cm distance, no lingering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSoft PVC is where this proofer stops\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the manufacturer, this product isn't suitable for tops made of soft PVC, vinyl or synthetic leather – that's a job for the \"Kunststoff-Tiefenpfleger\" instead. It's not a matter of taste, it's a matter of material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoft PVC has no fibres to wrap. It's a closed layer that's about 40 per cent plasticisers, and they're what keep the plastic supple. When UV and weather drive them out, the material turns brittle and the pigments in it break down. So a vinyl top needs its plasticisers topped up, not a water repellent. That's exactly what the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dr-wack-a1-kunststoff-tiefenpfleger-kunststoffpflege-glaenzend\"\u003e\"Kunststoff-Tiefenpfleger\" plastic care\u003c\/a\u003e does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe test is by feel and takes five seconds. If the top feels like cloth, with a visible weave and a rough, soft surface, it's fabric and this spray is the right one. If it feels like a smooth, closed film, you've got soft PVC under your hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe second limit is colour. Used regularly, the built-in UV protection stops the top fabric from fading, but it doesn't undo fading that's already there. Pigment lost on the sunny side over five summers stays lost. The spray locks in how the top looks today – it can't buy back how it looked yesterday.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd one bit of context that belongs with the formula: repelling oil without fluorine chemistry is the harder part of the job, because for decades fluorine compounds were the easy way to do exactly that. That today's formula, according to Dr. Wack, gets by without PFAS and still came out on top for oil repellency in the lab test is the work that's gone into it in Baar-Ebenhausen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA brand-new top still beads on its own\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eModern top fabrics come proofed from the factory, and as long as raindrops still sit on them as beads, you simply don't need this can yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhere you do need it is wherever the weather is working on the fabric day in, day out: a convertible parked outside or under trees, a car that's used all year round, a car with no garage over winter. Top fabrics like the three-layer Sonnenland material with a Dralon outer layer, which BMW, Mercedes and Porsche fit as standard, stay like new for many years. But you only get those years with proper care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you regularly run your convertible through an automatic car wash, don't mix the two up: the wax programme there is a paint product and works on a smooth, closed surface. A fabric top is the exact opposite, and it comes out of the wash just as unprotected as it went in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e400 ml does more than one top. Because the same can is approved for awnings, tents and textile clothing, what's left doesn't end up on the shelf but on the patio awning. If you're after the right products for the whole job, you'll find cleaners and proofers side by side in our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dr-wack-cabrio-verdeck\"\u003econvertible top care\u003c\/a\u003e range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat leaves the question of when to top up, and the top answers it itself. Between \"still holding\" and \"not holding any more\" there's an in-between stage, and that's your real cue. Freshly proofed, water sits on the fabric as round beads – that's beading.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the effect wears off, the beads flatten out and run off as one continuous film. The scene calls that sheeting, and on a soft top it's the yellow card. Only after that comes the dark, matte patch that stays put, and that means the water is sitting inside the fibre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe gap between those two moments is a whole extra step. Top up at the sheeting stage and you're spraying onto a clean, dry top and done in half an hour. Wait for the dark patch and you have to clean it again first – putting exactly the mechanical wear on the fabric that the proofing was supposed to spare it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dr. Wack \"A1\"","offers":[{"title":"400 ml","offer_id":54707182043471,"sku":"D1-DRW-2525","price":19.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/3272\/7375\/files\/dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-impraegnierer-textilimpraegnierung.png?v=1787867160"},{"product_id":"gyeon-q2-fabric-coat-textilversiegelung","title":"Q² FabricCoat Fabric Sealant","description":"\u003ch2\u003eCeramic-based fabric protection – GYEON Q² FabricCoat\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat is GYEON Q² FabricCoat? GYEON Q² FabricCoat is a SiO₂-based fabric sealant for cloth, Alcantara and convertible-roof surfaces that impregnates the fibres for good, makes liquids bead off and keeps dirt and stains sitting on top – easy cleaning and protection that lasts.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCloth seats, Alcantara trim and canvas roofs are the trickiest surfaces in any car – they take a stain in seconds, soak up smells and are a pain to get clean again. \u003cstrong\u003eGYEON Q² FabricCoat\u003c\/strong\u003e changes how fabric behaves at its core: the ceramic formula soaks into the fibres and wraps each one in a SiO₂ layer on a microscopic level. What you get is an impregnated surface where liquids bead, dirt never works its way in and stains dab straight off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFibre protection at microscopic level – not a surface film.\u003c\/strong\u003e Q² FabricCoat goes into the textile fibres instead of just sitting on top of them. That means the protection stays put even when the surface takes mechanical abuse – it lasts far longer than a plain impregnating spray.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLiquids bead off – stains stay on the surface.\u003c\/strong\u003e Coffee, water, soft drinks – on sealed fabric they sit there as droplets and you dab them off before anything soaks in. With kids or a dog in the back, that saves you work every single week.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWorks on cloth, Alcantara and convertible roofs.\u003c\/strong\u003e GYEON Q² FabricCoat was built for the fabrics you actually find in a car – from standard cloth through proper Alcantara to a canvas soft top. The formula is gentle on all of them and leaves nothing visible behind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote class=\"praxistipp\"\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay-to-day from Detailing1:\u003c\/strong\u003e only ever lay GYEON Q² FabricCoat down on fabric that is properly clean and bone dry. Pull stains and grime out first with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gyeon-q2m-fabric-cleaner-textilreiniger\"\u003eGYEON Q²M FabricCleaner\u003c\/a\u003e and let everything dry all the way through. Then mist FabricCoat on evenly from about 20–30 cm, spread it with a cloth and let it cure fully (24 hours). Don't rub it in – the product works its way into the fibres on its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow SiO₂ impregnates fabric: the tech behind Q² FabricCoat\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStandard fabric protector sprays work with fluorocarbon compounds (PTFE\/DWR) that build a hydrophobic film on the fibres. Those films are temporary, wash out fast once you clean regularly, and are being restricted more and more on environmental grounds. GYEON Q² FabricCoat goes the SiO₂ route instead: silicon dioxide particles bond chemically with the textile fibres and change their surface tension for good. You end up with a tougher impregnation that survives several cleaning cycles, with no questionable fluorine chemistry in it. The fibres still breathe, and the look and feel of the fabric don't change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eUsing it on car seats, Alcantara and convertible roofs\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore GYEON Q² FabricCoat goes anywhere near the car, the surface has to be fully cleaned and dry. On seats: clean with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gyeon-q2m-fabric-cleaner-textilreiniger\"\u003eQ²M FabricCleaner\u003c\/a\u003e first, dry, then mist FabricCoat evenly over the seating areas and let it work. On Alcantara: go sparing and don't rub, because Alcantara doesn't take mechanical friction well. On convertible roofs: spray in dry weather, spread it evenly with a soft brush and let it cure fully – overnight is ideal. Once it has cured the fabric is impregnated and you can test it with water straight away: water beads into balls and rolls off the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere Q² FabricCoat earns its keep\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGYEON Q² FabricCoat pays off most on cars that get used hard: family cars with kids (spills and stains), cars with a dog in the back (dirt and hair), convertibles with a canvas top (rain and mould protection) and cars with proper Alcantara trim, which a single stain can ruin for good. Textile boat seats and marine fabrics take it just as well. For leather, on the other hand, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gyeon-q2-leathershield-evo-ceramic-leather-coating\"\u003eGYEON Q² LeatherShield EVO\u003c\/a\u003e is the one you want – that one is built for leather and synthetic leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFabricCoat vs a classic impregnating spray: where the difference sits\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCheap impregnating sprays from the DIY store or the outdoor shelf are made for outdoor kit (jackets, tents) – not for the finer weave of car upholstery or Alcantara. They can stiffen fabric, leave residue behind or blotch Alcantara. GYEON Q² FabricCoat was developed for car textiles: finer particle size, a gentle formula and tuned to the materials that actually go into a car. The higher price up front pays for itself quickly once you look at what it costs to have grubby seats, Alcantara trim or a soft top cleaned – or replaced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBuying advice: think about fabric protection from day one\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGYEON Q² FabricCoat makes the most sense on a new car – the sooner the fabric is impregnated, the less chance dirt and stains get to bite in. On an older car, a deep clean with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gyeon-q2m-fabric-cleaner-textilreiniger\"\u003eGYEON Q²M FabricCleaner\u003c\/a\u003e is step one, then FabricCoat for lasting protection. If your car has leather inside, we'd pair the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gyeon-q2m-leather-cleaner-natural-lederreiniger-mi\"\u003eQ²M LeatherCleaner Natural\u003c\/a\u003e for the cleaning with \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gyeon-q2-leathercoat-redefined-lederpflege-keramik\"\u003eQ² LeatherCoat\u003c\/a\u003e for the protection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GYEON","offers":[{"title":"400 ml","offer_id":57143212638543,"sku":"D1-GYEON-Q2FABRIC400","price":60.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false},{"title":"4 fl. oz.","offer_id":57143212671311,"sku":"D1-GYEON-Q2FABRIC120","price":22.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/3272\/7375\/files\/gyeon-q2-fabric-coat-textilversiegelung.png?v=1772400609"}],"url":"https:\/\/detailing1.co.uk\/collections\/cabrioverdeck-impraegnierung.oembed","provider":"Detailing1","version":"1.0","type":"link"}