{"title":"Soft top care by Dr. Wack","description":null,"products":[{"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 \"Convertible Top Waterproofer\" makes fabric tops water-repellent and allows them to breathe\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote id=\"speakable-summary\"\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat is the Dr. Wack A1 Cabrio \"Convertible Top Waterproofer\"? A 400 ml aerosol waterproofing spray for textile convertible tops made of cotton blends, acrylic, or Dralon. It does not clean, it does not re-dye, and it is explicitly not intended for tops made of soft PVC, vinyl, or synthetic leather.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp id=\"speakable-definition\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Wack A1 Cabrio \"Convertible Top Waterproofer\"\u003c\/strong\u003e is a textile waterproofing agent from Dr. Wack that coats individual threads rather than forming a skin over the fabric. The manufacturer describes it as follows: the active ingredients wrap around each fiber and, as they dry, stand upright like many tiny umbrellas side by side. The fabric remains open between these umbrellas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat is the whole difference between waterproofing and sealing. A tarp holds back water because it has no holes. A waterproofed convertible top holds back water because the water no longer wants to wet the fiber: it contracts into a bead with a surface tension of about 72 mN\/m and finds no hold to spread out on the low-energy fiber surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor you, this means: the gaps in the fabric remain open, allowing air and water vapor to continue passing through. A top that is instead covered with a closed film may keep the rain out, but it also traps moisture inside. Anyone who has ever slept under a plastic tarp knows the result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eTest winner with measurement protocol.\u003c\/strong\u003e In 2020, KÜS, AUTO BILD, and AUTO BILD Klassik tested ten convertible top waterproofers in a chemical laboratory on identical black top fabric, measuring water repellency over ten cycles on a spray rating tester. The A1 was the only one to receive the rating \"highly recommended\": water and oil-repellent, residue-free, and easy to apply. Five of the ten products failed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eOil bounces off, not just rain.\u003c\/strong\u003e Oil repellency was tested in the same study using oils with surface tensions similar to tree resins. In practical terms, this means that resin, bird droppings, and road film have a harder time sticking, and you don't have to reach for a sponge and foam as often on a fabric that Dr. Wack itself certifies as having low abrasion resistance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003e400 ml, PFAS-free, not just for cars.\u003c\/strong\u003e Dr. Wack lists the current formula as 100 percent PFAS-free. The can is also approved for awnings, tents, and textile clothing—the items in the same garage as your convertible that need the same moisture protection.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote class=\"praxistipp\"\u003e\n\n  \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExpert tip from Detailing1:\u003c\/strong\u003e From our experience, one specific process primarily costs you performance: spraying the top in the sun because it dries faster there. Dr. Wack writes the exact opposite in its own care tips. It should be sprayed in a cool, shaded area. Only when the top is well-ventilated should the car be moved into the sun, as the heat facilitates the standing up of the active ingredients. Application takes less than 10 minutes per layer. The sun does the actual work afterward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSeveral thin layers beat one heavy application\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShake the can, spray thinly and evenly from a distance of about 20 centimeters, let it flash off, then apply a second thin layer, taking care not to go over already treated areas intentionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe reason lies in the mechanics. The active ingredients need to stand up while drying, and for that, they need space and air at the fiber level. Anyone who saturates the surface until it shines causes the product to clump together instead of standing up. Dr. Wack frames this as a prohibition: avoid soaking the sprayed surfaces; it is better to spray thinly several times and allow the product time to dry in between.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the first spray, it is decided whether it will hold at all. The top must be clean and completely dry; otherwise, the waterproofing will sit on the dirt instead of the fiber. Surfactant residues are even more treacherous than dirt: the manufacturer explicitly writes that detergent residues prevent any waterproofing effect. After using the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-reiniger-cabrioverdeckreiniger\"\u003eConvertible Top Cleaner\u003c\/a\u003e, rinse until the runoff water remains clear and no white bubbles form anywhere. Afterward, the fabric needs time to dry thoroughly down to the underlayer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEverything that is not textile must be covered. According to the manufacturer, glass, plastic windows, and paint surfaces should neither be sprayed nor exposed to spray mist. A strip of masking tape along the edge of the top and an old sheet over the rear window are sufficient. Work outdoors in the shade, not on a heated surface or in direct sunlight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe sequence on the surface itself is unspectacular but important: work in strips, overlapping, from one side to the other. A top is an inclined surface, and a spray jet that dwells on one spot for too long will accumulate into a trickle. Evenly here means: at a constant speed, a constant 20 cm distance, and no dwelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSoft PVC is the limit for this waterproofer\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the manufacturer, this product is not suitable for tops made of soft PVC, vinyl, or synthetic leather; a plastic deep-care product should be used there instead. This is not a matter of preference, but a matter of material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoft PVC has no fibers to coat. It is a solid layer that consists of about 40 percent plasticizers, which keep the plastic elastic. If these escape due to UV radiation and weathering, the material becomes brittle and the embedded pigments are destroyed. A vinyl top therefore needs a replenishment of plasticizers, not a water repellent. This is exactly what the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dr-wack-a1-kunststoff-tiefenpfleger-kunststoffpflege-glaenzend\"\u003ePlastic Deep-Care Agent\u003c\/a\u003e provides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe test for this is tactile and takes five seconds. If the top feels like fabric, with a visible weave structure and a rough, soft surface, it is textile and this spray is the right choice. If it feels like a smooth, closed film, you are dealing with soft PVC.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe second limit concerns color. The integrated UV protection prevents fading of the top fabric with regular use, but it does not reverse existing fading. Whatever pigment was lost on the sunny side over five summers remains lost. The spray secures today's condition; it cannot buy back what was lost yesterday.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd a note regarding the formulation: repelling oil without fluorine chemistry is the harder part of this task, as fluorine compounds were the easy way for decades. The fact that today's formula is, according to Dr. Wack, free of PFAS and still led in oil repellency in lab tests is the result of the work done in Baar-Ebenhausen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA factory-new top still shows its beading on its own\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eModern top fabrics come waterproofed from the factory, and as long as raindrops remain as beads on them, you simply do not need this can yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is needed where the elements are constantly pressing on the fabric: for a convertible that stays outside or under trees, for a year-round vehicle, or for a car without a garage during the winter. Top fabrics like the three-layer Sonnenland material with Dralon outer fabric, which BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche install as standard, last for many years like new. But you only get those years with proper care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnyone who regularly takes their convertible through a car wash should not confuse things: a wax program there is a paint product and works on a smooth, closed surface. A textile top is the opposite of that, and it remains just as unprotected after the wash as it was when it went in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne 400 ml can covers more than one top. Because the same can is approved for awnings, tents, and textile clothing, the rest won't end up on the shelf, but on the patio awning. If you are looking for the right products for the complete process, you will find cleaners and waterproofers side by side in the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dr-wack-cabrio-verdeck\"\u003eConvertible Top Care\u003c\/a\u003e section.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe question remains when to reapply, and the top itself answers that. There is an intermediate stage between \"holding\" and \"no longer holding,\" and that is your actual deadline. Freshly waterproofed, the droplets sit as round beads on the fabric; that is beading.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the effect wears off, the beads fall flat and run off as a continuous film. The scene calls this \"sheeting,\" and on a convertible top, it is a yellow card. Only after that comes the dark, matte spot that remains, which means: the water is sitting inside the fiber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe difference between the two points in time is a whole extra step. Those who reapply during sheeting spray onto a clean, dry top and are done in half an hour. Those who wait until the dark spot appears must clean it again first, thus introducing exactly the mechanical stress to the fabric that the waterproofing was supposed to save it from in the first place.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dr. Wack \"A1\"","offers":[{"title":"400 ml","offer_id":54707182043471,"sku":"D1-DRW-2525","price":16.99,"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":"dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-reiniger-cabrioverdeckreiniger","title":"A1 Cabrio \"Verdeck-Reiniger\" Soft top cleaner","description":"\u003ch2 id=\"speakable-headline\"\u003eDr. Wack A1 Cabrio \"Verdeck-Reiniger\" gets the green film out of your soft top\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote id=\"speakable-summary\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat is Dr. Wack A1 Cabrio \"Verdeck-Reiniger\"? A cleaning foam in a 400 ml can for every convertible soft top, from cotton-blend fabric to vinyl, for spot cleaning or the whole roof. It's not a proofer and not a pigmented colour restorer: it won't bring back water repellency or faded colour.\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-Reiniger\"\u003c\/strong\u003e is a soft top cleaner from Dr. Wack that works as a clinging power foam. The foam stays put on the sloped roof, lifts road film, green algae and individual stains out of the top layer and holds them until you rinse foam and dirt off together. The manufacturer approves it for every type of top: fabric, acrylic, Dralon, plastic and leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHere the form does the work, not just the chemistry. A liquid cleaner runs down a soft top in seconds and drags the loosened dirt with it into the capillaries of the fabric. Foam has a yield point — it stays where it is until a force acts on it. For you, that means the dirt travels up into the foam and leaves the roof with the rinse water, instead of soaking in one layer deeper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhy a soft top gets dirty differently from paint is explained in Dr. Wack's product information sheet. Most tops are built in three layers: a cotton inner lining as the headliner, a rubber interlayer, and on top an outer layer of plastic, acrylic, polyacrylonitrile or cotton-blend fabric. That outer layer is rough and soft. Dirt doesn't sit on top — it snags.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it's delicate. Dr. Wack explicitly gives soft tops a low abrasion resistance: scrubbing attacks the surface texture and colour depth before it gets to the dirt. That's exactly why a cleaner that sits for 5 minutes beats a good hard scrub. Time does the work, not pressure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDwell time on the slope instead of run-off.\u003c\/strong\u003e A soft top is a sloped surface where any liquid runs off before it works. The power foam stays where you put it and can work the full 5 minutes on stubborn grime. That's the difference between one soak and three re-sprays.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e8 to 12 complete roofs from 400 ml.\u003c\/strong\u003e Dr. Wack puts the yield for full-coverage foaming at 8 to 12 applications, compared with 2 to 6 with conventional products. If you only treat individual stains, a can goes much further, because the foam goes exactly where you aim it and nothing is wasted.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOne cleaner for five roof materials.\u003c\/strong\u003e Plastic, fabric, acrylic, Dralon and leather are all on the manufacturer's list. So in a two-convertible household you don't need a second can when a fabric top sits next to a vinyl one. According to Dr. Wack, the foam doesn't attack the factory proofing.\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 We often see people aim the can at a bone-dry roof because it's quicker. It isn't quicker — it kills the effect: dry fabric soaks up the foam in seconds, and down there it doesn't work any more. Give it 2 minutes with the hose until the fabric is evenly dark, then reach for the can. And start at the seams and on the shady side. That's where water sits longest, and that's where the green film shows up first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe power foam holds on the slope for 5 minutes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWet the roof, rinse off loose dirt, shake the can, spray the foam onto the dirty areas and leave it for 5 minutes on stubborn grime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePre-wetting isn't a footnote in the instructions. Dry fabric pulls the foam straight into its capillaries, and there it doesn't work — it just vanishes. An evenly soaked roof is saturated: there's no more suction under the foam, so it stays on top where the dirt is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWork with a soft, damp sponge, no pressure, in strips. Rinse the sponge out as you go, otherwise it holds on to the loosened grit and turns into a sanding block on a fabric with low abrasion resistance. The cleaner does the loosening; the sponge only has to lift it off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor a single stain, the same rule applies on a small scale. Spray spot-on onto dry fabric and you end up with two problems: the stain and a tide mark around it, because the floated dirt is left behind at the drying edge. So wet the whole strip the stain sits in and work past the seam. The foam can go spot-on; the moisture has to cover a wide area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, rinse with clean water until you can't see any more foam forming. Dr. Wack names exactly this test in its own care tips, and there's a physical reason for it: surfactants are wetting agents. Whatever's left of them in the fabric lowers the surface tension of water and attracts moisture instead of repelling it. You'll notice it like this: a badly rinsed roof dries slower than before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/3272\/7375\/files\/dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-reiniger-cabrioverdeckreiniger_anwendung.png?v=1787867798\u0026amp;width=1400\" alt=\"Dr. Wack A1 Cabrio Verdeck-Reiniger being sprayed as a band of foam onto the pre-wetted fabric roof\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:4px;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe brightener refreshes the colour, it doesn't re-dye\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe colour-refreshing effect is real, and it has a clear limit: it's optical, coming from a brightener and from the grey haze being gone, not from pigment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe formula contains a stilbene-based optical brightener, the same type of substance that makes white laundry look whiter. It settles on the fibre, absorbs invisible UV light and gives it back as visible blue. In practice, a tired-looking black looks rich again afterwards because the yellow cast is neutralised.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat it can't do is replace lost pigment. A roof that has faded on the sunny side after several summers will come up clean and even again, but not black again. That takes a pigmented soft top dye, and that's a different step with a different risk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe second limit is mechanical and final. Where a stiff brush or a pressure washer held too close has roughed up the top layer or damaged a seam, no cleaner brings the texture back. Raised fibres scatter the light, the spot stays dull and grey and from then on picks up dirt faster. Dr. Wack's own care tips explicitly warn against pressure washers, car washes and stiff brushes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe third limit is more a matter of context. There's no independent lab test of this cleaner: test institutes and car magazines have so far tested soft top proofers, not cleaners. So what's backed up here is what Dr. Wack states in its product information sheet, verifiable with the manufacturer in Baar-Ebenhausen. We'd rather say so than hint at a test win that doesn't exist for this product.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCleaning alone keeps the roof clean, not dry\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA freshly cleaned roof is open, absorbent and unprotected — and in exactly that state, the next step decides how long it stays clean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGreen film on a soft top isn't dirt that settles, it's something that grows. Algae and moss need just one thing for that: time with moisture. A roof that soaks up every shower and then needs two days to dry out gives them that time every single week. The cleaner gets the green film out. It doesn't shorten the drying time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat's why Dr. Wack's instructions don't end with a full stop but with a fork in the road. If your roof is fabric, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-impraegnierer-textilimpraegnierung\"\u003eCabrio \"Verdeck-Imprägnierer\" fabric proofer\u003c\/a\u003e goes on once it's dry, stopping it from soaking up water and so cutting drying time. If it's plastic or vinyl, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dr-wack-a1-kunststoff-tiefenpfleger-kunststoffpflege-glaenzend\"\u003e\"Kunststoff-Tiefenpfleger\" trim care\u003c\/a\u003e is next, because soft PVC doesn't need water repellency but the plasticisers it loses over the years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSkip the second step and you don't just lose the protection — you lose the cleaning work faster too. An unproofed roof soaks up the next rain, stays dark and damp for longer and in that time picks up dust, pollen and spores that cling to the wet fabric. The next green film starts the day you finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWho the can is worth it for: anyone who keeps their convertible outdoors or under trees, second cars with fabric tops that sit for long periods over winter, and anyone who wants to treat individual stains rather than foam the whole roof. If your convertible lives in a garage and you wipe the roof down once a year, an all-rounder from our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/textil-und-polster\"\u003efabric and upholstery care\u003c\/a\u003e will get you just as far.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe point no manufacturer prints on the can: the can is also your test kit. Before pre-wetting, put a walnut-sized blob of foam on an inconspicuous spot of the still-dry roof. If it stands up as a white dome, the proofing is still alive. If it slumps into a dark patch within a few seconds, it's gone — and the second step isn't optional that day. Three seconds of effort, and you know before you start what you'll need afterwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Dr. Wack \"A1\"","offers":[{"title":"400 ml","offer_id":54707182240079,"sku":"D1-DRW-2520","price":16.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/3272\/7375\/files\/dr-wack-a1-cabrio-verdeck-reiniger-cabrioverdeckreiniger.png?v=1787867170"}],"url":"https:\/\/detailing1.co.uk\/collections\/dr-wack-cabrio-verdeck.oembed","provider":"Detailing1","version":"1.0","type":"link"}