# help with convertible roof - green mildew



## KEVLO

Hi there, i need to clean my hood  

i have an 02 audi tt vert and the roof has developed green mouldy/mildew type blobs on it. 

I had read somewhere that milton baby sterilising solution worked so i tried that but it didnt help they are there just as bad as before i tried it. I didnt use the tablets though just the solution in a bottle will this be the reason?

is there anything else i can try?


----------



## KEVLO

p.s the method i used was

1) hose down with non pressure setting on hose
2) scrub with nail brush and johnsons baby shampoo
3) scrub affected green areas with nailbrush and milton baby sterilising solution
4) rinse shampoo and solution off with non pressure setting on hose


----------



## glymauto

Hi Kelvo,

I'm reluctant to use anything other than an approved 'soft top cleaner' on my hood.
Soft Tops are very expensive to replace and very easy to damage.

I did a write up for somebody else on how I clean my soft top using AG Fabric Hood Cleaner - http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=159287

Hope that helps.

I'm going to try the Renovo cleaner/revitaliser/sealer when the weather picks up. I'll get some pictures of before/during/after and do a bit of a write up on the Renovo and how it compares to AG Fabric kit.


----------



## GAZA62

Have the very same problem.

First treated my hood with the AG kit never had any probs with mildew just a tiny bit near the base of the roof.

Last year decided to try the Renovo protection as thought it was supposed to be the daddy of roof care.

The product was great to apply much less mess than AG and left the hood looking very smart nice even finish and beaded well.

The winter came with all the snow sitting on the car but i was not worried until now its covered in mildew never had this with the AG kit.

Tried giving the top a good clean yesterday to get rid of mildew using the AG cleaner then a good 20 mins rinse with the idea of using a coat of Renovo today but once it had dried no difference  my neighbour wondered what had happened due to my language.

Today will try on a small patch again with AG cleaner but not expecting any better results.

Please help very unhappy

Pics


----------



## RedUntilDead

I used the same stuff. Tried 303 hood cleaner, dried to no improvement. Used the miltons solution and it still didnt come clean. Made a stronger solution and cleaned it a few more times. The car has been in the garage all winter and for some reason the roof looks loads better just dusty.
Maybe make a stronger miltons solution and give it a few more cleans as this will deffo kill the green stuff.

Si


----------



## TOGWT

*Mould / Mildew -* dirt and moisture are essential to mould / mildew propagation; if the contamination is not removed the fungus will degrade the material. Just like mould and mildew contamination in other areas, you cannot wash or shampoo it away; this only makes the problem worse.

The fungus is caused by living organisms that must be killed before the material is cleaned, and all the moisture is eliminated by thoroughly drying the material or the mildew will return

a) Use a medium soft brush and a 4:1 solution distilled water / ammonia and then rinse with cool clean water

b) For tougher stains use a mixture of one (1) one teaspoon ammonia / quarter (1/4) cup Hydrogen Peroxide / three (3/4) cup distilled water and then rinse with cool clean water


----------



## Dipesh

My e30 had a fair bit when I got it, the ag kit made it come up like new! Highly recommend.


----------



## GAZA62

TOGWT said:


> The fungus is caused by living organisms that must be killed before the material is cleaned, and all the moisture is eliminated by thoroughly drying the material or the mildew will return
> 
> a) Use a medium soft brush and a 4:1 solution distilled water / ammonia and then rinse with cool clean water
> 
> b) For tougher stains use a mixture of one (1) one teaspoon ammonia / quarter (1/4) cup Hydrogen Peroxide / three (3/4) cup distilled water and then rinse with cool clean water


 Problem is my car lives outside so with British weather 

This makes sense though as the tiny bit of mildew i used to get would always return may have to look at getting a pro job done where it will be treated and protected inside away from the weather


----------



## KEVLO

where can i buy ammonia and hydrogen peroxide? doesnt peroxide bleach the hood?


----------



## c928jon

I had the same issues with an A4 cab. 

I tried everything listed above, apart from ammonia and Peroxide, they are too close to the ingredients in hair bleach for me!

So a bit of biology reading and had a kim and aggie moment. I put a litre of white whine vinegar in a spray bottle, saturated the roof and then kept the roof damp for a few hours. Then rinsed well. 

The aim of this was to kill the blighters, next you have to clean their corpses out of the roof. I had to do three good sessions with AG hood cleaner and a nail brush before getting anywhere.

It took forever, I smelt like a chip shop but its worth the effort as the mould is destroying your roof.

Bone dry and strong sunlight also works, eventually.


----------



## glymauto

You mean green moss like this -










TOGWT is right. You need to get the mildew/mould out of the hood.

A wet vac (used carefully!) work wonders .......










You're sucking the spores and the cleaning product out of the fibres leaving a nice clean (and dry) roof ready for the sealer.

You'd be surprised just how dirty the 'clean rinse' water is when you empty your wet vac.


----------

