Mazda-Menders

I posted this over on Drivers but thought I'd mention it here as well for those that don't visit there.

Not having much luck with hood cleaning. After returning from our little drive around Europe I had to clean the 5s hood as it was covered in all sorts of unmentionable muck - inc bird sh*t from parking under trees for a few nights. I've used Autoglym hood cleaner and proofer before and it was ok so I popped down to Halfords to get some but they had none in stock. There's nothing new about that in our local Wigan branch, it usually resembles a 1960s Russian supermarket in there with all it's empty shelves. Rather than drive all the way over to St Helens or Warrington I picked up some Turtle Wax hood treatment which pretty much consisted of the same things as the Autoglym, i.e cleaner and a proofer.

Really this is more of a warning than anything else for you guys with dark coloured fabric hoods not to use this stuff, because basically it's crap. What I thought was grey residue left behind from the proofer is actually faded fabric, mostly along the places where the frame sits under the hood. I went out yesterday and bought some more Autoglym and used it this morning in the hope it would make the hood black again, first thing to go wrong was the pump action cleaner bottle stopped pump actioning. Fortunately I had an almost empty bottle of the stuff so used the trigger thing from that. Then after cleaning was complete I came to use the proofer and that thing stopped pumping after about 20 pumps as well so I had to go dig out the almost empty bottle of that to use the trigger off it too. Eventually I got it all cleaned and proofed and it's now dried out but the aforementioned bits are still grey so I'm guessing that this isn't residue, the Turtle Wax has I think actually taken the colour out of the hood. I'll leave it 'til winter now and while I'm fettling everything else I'll try some Renovo dye on it - may even put it into a valeter or hood specialist and get them to do it..... Or I'll just part ex the car for my Sport Black :)

D

I use this, then wash it mazdamenders magic mix and re-add a proofer....
http://www.cloverchem.co.uk/uk/products ... ner_uk.htm
M-m

The Renovo Restorer should sort it out.
On my Mrs Mini convertible I use the Renovo cleaner & proofer and never had a problem with it and her hood is dark blue so shows up dirt very clearly. Not had to use the restorer yet but someone here at work used it and they have a very black hood now.

I always use the renovo, but had big problems getting my mohair light beige hood clean with it, you only need to look at it and it atracts dirt and stains, it's hard work to keep clean, so much so it is being swapped around from the everydayer to the Whait one.
M-m

Use a stiff wallpaper brush with the Johnsons Blue Baby Bath soapy solution... rinse, let dry, then do Fabsil with paint brush. The hood on Bob was green moss, mould and all sorts when I got it. Looked brand new when finished.

Trick is to hoover the mohair roof with a brush attachment often... that is what keeps it beading water.

Put too much product on a mohair often it stops it working and keeps the dirt in. Dirty patches on roof is from not hoovering and just washing. If you look at the surface of a leaf it has tiny hairs standing up. Mohair works the same way... you keep that working by hoovering it often :)

Good tip there, Hamish!