Introduction
Do you remember the first time you saw your brand new tonneau cover installed on your truck? You probably thought it was amazing with this deep color and shine. But since then there has been plenty of road grime along with other things clouding it’s shine. Don’t worry because it doesn’t have to remain dull and dirty. There are tonneau cover specifically made cleaners that you’ll want to consider and for more then just one reason: they clean, condition and shine.
Especially if you have a soft vinyl tonneau cover on your pickup truck, then you need to be aware that certain chemicals found in the average automotive washing soups are not safe to use. You DO Not want to use anything like Armor All that is silicone or petroleum based; doing so could even void your tonneau cover warranty. Those types of products are very bad for the vinyl and will break down that material ruining your tonneau cover. There are specially made cleaning products and protectants that are formulated for use on tonneau covers and vinyl convertible tops alike.
If you’ve never heard of a tonneau cover cleaner; don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. After we explain a few things we’ll list the top 5 tonneu cover cleaners below. We’ll also make some suggestions on what cleaning supplies to consider that’ll make the job much easier. We’ve used them ourselves and highly recommend them.
If you haven’t purchased a soft tonneau cover yet, then check out our Top 5 Best Soft Tonneau Cover Review here.
Contents
Why Can’t I use Any Old Cleaner?
As you can see the tonneau cover pictured is what happens after years of neglect, improper cleaning solutions used and having no protectants applied.
Many claims have been made that petroleum distillate and dimethyl silicone oils found in many automotive cleaners are bad for vinyl tonneau covers. Although some say the newer formulas made today aren’t harmful, it’s just better to avoid them altogether just to be on the safe side. It’s been known for decades that the petroleum distillates break down and completely remove the vinyl’s protective coating that is built in from the manufacturer. As for the dimethyl silicone oils, they add a harmful greasy residue that’s hard to completely clean off of the vinyl surface. Along with the UV rays from the sun these all contribute to the breakdown of the vinyl covers ultimately causing fading, cracking and tearing. For the little added cost, the peace of mind is totally worth it, knowing you have a vinyl safe cleaning product that’s designed to protect your tonneau cover for years to come.
Cleaning Lightly Soiled Tonneau Covers
For slightly dirty tonneau covers you won’t need to do much. Just spray on some of the vinyl cleaner onto a microfiber cloth and wipe down the cover in circular motions. Typically you can do about a 2-3 square foot section at a time with each application to the microfiber cloth. Most cleaners dry on their own without any rinsing needed. If you live in a hot sunny climate you should consider cleaning your vinyl tonneau cover in a shady area.
We recommend Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber Clothes; they work well in helping make an amazing mirror-like shine on vinyl along with just about any other automotive type finishes. These clothes are thick, deep, dual-sided microfiber pile has three times more absorbency than traditional terry towels. The built in safety edging eliminates the possibility of scratching and are large, 16″ x 24″ towels. Thousands of consumers have used these microfiber clothes while giving them solid consistent reviews and best of all they are very inexpensive.
Cleaning Heavily Soiled Tonneau Covers
For Heavily soiled tonneau covers you’ll want to lightly rinse and then use a good soft brush to help loosen up debris and dirt. Then lightly rinse again and let it dry for 10-15 minutes. If you do 3-4 foot sections at a time, the first section will likely be ready for further cleaning after using the brush all over the vinyl surface. Then you can move onto using the cleaner. This time around it is suggested to liberally spray the cleaner onto the tonneau cover and then wipe off with a microfiber cloth doing so in a circular motion. If you live in a hot sunny climate you should consider cleaning your vinyl tonneau cover in a shady area.
RaggTopp Premium Convertible Top Brush
Consumer Ratings [4.6]
A good soft bristled brush is a big help for really dirty vinyl tonneau covers. We recommend the RaggTopp Premium Convertible Top Brush which is endorsed by the Haartz Corporation. If you’re not familiar with Haarts, they’re a world leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed automotive interior pieces and convertible tops. So that means something that they recommend this brush too. It will not tear up your soft vinyl cover. The bristles are made of fibrillated NYLEX. This is a soft, yet touch bristle that will gently and effectively loosen, dirt, debris and grime. They will not damage vinyl or acrylic cloth materials. Yes, this brush is a little pricey but it will not fall apart like some competitor brushes and will last a very long time.
How to Clean Step-by-Step Video
Top 5 Soft Tonneau Cover Cleaners
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Ranking |
Image |
Product |
Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Read The Full Review |
 |
 (4.5 / 5)View Now On Amazon |
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| 2. Read The Full Review |
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Truxedo 1704511 Pro-TeX Protectant Spray – 20 oz. |  (4.4 / 5)View Now On Amazon |
| 3. Read The Full Review |
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Meguiar’s M40 Mirror Glaze Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner – 16 oz. |
(4.4 / 5) View Now On Amazon |
| 4. Read The Full Review |
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 (4.3 / 5)View Now On Amazon |
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| 5. Read The Full Review |
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 (4.2 / 5)View Now On Amazon |
303 Convertible Vinyl Top & Tonneau Cover Care Kit
Consumer Ratings (4.5 / 5)
The 303 Vinyl Cleaning and Care kit makes taking care of your tonneau cover easy. It has both the 303 Tonneau Cover Cleaner and the 303 Aerospace Protectant. With thousands of happy consumers and hundreds of 5 out of 5 star reviews, the 303 Tonneau Cover Cleaning Kit is one of the best you can get on the market and best of all you’ll save money buying it from Amazon.
The 303 Protectant was originally designed to use in the aerospace industry for aviation applications. It helps protect against UV rays that cause fading and cracking along with repelling dust. After the application drys on the tonneau cover it leaves a nice dry matte finish with no greasy residue left behind. It’s recommended for the best results to apply the protectant every 30-45 days.
Since the kit comes with a 16oz bottle of cleaner and 16oz bottle of protectant you’ll get more uses vs just having one 16oz bottle of a combined product like some of the competitors. This makes it one of the cheapest per use options available. There is even bulk refill bottles available.
NOTE: This should not be used on fabric convertible tops, fabrics(canvas) or unfinished leathers such as suede.
Features
- Protectant restores original color-Protects against staining & sun damage
- Adds years of life to tops & covers-Fast cleaning, removes stubborn stains
- Safe to use on all vinyl tonneau covers and convertible tops
- 2 16oz bottles included
What Consumers Say about the 303 Tonneau Cover Cleaning & Care Kit
- Given my tan convertible top on a 2007 model, I didn’t have high expectations for the 303 Automotive Tonneau Cover and Convertible top cleaner. All that I can say is WOW what a difference!
- I carefully wet the top, sprayed 303 cleaner, and gently worked it in with the horsehair brush. On several particularly soiled areas, I re-applied. One minor complaint – it took a LOT of rinsing to get the cleaner washed away. Perhaps I was too aggressive in dirty areas, but eventually it all rinsed away.
- My cover is looking weathered. But 303 brought it back to life. I highly recommend this and all 303 products.
- Works as advertised. I had been using other products by detailing companies and had been disappointed and found the solvents in them to mess up my wax job. The Aero 303 went on easy and a month later still looks great.
View 303 Tonneau Cover Care Kit on Amazon
Truxedo Pro-TeX Protectant Spray
Consumer Ratings (4.4 / 5)
The Truxedo Pro-TeX tonneau cover cleaner and protectant does just that, all in one. It’s protectant is formulated into the cleaner allowing for one quick application. This product is highly recommended by many industry experts and will protect your vinyl helping to extend the life of your soft tonneau cover. There are even some tonneau cover companies that provide a free bottle of Pro-TeX with their tonneau covers.
Pro-TeX is non-toxic and non-flammable solution, so it’s environmentally friendly. The protectant blocks damaging UV rays from the sun and has the protection equivalent of SPF 30.
Features
- Cleans, conditions and protects
- Extends the life of all vinyl tonneau covers
- Water-based, contains no damaging silicones
- Also works great for tires, dash, trim and convertible tops
- Easy to use, just spray on and wipe dry
What Consumers Say about the Truxedo Pro-TeX Tonneau Cover Cleaner
- We’ve used this tonneau protectant from day one on our Extang tonneau cover. The manufacturer states that using Armor-All type protectants will cause the cover to shrink and damage seems, etc. This would void the warranty.
- One thing I do like about this product is the dispenser. It delivers the protectant as a light mist, rather than a spray. This really aids in the ability to apply only the amount of product necessary.
- This is a great product worked good on my toneau cover on my 2016 Nissan Frontier. I also used on my trucks interior, and tires did a awesome job the top and all the other stuff looks like brand new.
- My used truck has a cover that had not been cleaned recently and looked very dull. Pro tex spray is easy to use and did a great job of cleaning the cover as well as giving it a nice sheen without an oily feel. I also used it to clean and brighten the top rail and step bumper.
View Truxedo Pro-TeX Tonneau Cover Cleaner on Amazon
Meguiar’s M40 Vinyl Cleaner & Conditioner
Consumer Ratings (4.4 / 5)
Over the past few decades, we’ve come to use many different products. Many of them have worked ok, but others, like Meguiar’s M40 Vinyl Cleaner & Conditioner have stood out of the crowd standing the test of time. For cleaning vinyl tonneau covers and even interior pieces this is one of the favorites of automotive enthusiasts everywhere.
It’s another superb product on our list that works well and while it cleans it also conditions; helping to bring back the deep shine look of new for your tonneau cover. Unlike many other vinyl conditioner’s or dressing the M40 does not attract has much dust as others. It also helps when being wiped down with a microfiber cloth.
NOTE: The only real negative here is for a heavily soiled tonneau cover, you’ll want to pre clean it before using M40. It’s a rather mild cleaner so it works well on lightly soiled vinyls. If you’re not keeping up with regular cleaning or drive in some dirty environments, then you may want to try Meguiar’s M39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner first or just try a different product altogether.
Features
- Durable protection screens out damaging ultraviolet rays
- Leaves a rich, natural sheen, unlike any shiny synthetic coating of simple protectants
- Complex formula that cleans, penetrates and rejuvenates vinyl and rubber surfaces
- Technical questions about this or any Meguiar’s products can be answered by their customer service team at 800-347-5700
What Consumers Say about the Meguiar’s M40 Vinyl Cleaner & Conditioner
- This product works!! Not only does it help to clean and condition the seats, it leaves a deep richer color behind. After using this product on two newer vehicles, i decided to try it on my classic truck i am in the process of restoring.
- I am a part-time detailer and had a chance to get my hands on hundreds of products. For the dash/ vinyl, I always recommended 303 protectant and I still rank that as my top item. HOWEVER, for me, Meguiars #40 serves a new purpose: Vinyl trims, tires and harder vinyl tonneau covers with lost of plastic in them.
- I didn’t think this would work on my soft vinyl tonneau cover at first, but after a good cleaning, M40 really helps finish the job and bring back a nearly like new look.
View Meguiar’s M40 Vinyl Cleaner & Conditioner on Amazon
Extang 1181 Tonno Tonic
Consumer Ratings (4.3 / 5)
Extang Tonno Tonic was the industries first powerful UV protectant for vinyl tonneau covers. It cleans and protects all at once. Tonno Tonic can also be used on all other vinyl, rubber, fiberglass, leather and plastic surfaces. This had been tested and approved by Extang, which is a industry leader in tonneau cover sales in the usa. Tonno Tonic is also required for use on all Extang Tonneau Covers to keep from voiding the 10 year warranty.
Features
- Was the Industrys First Powerful UV Protectant
- Specifically Formulated For Vinyl Truck Beds
- Beautifies Cleans and Protects All In One Step
- 100 Percent Safe For All Vinyl Tonneau Materials
- Tested and Approved By Extang
- A Must Have For Harsh Weather Conditions
- Use On Other Vinyl; Rubber; Fiberglass Plastic or Leather
- Does An Outstanding Job On Tires Too
- Will Not Harm Alloy Wheels or Paint
- Made in the USA
What Consumers Say about Tonno Tonic Cleaner
- I have been using this for over a year on a Xtang tonneau cover. Great product. Does not run down the side of the my truck after application and rain later, like Armor All. Stays on the tonneau cover and covers evenly.
- It’s works well and leaves a nice glossy looking non greasy finish, but a bottle doesn’t last very long.
- My tonneau cover is 16 years old, after I sprayed on tonno tonic,wiped it off with a cloth I couldn’t believe how good it looked! It look nearly like the day it did when I put it on my truck.
- Excellent product! You can see a huge difference between an untreated bed cover and a treated one! Really protects your investment!
View Extang Tonno Tonic Cleaner on Amazon
Wolfsteins Tonneau Cover Care Kit
Consumer Ratings (4.2 / 5)
Wolfsteins Tonneau Cover Care Kit combines a vinyl cleaner and vinyl pretectant which is made by RaggTopp. RaggTopp is the maker of convertible top products and accessories. Wolfsteins is endorsed by Roll-N-Lock, a industry leader in retractable tonneau covers and by Haartz, a leading engineer and manufacturer of coated fabric products.
Although this is one of the more pricier options, it will also last longer than most of it’s competitors since it comes with two 16oz bottles. You don’t have to worry about over spray with this product either as it’s totally safe for chrome, paint, rubber and other surfaces of your vehicle.
Features
- Effectively Clean and Protect Vinyl Tonneau Covers
- Use on Interior and Exterior Vinyl, Plastic and Rubber Surfaces
- Safely Removes the Toughest Dirt, Grime, Stains & Some Mildews
- Complete Protection Against UV Fading, Cracking & Hardening.
- Contains NO Harmful Silicone, Oils or Petroleum Distillates
- Made in the USA
What Consumers Say about the Wolfsteins Tonneau Cover Cleaner
- Product worked amazingly to restore like new shine to my 2 year old tonneau cover that I transferred to my new truck. Highly recommend using this.
- Good stuff this is. I had neglected by bed cover for 2 years, and this bought it back into good condition. It tool a few cleanings and several applications of the protectant over 6 months to slowly get it back into looking good. Now I will keep the protectant applied bi-monthly/quarterly to maintain the cover. Good stuff!
- My oh My on the first use this is a great product. Easy to apply and what a wonderful look when complete. Will see later if the UV protection works as this was my first application on a hot tub cover.
- Great stuff, I used the cleaner right after hand washing the whole truck and I could not believe the dirt that came off! The treatment looks great I will have to wait to see how long it holds up … so far very pleased.
Final Verdit
Really all of the above vinyl cleaners work good and will help protect your soft vinyl tonneau cover for years. Overall the most popular cleaner is the 303 Tonneau Cover Cleaner & Protectant Care Kit. It’s been rated highest by its thousands of consumers who’ve used it, it is endorsed by many professionals and even has a bulk bottle available to refill your spray bottles; Helping to save you even more money. This doesn’t mean that 303 is the absolute best, as some cleaners work better in different environments, but you absolutely cannot go wrong with any of the above cleaners we’ve talked about.
