Simple Green and bleach sounds like a great, simple solution!  No need to
spend $ on fancy stuff.  I have been using Simple Green since about 1980.
It cleans everything!  Particularly good on carpets (in house or car) and
auto upholstery.  I spray it on all my engines once a year and rinse it off
with a hose.  No scrubbing, nothing nauseous or toxic.

I am assuming you are talking about a white pop-top though?  On my old white
top, I would just go to a door-it-yourself car wash, get up on a step
ladder, and blast away at the top with the soapy wand.  It had about the
same effect as bleach.  Dirt and even stains just blew away.  But what about
a painted top, like my red one?  There one probably needs something to
remove oxidation too, I would think?  To restore the color.  Or would
color-safe bleach do the trick?

BTW, I asked a clerk at AutoZone if I should Castrol SuperClean on the roof
and he said no-way--much too strong, particularly if it gets on the paint.

Bill
88 Westy

-----Original Message-----
From: Budd Premack <bpremack@WAVETECH.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Saturday, June 26, 1999 12:03 AM
Subject: Re: Pop top cleaner

>I just solved the problem of cleaning the fiberglass pop top as I was
>readying the 81 Westy which I now have for sale.  This van had never had
>it's top cleaned and had been sitting under a lilac bush for the last 4
>years.  About the only natural item not on the roof was a nest full of baby
>birds.
>
>First, I used Simple Green degreaser/cleaner with a scrub brush, and lots
of
>water with a hose.  This was tedious, but removed all the dirt and other
>junk.  However, the top still was grey colored.  I then used straight
>laundry bleach with a plastic scrub-type sponge.  It was AMAZING how easily
>and quickly the color went to sparkling white.  (Thanks to Listee Roy
>Mathers for the sugestion.)
>
>If your top is not too bad to start with, I would suggest just using soap
>and water first, then go right to the bleach, which would save a lot of
>effort.  You may wish to use rubber gloves with the bleach.  I worked with
>and without gloves, without too much difference to my lovely hands.
>Remember that small drops of bleach will likely splash onto your clothing,
>with expected results.  I tried to make the splashes form a VW pattern, but
>my artistic abilities were not up to the task.
>
>Unless you are tall enough to get a basketball scholarship, the use of a
>step ladder is highly recommended.
>
>Overall, the results will astound and please anyone who makes the effort.
>
>Happy cleaning!
>
>Budd Premack
>86 Syncro, 84 GL(for sale), 73 Super
>Minneapolis, MN (Land of Sky Blue Waters)
>