How To Clean Tonneau Cover? – [7 Easy Steps]

Tonneau covers are an excellent way to keep personal tools, equipment, and everything else you have in the back of a truck safe and secure. Washing a tonneau cover can be a time-consuming and difficult process if you are unaware of the process.

It requires a significant amount of effort, but it’s not hard to accomplish on your own. You just need to take some steps to ensure the whole process goes more smoothly. Let’s see a detailed discussion on how to clean tonneau cover easily.

Which Cleaning Products To Use?

You can start by cleaning your cover with a mixture of warm water and vehicle cleaning soap, then use different tonneau cleaning products to give it a deep clean and a good sheen.

When washing the cover, don’t use detergent, bleach, or harsh and strong chemicals. Because of the hazardous ingredients in these cleaning substances, they can ruin the cover. Pretty much every single company that makes tonneau covers also sells tonneau cover cleaners. You should get a cleanser that is appropriate for your cover.

Soft covers, which generally consist of vinyl, necessitate the use of specific cleansers. The vinyl cleansers are enacted to prevent the covers from fading, yellowing, and cracking caused by damaging UV rays while also improving their appearance. 

What To Do Before You Start Cleaning Your Tonneau Cover?

Before beginning cleaning, make sure you have everything you need. It will make the procedure more straightforward and quicker. All that has to be prepared must be prepared as far in advance as possible. If not, it will be a tremendous problem and will take up a lot of time!

Here are several things you should do:

• You can clean your cover in two ways: while it’s mounted to the truck and when it’s detached and taken somewhere else to be cleaned.
• Please remember that the area in which you’ll do the cleanup should be a shaded area and not immediately exposed to the sun. Try to do it behind a tree or somewhere else that provides shade; this will remove the possibility of any harmful effects from the sun’s rays.
• Ensure the cover’s exterior isn’t heated before starting the cleaning. Allow it to cool off if it has been outside and in the sun for a while.
• You can loosen the screws and nuts. They may get lost while you’re cleaning the cover. Store them in a secure location.

How To Clean Tonneau Cover? 7 Easy Steps

Let’s get right into tonneau cover maintenance and cleaning guide. Try these basic methods for cleaning your truck cover and restoring it to its original shiny condition:

Step 1: Spritzing Water

To begin this, spray cool and clean dechlorinated water on your tonneau’s cover and use any cloth to wipe off the surface debris. This step will soften any trapped particles or dust, making it much easier to remove all of the grime without rubbing the cover too hard.

Step 2: Making The Cleaning Solution

Mix slightly warm water and automobile cleansing solution to make the cleaning product. Mix 1/2 cup of your preferred washing solution with a full bucket of warm water. Make sure you avoid the substances mentioned above.

Step 3: Cleaning In Halves

Split the cleaning of the cover into 2 or 4 halves for cleaning. You can use a marker to focus on several areas. It will ensure you are cleaning with greater precision.

Step 4: Taking Caution When Cleaning

Dip a scrubbing brush or sponge bar in the previously prepared solution and wash the cover one section at a time. Don’t put extra pressure while cleaning on the lid when doing so. Instead, go as slowly as possible. When scrubbing, avoid using a coarse and harsh cleaning sponge.

Step 5: Letting The Soap Do Its Work

Take 5 minutes so that the solution can interact with the dust and debris and start falling off. Continue the cycle until the area is completely clean.

Step 6: Washing Away

After this, wash the now soap-mingled cover with a water hose to ensure that all of the soapy dirt is washed away. Wipe off any surplus water with a different sponge bar.

Step 7: Drying Time

Allow the cover to air dry for a bit before you move on to doing anything else.

You’ve completed the cleaning of your tonneau cover. It should look as new as it was when you bought it.

How To Clean Soft Vinyl Tonneau Coverings?

To clean the soft vinyl coverings with a tonneau or vinyl cleaners, first, spritz the cleaner across the surface. use one of those microfiber scrubbers or a bristled brush to spread the cleaner on the surface.

A boar hairbrush is also a good choice. As these brushes have long handles, you can easily reach almost everywhere on the surface with them. Don’t put any force on the lid, and the scrubbing should be done gently.

After you’ve completed scrubbing, use a hose to start rinsing the vinyl cover. To remove smeared moisture from the cover, you have to use a soft cloth or sponge. Allow it to dry before applying the required tonneau covering protectant. You can also wipe the cover protectant with a microfiber brush.

How To Maintain The Cleanliness Of The Tonneau Cover?

Tonneau covers are extremely costly. As a result, keeping them in good condition is essential if you want them to survive a long time and serve you for the rest of the truck’s life. The overall life of the cover will be extended by several folds when you take proper care of it and clean it.

Here are a few suggestions for keeping your cover in a clean and good condition:

• Routine Check

For maintenance, regular examinations are critical. Regularly inspect the cover for issues such as scratches, dents, scuffs, dust, looseness, rust, and so on. Regular inspections help you notice small scratches and take action before they become an expensive problem.

Don’t ignore even the tiniest irregularity, it could get worse with time. Furthermore, if we inspect periodically and are knowledgeable about this issue, you may be cautious when cleaning, avoiding irritating the damaged areas and aggravating them.

• Fix The Coverings’ Hardware

Inspect the screws and nuts regularly to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly. If these screws are not tied in the right way, they might cause serious harm to your truck bed tonneau cover when you try opening them.

You need to check if the cover is opening and closing smoothly. If the tonneau cover is not sliding easily, lubricant can be applied to the rails to prevent traction and wear. So no chance of scratching your cover and dirtying them in the hustling process.

• Use Protectant

The post-cleaning step is using a protector. Most people use a microfiber applicator to apply a protector. The type of protectant you should use varies depending on the type of tonneau cover you have, so it’s best to consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Regular Cleaning

Using proper cleaning is necessary. Cleaners can be found in plenty of stores. The secret, though, is to pick the right one. You can read instructions or, if necessary, approach the manufacturer to find out the type of cleaner you should use.

The ideal cleaning substance will help you keep your cover looking elegant while also extending its life. Also, avoid using an abrasive cleaning pad. Scrub with a microfiber towel/ scrub, a soft brush, or a soft sponge. Cleaning your cover regularly will help you maintain its appearance.

• Keep In A Proper Location

Keep the cover out of the bright sun, especially if it’s a delicate vinyl tonneau covering. A bright sun might affect the coloring of your cover and make it look dirty. Again, don’t leave this out in the sun for long periods, since this can lead to fungal and mold growth and make it hard for you to clean the cover. So, it’s best to keep the cover balanced between sunlight and shadow.

How to Make a Tonneau Cover Look Like New Again

Conclusion

Now you know how to clean tonneau cover in a very simple way. You would do a fair job of cleaning and washing without breaking a sweat. It’s also pretty simple and will take just around one hour.

Not to mention, you can save a few bucks by cleaning and washing the cover yourself instead of paying someone or purchasing new tonneau covers. So all that’s left to do here is execute the methods outlined above for cleaning your tonneau cover.

Reference:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOGDFUWy8Z4
• https://www.backrack.com/blog/how-to-maintain-your-tonneau-cover