Mold On Jeep Hardtop? (Must Read This First)

Regardless of who you are, where you stay, or what you’ve seen it on, we can all agree that mold is disgusting.

The repugnance of the fungi hits new levels when it keeps popping on that vehicle you love and probably worked hard to get.

Reading this probably means that your vehicle is a Jeep. Is the mold on your Jeep inevitable? If it isn’t, how can you prevent your Jeep from getting more mold?

Mold on your hardtop isn’t inevitable. If you don’t have mold, you can take steps to prevent it. But what of those who are already facing mold? There are numerous mold cleaners you can use to battle mold on your Hardtop. In this article, I’ll show you these cleaners and how to use them. 

Causes Of Mold On Jeep Hardtop 

Jeep soft tops are more susceptible to mold, but Jeep Hardtops can have this battle, too, due to the fungi called mold.

I’ll briefly explain the nature of this fungus and help you connect the dots, so you know what to avoid if you don’t want to get mold on your Jeep.

Mold is often confused or mistaken for mildew.

Although they’re extremely similar, they have numerous vital differences that mean you’ll have to take different measures when battling mold than you would when battling mildew.

The good thing is that the cause of this fungus is quite similar, so we can treat them together.

If you read through the causes of mold in this article and avoid them, you’ll simultaneously avoid mildew on your car.

Now let’s get to it. What are these causes?

#1. Bird chippings and dirt

Mold usually relies on two things to grow. These are dirt and moisture, and birds do a good job supplying the first.

So it usually shouldn’t be a problem if you regularly wash your car and dry it properly but maybe for some reason, you’ve needed to park your vehicle outside unattended for a while. 

All it takes is a couple of bird visits or droppings, and the atmosphere will supply the needed moisture, and you’ll be coming back to meet a mold on your Jeep Hardtop after a while.

So try to have your car covered whenever you know you’ll be leaving it outside unattended for a while.

#2. Fluid spillage

Fluid spillage is another common reason for mold on the exteriors of vehicles.

That “flat-enough” surface on your car can seem like a good place to keep that can of soda when you’re out of your vehicle and gulping down some liquid. 

Many Jeeps have flat tops, so I can’t say it’s not a good place to keep your drink, but this may lead to spillage for an infinite number of reasons.

Since it’s not a spillage in the interior like your precious leather seats, you may likely not take time to clean it up thoroughly, which is the source of the problem. 

It won’t be an issue in most cases as the sun will do a good job drying up the liquid. Still, the liquid may not dry up properly.

It may be because the event took place during the day when the sun wasn’t blazing down.

After a while, this “little” mess on your top, with the help of atmospheric conditions, can develop into very infuriating patches of mold. 

You can avoid this by ensuring that spillages on the exterior of your car are treated with almost the same seriousness you’d treat interior spillage with, especially when you don’t plan on hitting the car wash anytime soon.

#3. Abandonment 

This is probably the biggest reason for mold appearance. Most of the other reasons connected to you abandoning your car, although to varying degrees.

We can abandon our cars or leave them unattended for a long time for peculiar reasons—and this is the perfect opportunity for mold to strike. 

Even if you properly wash your car before leaving it unattended for some time.

If moisture in the atmosphere easily has access to the paint of your car’s body, you most likely will come back to some mold on your exterior—hardtop inclusive. 

How can you avoid this? Keep using and washing your car, I guess. Okay, seriously, now that’s the best way to prevent mold from getting on your vehicle.

If you ever have to get it stored up somewhere, do your best to ensure that moisture in that area is reduced to your possible minimum. 

Also, give your car a proper wash before washing it. You should also consider making use of a cover for your car.

Before using it, ensure it’s appropriately dry inside and isn’t penetrable by moisture. That’s the best you can do to prevent your vehicle from growing mold during your absence. 

How To Remove Mold From Jeep Hard Top

There are numerous ways you can go about removing mold from your Hardtop, but I’ll just be picking three to discuss in this article.

You can also use them for mold on a Jeep Soft Top. When picking these three options, I considered the cost of needed material(s), complications, and effectiveness.

When you choose one of these options, ensure you use a pair of gloves when trying it out. Let’s get to it then!

#1. Washing Your Car With Salty Water 

Salt is potent and has diverse uses. I’m sure you know many things you can use a spoon or two of salt to do.

When salt is dissolved in water, it’s very effective in dealing with all forms of dirt, including mold and mildew.

I can personally attest to this because I’ve tried it out. Yes, I’ve made use of salty water in the cleaning of a mold-filled car. Don’t ask whose car it was, thank you. 

On a serious note, though, it got the job done fast. Here are the simple steps for using salty water in the cleaning of mold.

• Get a bucket of clean water and add salt to it. 
• Get a microfiber towel. You will use this for the cleaning. Dip in water and clean the area covered in mold. Some force may be needed.
• Thoroughly wash/rinse the car when done.

#2. Mineral Spirits 

Mineral spirit is another tested and trusted means of dealing with mold on your Jeep Hardtop.

Numerous positive reviews have been given in forums concerning the effectiveness of mineral spirits in dealing with Mold. 

They thoroughly kill molds as they dissolve them and target all the bacteria.

This is also a cheap way to handle the mold on your Jeep, as you only need a small number of mineral spirits when dealing with Mold.

With quick steps, you can have that car rid of mold; here they are:

• Water isn’t needed here. Just pour the spirit directly on the microfiber towel or rag. 
• Rub it firmly against the mold and allow the liquid to sit on them for 10 mins.
• Clean with another towel and rinse your car.

#3. Olive Oil

It is probably the most complicated of the three methods, but it’s in no way a tedious task.

You can be done with it in just 20 minutes, or even less if you can be fast. Here are the steps:

• Wash the car like you normally would, then let it dry or dry it with a towel.
• Pour some oil on a microfiber towel.
• Rub the areas with mold on them till they have cleared. 
• Pour some vinegar into water and use it to rinse those areas.

Conclusion 

Molds are annoying. Be it on your Hardtop, in your interior, home, or anywhere else, we all can agree that they’re sometimes disgusting and infuriating.

Luckily, you don’t have to settle for having a vehicle covered in mold. So pick one of the solutions I gave and get your Jeep Hardtop rid of mold!