Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Soft Top & Zipper Care Do's & Don'ts



(Updated December 2023) There are lots of tips on cost-saving cleaning techniques for your Jeep's soft top. We spend thousands, tens of thousands of dollars on our Jeeps, why not spend a couple extra bucks to buy the products made for keeping the soft top clean and long-lasting. 

Bestop Cleaning Products

There are several trusted brands out there you could use: Bestop and Mopar. I used the Bestop products on my Sahara and found they are simple and easy to use. -- A Cleaner, Protectant, Polisher.

Soft Top Cleaning Hacks 👉 Watch Here
Bestop Vinyl Cleaner Pack 👉 Buy Here



The three areas of the Jeep Soft Top you should concentrate on are the fabric, the windows, and the zippers. Keeping your soft top clean, and making frequent inspections, will help prolong the life of it.

Jeep Momma's Soft Top Cleaning Tips 👉  Watch More


Reduce the exposure to the elements by parking in the garage.. if you can. The sun causes the fabric to fade, threads to fail and our vinyl windows to yellow, crack, and fade. Spending quality time and hard work on our soft tops can make it last plenty of years. 

Never use bleach, detergents, ammonia, or alcohol-based products, stick with the products specifically made for the soft top. Clean it monthly, and don't forget the inside.

You hear a lot of people recommending the Pledge spray polish, the regular not lemon, on Jeep Windows. I suggest you avoid this tip. I hear over time it will cause your windows to turn yellow.

You hear this question all the time on social media. Can I take my Jeep through the car wash? If you have a lifted Jeep with bigger tires some car washes will refuse you. Those automatic car washes are not a good idea because the high-pressure sprays and rotating brushes will force water into the vehicle. Taking your Jeep soft top through an automatic car wash will scratch the Jeep’s windows and might even tear the seams. Plus, some of the chemicals can cause irreversible damage to the vinyl itself.

Jeep Wrangler Vs Car Wash 👉 Watch Here



Zipper Care Crucial 👉 Watch More

Make sure you keep those zippers clean too. If you let dirt and grime build up on your soft top, windows, and zippers, it will ultimately lessen the life of your soft top. Just some regular mild soap and water will keep dirt from building up on your Jeep's zippers as well. I have used zipper lube in the past, but some say that lubrication attracts dirt and grime.


A must for your zippers: zipper pulls on your Jeep’s windows. This allows for easy grasping and pulling. There are several places online where you can purchase paracord zipper pulls or if you are crafty you can make your own. The cool thing about this is you can make them in a color to match your accessory color. My purple paracord zipper pulls allow me to work the zipper much easier now.


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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Garbanzo Bean Flour VS. Cornstarch

Healthy Eating Tip 



Garbanzo bean flour is also a great thickener of soups and gravies. It's an excellent replacement for cornstarch. Gluten and grain free it adds a rich dense texture. It cuts the fat when used in place of cream or cornstarch. 

Cornstarch is made from corn kernels. It is a highly processed carbohydrate, about 30 calories or 7 grams of carbs per tablespoon. When you add it to soups or gravies you are adding significant calories and no nutritional value. There is no protein, fat, vitamins, minerals or fiber.

Check out my Garbanzo Bean Pizza Crust Recipe 👉 Read Here

Here are some other ideas for you to try as a replacement for cornstarch if you have a hard time finding Garbanzo Bean flour. 

Heat reduction: Simmer sauces uncovered over a low to medium heat over time and your sauce will become thicker.

Pureed vegetables: Tomato paste, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, squash and pumpkin are easy to puree in a blender once cooked. These pureed veggies are great for thickening sauces and homemade soups. They add a nutritional goodness to your recipes since they are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. However remember squash and pumpkin have a higher starch content then the others.

Sour Cream or Greek yogurt: These are already thick. You will do much better with sour cream in hot recipes like soups. 

Flax seed meal: Ground flax seed works better as an egg substitute because it can be gritty.  It is great to add to smoothies, oatmeal or other baked goods.

Don't forget to read your food labels, cornstarch is sometimes added.  


Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Tips to Keep Your Jeep Salt Free

Winter's Arrival: Road Conditions


(Updated November 2023) With the arrival of Old Man Winter, our roads are becoming nasty, dirty pathways turning our Jeeps into salt-coated crawlers. 

The Corrosive Nature of Road Salt

The salt poured on our roads each winter is corrosive, and can cause extensive damage. 

The Culprit Behind Road Salt

Magnesium Chloride is poured onto our roads in the winter in several states. This chemical concoction is called road salt. Road Salt is bad for our vehicles. Road Salt can eat away at your Jeep in the form of rust. the threat salt poses to your vehicle is rust and accelerates with repeated exposure. Extra care must be taken in the winter months. It takes more than just a spray from the hose. 


Tips to Keep Your Vehicle Salt-Free


  • Wash your vehicle as soon as possible after the snow.  Wax and Re-Wax

How to Wax ðŸ‘‰ Read More

Jeep Momma's Jeep Cleaning Hacks 👉 Watch Here

Top 5 Spots You Must Keep Clean on Your Jeep 👉 Watch Here

  • Wash the underside of your Jeep often during the winter months.

  • Avoid driving through large puddles of standing water where road salt collects.

  • A power washer is the best to use because you can spray water into as many nooks and crannies as you can find because salt and road crud hide everywhere.

Tips to Keep Your Jeep Salt-Free  ðŸ‘‰ Watch Here

DMV Salt Tips 👉 Read More




  • Extra pressure washing on the backside of inner fender wells is a must.
  • Keeping your vehicle cold when dirty is better as well, meaning a cold garage or outside rather than parking it in a heated garage which will keep the rock salt active.
  • The frame has holes in the side that get filled with dirt, mud, and salt. Keep it clean put the hose in the holes to get all that yuck out. 

  • You should avoid washing when the temperature is below freezing because the water will immediately freeze. Door locks could freeze and your windows could be hard to de-ice.
  • If you can't take the nastiness of the salt, and you need to wash your Jeep, drive it around the block a few times to warm the hood. Turn the heater on high to warm the inside of the Jeep. This will help keep the water from freezing while you wash it. 

  • Pay extra care to your soft top. Avoid an automatic car wash if you have a soft top. The brush-type car wash can easily scratch the vinyl windows. Or the dirt left on the brushes from another vehicle can scratch the windows too.

  • A touchless car wash is unlikely to damage your top, but you could get some leakage due to the high-pressure nozzles from various directions.

Jeep Wrangler vs Automatic Car Wash 👉 Watch Here

  • The harsh chemicals in the soaps are also bad for your soft tops. The best way to clean your soft top is by hand, or in a manual car wash.


More Cold Weather Jeep Tips

  • Vinegar/cold water on your windshield will also melt ice or prevent it from building up if applied the night before. 

  • Keep more fuel in your tank to reduce air inside the tank that can condense and freeze in your lines. 

  • Squeaky wipers annoying? Straight up rubbing alcohol on a rag clean the blades themselves to quiet them. 

  • Light oil (Pam spray or cooking oil or something similar) on your weather stripping to stop your doors freezing shut.

  • Don't let your vehicle idle for an extended time warming it up. Engines aren't really designed to idle, it's not good for it.

  • Alcohol-based hand sanitizers in personal carry-size squirt bottles can help free up a frozen door lock if you squirt it in the keyhole. 


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