How To Preserve the Life of Your Tonneau Cover

Find out why routine maintenance matched with TruXedo Pro-Tex Cleaner will extend the life and performance of your tonneau cover.

It’s no secret that a tonneau cover can really level up your truck game — especially if you need a solution for keeping all your tools and gear organized and secure. Plus, tonneaus add a nice finishing touch to the overall look of a pickup, usually with a clean, black finish. But it’s important to note that if you don’t take care of your tonneau, it can’t take care of you.

With that in mind, let’s take some time to break down exactly how to care for your vinyl tonneau cover, so it’ll stay in tip-top shape all year round.

For some expert advice on cleaning and maintenance, we took a cue from tonneau maker TruXedo. The manufacturer builds covers that offer security and protection for valuable cargo and practical add-ons for truck bed organization.

Why Should I Clean My Tonneau Cover?

Regardless of whether a truck is a daily driver for work or an outdoor adventure vehicle, your tonneau cover will endure Mother Nature’s wrath. Whether you’re in a dry, arid climate, a wet, muggy one, or somewhere in between, the cover becomes a magnet for dirt, dust, mud, debris, bird poop, and harsh sunlight. Plus, regularly opening and closing the tonneau adds to the wear and tear. Over time, all those elements take their toll on your fresh new cover, dulling the finish and taking away that brand-new look.

Who wants a faded, tired-looking accessory stuck on their truck? 

The key to maintaining the lifespan of a tonneau is treating it like the rest of the truck. That means setting aside some time to clean, condition, and care for it. TruXedo Pro-Tex Cleaner is effective enough to be directly applied to that dull and dirty cover. Still, we recommend dedicating a little more time and effort to the cleaning process to ensure the cleaner performs to the best of its ability. (Especially if you’re looking at a little more build-up than usual.)

How Do I Clean My Tonneau?

For an all-points cleaning of your tonneau, you’ll want to gather up a few essential items to get the job done. TruXedo recommends mild soap and water as a cleaning solution for its covers, and we find this rule of thumb applies pretty much across the board. You’ll also need a bucket or hose for water, a few rags, and a high-quality soft bristle brush to scrub out the heavier grime build-up. You’ll want to avoid direct sunlight, so either park the truck in a shadier spot or save the cleaning for an overcast day.

Depending on how heavily soiled the cover is, give the tonneau a quick rinse and then gently loosen up dirt and debris with the brush. Give the surface another rinse and wash it down with the mild soap and cloth. After yet one more rinse, you can let the tonneau air-dry, but we suggest using a microfiber towel. The towel will pick up more grime that the final rinse couldn’t remove. It will also sop up any excess moisture and ensure a nice, streak-free finish.

If you’re short on time, you can also take the truck to a car wash. (Yikes — we know.) However, you should still give the cover an extra rinse to remove any remaining soap residue or dirt.

Note: One thing you should definitely avoid is any heavy-duty chemical cleaning solutions. TruXedo cautions drivers to never use vinyl conditioners with silicone, petroleum, or citrus additives because they can crack and shrink the tonneau’s vinyl surface.

What About Routine Maintenance?

Proper operation and routine maintenance are also key to ensuring a long lifespan for your tonneau. In addition to cleaning the top of the cover, here are a few other details to include in your routine care:

Open and handle it properly.

This might seem minor, but incorrectly opening/closing or handling the cover will ruin its integrity over time. Each cover has a specific set of instructions on the proper way to open/close it, so make sure to follow manufacturer instructions. For example, with the hard-rolling TruXedo Sentry, users should never slide cargo across the cover’s surface. Similarly, you shouldn’t store cargo on top of the tonneau since it can cause cosmetic and structural damage.

Make sure it’s secured.

Again, common sense here, but you should also periodically check that the cover is securely attached to your truck bed. Inspect the clamps and front header guide-slides to ensure they haven’t come loose. This is partially for safety, but also to prevent the clamps from moving around and scraping up the truck or getting bent and ruining the full functionality of the tonneau.

Check the rear latch closures.

Watch for grime and dirt build-up in the rear latch closures. Too much build-up can cause the latches to stick and not move properly. You can lubricate the latches periodically with silicone spray after cleaning the area. (Just be careful not to get the spray on the tonneau cover.)

Remove snow and ice gently.

When cleaning off snow or ice, treat the tonneau just like the rest of the truck. Don’t use sharp or pointed tools; stick with a broom or brush to gently clear off the cover.

Cut down on dust-tracking marks.

Periodically wipe out the side rail surfaces, rubber slat end-caps, and the underside surface of the cover. This will reduce the “dust-tracking marks” you might see when rolling the cap up. TruXedo also recommends plugging air holes in truck construction boxes to cut down on excess dust and dirt blowing into the truck box.

Using Pro-Tex Cleaner

After removing the heavy grime, you can apply the Pro-Tex Cleaner. TruXedo Pro-Tex cleans, conditions, and protects — and is perfect for keeping your vinyl tonneau cover looking good-as-new. It’s a non-toxic, water-based formula that contains no harmful silicones, and it’s simple to use.

Spray a light and even coat onto the top of the tonneau, wipe it off with a microfiber rag in gentle, circular motions. After that, you’re back in business. Pro-Tex extends the life of your cover, conditioning the vinyl, repelling water and dirt, and protecting it from harmful UV rays.

The best part?

It’s an all-purpose cleaner! Pro-Tex is safe to use when detailing other areas of the truck, like tires, dash, rims, and trim. It can even be used on convertible tops, meaning more than one vehicle can reap its benefits.

“Vinyl and plastic components collect dust and make your car look old and unkempt,” explains car repair service business, Your Mechanic. “Aside from cleaning the floors, cleaning the vinyl makes the greatest restorative difference when you detail your car.”

For cleaning interior vinyl with Pro-Tex Cleaner, we follow the advice of classic car insurers Hagerty. They recommend spraying the cleaner onto a foam applicator or cotton terry cloth towel “so you have more control and don’t overspray on other surfaces.” Work the cleaner gently and thoroughly and wipe off any excess. Work in sections and repeat the process up to 2-3 times if needed.

We here at the Engine Block know how much you love your truck. We love your truck too! That’s why we recommend TruXedo Pro-Tex Cleaner to keep your tonneau clean, conditioned, and protected, so you’ll have it for years to come.