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Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Tilex?

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bbriner
Captain

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349 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/21/2005 : 12:02:07

From all the winter rain here I have this grayish mildew/mold on the cockpit fiberglass. Someone suggested using 'Tilex', a bathroom cleanser that says it kills mold and mildew. I tried it on a small patch and it seemed to work really well. I'm concerned about what it does to the fiberglass, especially in sunlight, etc.

Does anyone have any experience or knowlege of these types of products? An alternative that was suggested was to use a bleach solution or even oxalic acid. The latter eems to be made specifically as a teak cleaner but is it safe to use on the fiberglass too?

I want to clean the deck and cockpit really good as POs did not and it shows. I want it white again!!

Thanks in advance gentlemen!!

Bill B
84 C25 FK/SR 4036 Wind Dancer
Berkeley

Bill B
Wind Dancer
#4036 84 SR/FK
San Francisco Bay

Edited by - on

oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 12:17:38

I've used Tilex without any problem. I've also used Soft Scrub for cockpit and deck stains rather than a rubbing compound.

Edited by - on

Esteban
Navigator

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139 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 15:32:55

I highly recommend a pressure washer. One of those simple washers from Home Depot - no more than 1500 psi. Amazing - you can write your name in areas you thought were clean. Best of all - it's safe on everything and does wonders even with the bottom.

Esteban

Edited by - on

John Mason
Admiral

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USA
687 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 17:49:33

I've used Tilex Mold and Mildew remover on the cockpit. It works great. If you read the back of the bottle, it says it's good for fiberglass tubs, so I figured my boat fit that description.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 18:25:09

Ordinary white vinegar wiped on the mildew/mold areas will kill them and clean the area. Doesn't leave a smell when it dries. Or a 50% bleach solution does the same. Both very cheap!
Derek

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Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 19:10:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Esteban
 I highly recommend a pressure washer. One of those simple washers from Home Depot - no more than 1500 psi. Amazing - you can write your name in areas you thought were clean. Best of all - it's safe on everything and does wonders even with the bottom.

Esteban
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
One caution about the use of pressure washers, garnered by experience, is the fact that bubbles exist beneath the gelcoat and too hard a stream will knock the surface gelcoat off, thereby creating a bunch of gelcoat repair projects.

Edited by - on

Doug
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 20:01:28

Spring time means spraying black shoe marks with Starbright Black streak remover. Then mop the whole boat down with bleach or a vinegar/ ammonia/ Borax solution, and hose the whole thing off. For really stubborn stains or rust marks I use Bar Keeper's Friend. Happich Semi Chrome for the metal I want to really shine. Touch up the Cetol, wax the decks with 2 or 3 coats in the cockpit to seal it from the coming Summer's repeated Rum & Coke spills. The shaft on the outboard always gets multiple coats of wax too. I generally use a 3M wax, vut I can't remember which one.
Interior (not the wood) gets wiped down from end to end with orange multi surface cleaner (like the smell). Usually spray a little bleach solution in the bilge and all areas under the V berth, galley, etc. The interior wood gets a quick wipe with some teak oil.
A weekend of sweat and the boat will look and smell great.

Edited by - on

bbriner
Captain

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349 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 22:27:11

Great suggestions - Thanks everyone!

Edited by - on

adamb
1st Mate

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USA
39 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2005 : 23:08:18

Carefull with bleach -- if you pump out the bilge the bleach can dry out the gaskets in our guzzler bilge pumps.

Edited by - on

bbriner
Captain

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349 Posts

Response Posted - 02/27/2005 : 20:58:00

I've experimented more with the Tilex. It has worked wonders. So far so good...

Bill B

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 02/27/2005 : 21:39:57

Be careful with the pressure washer around the windows, it will blast the caulk/sealer out. Also, here is an article from Practical Sailor re deck cleaners (note the comment on Soft Scrub):

Practical Sailor ran a test in the Feb 15, 2005 issue on non skid cleaners. Stuff included in the test (put on the decks of boats) were mustard, sunblock, two stroke oil, grease, coffee, ketchup, Bud, cranberry juice, and blood and guts from 27 pound Kingfish. Here are the results:

Excellent: Meguiar's and 3M...both very expensive ($16/$20).

Very Good: West Marine, Star Brite, Nautical Ease.

Good: Mary Kate, Sea Bowld, Aurora Boat, Fantastik.

Fair: Orange Clean, 409.

One note...Soft Scrub was rated as 'excellent', except they said not to use it on fiberglass, especially those with gelcoat.

You can get a copy of the test at:

http://www.practical-sailor.com/

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 02/27/2005 : 23:25:34

If you really want to get that hull white, try some Davis FSR (Fiberglass Stain Remover).

It's an Oxalic-Acid based gel compound. I'd scrubbed my hull with a lot of other 'stuff'.

I put on the FSR (you wipe on and rinse off) and the difference was simply amazing. The gelcoat in the treated area was brilliant white while the other freshly 'scrubbed' area that looked so good a few minutes before now appeared dull and brownish by comparison.
This resulted in :>( and :>) at the same time.

Cautions and comments:

1) Keep the stuff off your skin, Oxalic acid is absorbed by the body and robs calcium from the bloodstream.... if it pulls too much out you can get into cardiac trouble.

2) The treated area will need to be re-waxed, the Oxalic acid removes any surface glaze.

I really like Meguiars Marine Cleaner/Wax. For me it's been easier to use than the corresponding 3M products

3) Once you get started, you'll want to do the entire boat... any un-treated areas will look dull and old by comparison.

4) You can get cheaper formulations of Oxalic acid at the hardware store, but I've found the gel format is pretty convenient and tends not to run off like a liquid preparation.
(any runs will leave streaks down the hull)

Edited by - on

bbriner
Captain

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349 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2005 : 11:00:47

I noticed that after using Tilex there was some (not a lot) white coming off when I rubbed the Tilexed area with a rag. My plan is to wax/polish the deck and cockpit - after thoroughly cleaning and getting all the mold off and getting it white again. I'm think that it will be necessary to get through the oxidation and restore and seal the gelcoat.

As you can tell, I'm pretty new at this, so for the cockpit and deck areas (including the non-skid) what compounds are best? Rubbing compound? Wax? Polish? An All-in-One type of thing?

Should different products be used for the topsides?

Thanks again
Bill B

Edited by - on

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.