Bilge cleaner

[Georooney]

Hi all,

I picked up some stuff called Hyseas Bilge Cleaner from my local marine shop, intending to clean up the bilge in my 17' Marinex welded aluminum fishing boat before I put it away for the winter. So, here's my question:

The cautionary stuff on the jug says it contains potassium hydroxide (KOH); advises using rubber gloves, safety goggles and maybe a face shield. I'm wondering what the KOH is going to do to the aluminum? I know that its cousin, sodium hydroxide, is death on aluminum.

I put some of the concentrated bilge cleaner into a glass jar with a piece of scrap aluminum as a test. It fizzed for awhile at first (hydrogen gas released?), then stopped. After a day I rinsed the aluminum and looked at it; it was shiny and seemed to maybe have very tiny corrosion marks (although I can't say for sure). There was no serious visible damage. To be fair, the instructions say to use 8 ounces for a 20' boat, so it sure wouldn't be as concentrated as in the test.

So, what does everybody think? Is it safe?


BTW, as to environmental concerns, I won't be pumping it overboard!

 

[rbh]

Re: Bilge cleaner

soap and hot water plus scrub brush is ecco friendly to, but a lot of work
rob

 

[BLU LUNCH]

Re: Bilge cleaner

That's some nasty stuff........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_hydroxide

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Bilge cleaner

I have had really good sucess with the lanolin no water hand cleaners from the local auto parts stores..
Cuts cold grease easily, safe, bio friendly....just dab a sponge and get on it.


Some guys also pour some dawn dishsoap in the bilge, and a bucket o water and go boating to agitate it..lol how much fun can ya have cleaning??

 

[gdombroski]

Re: Bilge cleaner

Some guys also pour some dawn dishsoap in the bilge, and a bucket o water and go boating to agitate it

SpicNSpan powder works great used as above.

 

[werthert]

Re: Bilge cleaner

GOOD LORD! Is it legal to sell that product? Anything that tells me I need to be in a hazmat suit to use, I won't buy.

Seems a bit serious for a bilge, eh?

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Bilge cleaner

There are alot of products that cuts grease, I used Mr. Clean orange cleaner and it did great in the bilge area and everywhere else that was white fiberglass, sparkling clean again and I didn't even wear gloves, but the boat was as good and clean and was very happy with the results. I poured it in with a 2gal bucket of hot water and let it set for a minute and grabbed a rag and went to work.

 

[Georooney]

Re: Bilge cleaner

Thanks, guys. I agree that this product is suspect, and was wondering if anybody else here has had any experience with it. I asked the distributor for the MSDS for it, and got a generic form back.....no mention of the product name or potassium hydroxide content.

I think I'll get a bottle of Simple Green or some such thing.