Cleaning a neglected boat hull

[skyking897]

Recently acquired a '93 Sylvan 14' Sea Snapper with a 20hp Merc. Problem is, the previous owner (now deceased) put it in the water (small freshwater lake) last spring and pulled it out last fall before he past and it was never cleaned. It's sat in his shed all this summer with the crud and algae stuck to the hull. Hull is bare aluminium and looks like $hit. I've power washed it and scrubbed it with a scouring pad. The crud and algae are gone but it still doesn't look very nice and the water line is quite noticable. What can I use to brighten up the aluminium. Don't want a polished look, just something that looks respectable.

 

[cptrick3]

Paint

 

[signalstan]

if its a raw alum hull you might try eagle brand mag wheel cleaner I used it on my trailer it worked great use the mag wheel cleaner not the aluminum wheel cleaner but be care full it is an acid cleaner test in a small area first

 

[no704]

Try Coke a Cola. Cheap light carbonic acid. Look out for ants.

 

[oldjeep]

Set it in the water for a few hours and then just wipe off most of it.

 

[Woodonglass]

This...http://www.iboats.com/Toon-Brite-Po...44457788--session_id.012550934--view_id.39171

 

[wahlejim]

I am a professional cleaner by trade. My family has been in the cleaning and pressure washing business for 45 years and we have seen everything. All of these hull/aluminum/metal cleaners have one thing in common... an acid base to the chemical. IMHO, you are paying more for a label than anything else. You can find cheap acid based detergents for other household uses that will work fine on an aluminum hull. A couple that come to mind are vinegar, toilet bowl cleaner (the strongest and cheapest that I have found is "The Works" at about $1.50 per quart). Always test the cleaner first to make sure it is not too strong as it will etch the aluminum. You should be able to get the hull looking brand new with the right chemical and elbow grease for less than $5. A couple of things to keep in mind:

Cleanliness and results depends on 3 things: Strength of chemical, dwell time, and elbow grease. All surfaces are a little different so it may take some time to figure out what combination of the 3 work best for you. As soon as you do, write it down and you will be set for the life of your boat.

Always rinse very thoroughly when working with an acid based detergent. When you think it is rinsed good enough, rinse one more time. If acid gets caught in a seem, rivet, rub rail, etc. it will continue to corrode, even when dry. Always rinse thouroughly. A neutralizing agent will help with minimizing acid corrosion. The cheapest is about a tablespoon of baking soda into a gallon of water.

If you have any other questions about cleaning aluminum, don't be afraid to ask.

 

[JimS123]

Aluminum jelly and a scotch brite sponge pad made my abused 22 year old tinny look like a brand new boat. Took off the original decals (underneath was "new" metal) and after cleaning you couldn't even tell where they were.

 

[skyking897]

All good ideas. A little leery of using an acid on aluminium but that seems the way to go. Will have a look at some of the wife's cleaning supplies and try a spot to see what happens.

 

[wahlejim]

A lot of people are afraid of the word "acid" when it comes to aluminum, but they have no problem using a cleaner made to brighten aluminum which are essentially the same thing in a consumer friendly package. For basic household cleaning supplies, start with vinegar and move up to toilet bowl cleaner or some sort of lime remover. play around with different dilution ratios and neutralize with the baking soda mix I mentioned before. If you do it right, you can have a like new hull for under $5.