Cleaning products which one?

maxturbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Oct 31, 2007
Messages
174
I drove my boat home so I could winterize it. its a 21ft CC. All went well only thing is that i noticed that the boat was filled with leaves and the helicopter things from the trees. problem after cleaning her up I noticed a brown stain from those dam leaves n such. I'v tried bleach, hull on/ off solution from west marine, simple green and it doesnt remove stain. The bleach only made it lighter but didnt remove it. Is there anything that can remove these dam stains? Thank you
 

reelfishin

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
3,043
Re: Cleaning products which one?

I've had luck with few common cleaners, it depends on how bad or the type of stain.
A guy that I bought a boat from turned me on to one product that does real good on fiberglass floors and for cedar water stains, Soft Scrub bathroom cleaner.

For rust stains, wire hubcap cleaner but use it sparingly and don't let it sit. Dilute it a bit and use a scrub brush. Keep it away from aluminum surfaces.

For white fiberglass floors and white plastic, Wesley's Bleach White tire cleaner will work in some cases. Keep it off of paint or upholstery.

Dish detergent, mainly plain Dawn dish liquid also make a good cleaner.
All of these are meant for use out of the water, you probably wouldn't want any of these running into the water for EPA reasons.

If Dawn dish detergent or Soft Scrub won't touch the leaf stains, then I'd try painted wheel cleaner, it's a rather harsh cleaner that works well without doing any serious damage.

Soft Scrub was the one that really surprised me, I had found a bottle in a boat I was picking up and the owner said it was all he ever used to clean the deck. To my surprise, it works great. I guess partly since its meant to clean things like fiberglass shower enclosures and the like, which are very similar to a boat's floor. Until then, I don't think I'd have ever had considered trying it.
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Re: Cleaning products which one?

Mary-Kate brand boat cleaners are good.
 

TilliamWe

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Dec 21, 2004
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Re: Cleaning products which one?

If the stains are on the fiberglass floor, a Magic Eraser would remove them as well. It's abrasive, just like Soft Scrub, so be careful and be prepared to repolish the surfaces you use it on.
If the stains are on your vinyl seats, don't use an abrasive like that. I use a product from WalMart called "Tough Stuff". It's in a yellow can, in the automotive cleaners section. It does a good job for me.
Since you have already tried acid, maybe a "cleaner" type wax would be the next best idea? 3M calls theirs "Cleaner/Wax". Mild abrasive but still a wax.
 

maxturbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
174
Re: Cleaning products which one?

Thanks guys for the replies.
The stains are only on the fiberglass floors. I was surprised that the bleach using a scrub brush didnt even clean it. It did make it lighter in color but still stayed. The stain didnt get on the seating, thank god I removed them all.
I will try soft scrub and the magic eraser as well. Hope this will work. Thanks again and I'll keep u posted to what actually worked.
 

ziggy

Admiral
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
7,473
Re: Cleaning products which one?

try everything above before ya try this....
i had bad stains on my 1st boat. on the outside. a muriatic acid solution and a shade of scrubbing will get the stains off. i used about 25% acid, the rest water. in a mist bottle (have a couple of mist bottle pumps onhand, the acid will eat the pump rubber up before your done applying it). this acid is dangerous. use rubber gloves, use some sort of breathing protection and don't even think of sniffing the stuff. safety glasses. have plenty of water onhand to wash anything ya don't want acid on off immediately...

only thing i don't know is, how'd ya'd use it inside a boat. better have a plan, this solution will eat anything. i've only used it on the outside. but if nothing else works? it might be an option... i hope something else works.... this stuff is real caustic... a absolute last resort type of thing i'd think.....

food for thought. my boat resides under a tree too... :(. last thing off prior to a outing is the full cover. first thing done to the boat when i get home is the put the cover on. prior to unhitching even.... trees are a drag and can cause ya much grief to be sure....
 

marine4003

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,119
Re: Cleaning products which one?

try everything above before ya try this....
i had bad stains on my 1st boat. on the outside. a muriatic acid solution and a shade of scrubbing will get the stains off. i used about 25% acid, the rest water. in a mist bottle (have a couple of mist bottle pumps onhand, the acid will eat the pump rubber up before your done applying it). this acid is dangerous. use rubber gloves, use some sort of breathing protection and don't even think of sniffing the stuff. safety glasses. have plenty of water onhand to wash anything ya don't want acid on off immediately...

only thing i don't know is, how'd ya'd use it inside a boat. better have a plan, this solution will eat anything. i've only used it on the outside. but if nothing else works? it might be an option... i hope something else works.... this stuff is real caustic... a absolute last resort type of thing i'd think.....

food for thought. my boat resides under a tree too... :(. last thing off prior to a outing is the full cover. first thing done to the boat when i get home is the put the cover on. prior to unhitching even.... trees are a drag and can cause ya much grief to be sure....

Dam Ziggy , thats going for it....saw in the paper yesterday where you were cited for Duck hunting.....seems you were set up next to the corn field with a Howitzer...:D:D:D
 

fishmen111

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
637
Re: Cleaning products which one?

Well....since Ziggy jumped to muriatic, Easy Off oven cleaner with XXXX steel wool (super fine), also works. A little less caustic than the muriatic, but works pretty good.
 

gcboat

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
1,822
Re: Cleaning products which one?

Well....since Ziggy jumped to muriatic, Easy Off oven cleaner with XXXX steel wool (super fine), also works. A little less caustic than the muriatic, but works pretty good.

Excellent suggestion, however I'd be tempted to use bronze wool instead of the steel.
 

crazy charlie

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May 22, 2003
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5,403
Re: Cleaning products which one?

Forget about the steel wool!!!! It will make much worse of a mess.If bleach did not work then you did something wrong.DONT use cheap bleach.Full strength,quality bleach for at least 3 minutes in the sun.It has to work.I do it all the time.the older the stains,the longer you leave on the bleach.Make sure to rinse it when you are done.Charlie
 

maxturbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Oct 31, 2007
Messages
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Re: Cleaning products which one?

Forget about the steel wool!!!! It will make much worse of a mess.If bleach did not work then you did something wrong.DONT use cheap bleach.Full strength,quality bleach for at least 3 minutes in the sun.It has to work.I do it all the time.the older the stains,the longer you leave on the bleach.Make sure to rinse it when you are done.Charlie

I didnt use the cheap stuff it was Clorox bleach. And I let it sit on the stain for about a min. The stain did get lighter but didnt come off. Im looking for something that I can spray on and wipe it right out. Theres to many stains for me to let the bleach sit. I dont have all day and its winter here in NJ. Dam stains :mad:

has anyone tried a brillo pad? I just saw my wife doing dishes and she was using one.
 

Polar_Bus

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
131
Re: Cleaning products which one?

I drove my boat home so I could winterize it. its a 21ft CC. All went well only thing is that i noticed that the boat was filled with leaves and the helicopter things from the trees. problem after cleaning her up I noticed a brown stain from those dam leaves n such. I'v tried bleach, hull on/ off solution from west marine, simple green and it doesnt remove stain. The bleach only made it lighter but didnt remove it. Is there anything that can remove these dam stains? Thank you

I just bought a '98 Stingray with a 5.7 I/O, and the power trim pump bracket that's screwed to the deck was completely rotted, and badly rust stained the fiberglass deck. I tried every chemical in my arseonal with only limited results, and a boat buddy advised me on a chemical called "Purple Power" concentrate. The stuff is available at auto supply retailers such as Autozone and Pep Boys. Long story short, I was able to remove 95% of the disgusting brown stain around where the bracket rotted. Purple Power is a bit pricey, but it works fantastic IMO..
 

crazy charlie

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Joined
May 22, 2003
Messages
5,403
Re: Cleaning products which one?

Im looking for something that I can spray on and wipe it right out..

If thats what you are looking for then dont bother looking any further.It does not exist!!Your. stains are not on the surface.they are IN the fiberglass.If 1 minute is all the time you can spare waiting for the bleach to work,then dont even bother.
However if you think you can find the time to let chlorox sit on the stain until it works.Which might be 1 more minute ,maybe 2,then go finish the job and rinse and wax it when done.If you had waxed the boat during the season,the stains would not have set in so deep.
 

Bamboo

Seaman
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
59
Re: Cleaning products which one?

I'd try Bartender's Friend (available at wally world, or your local supermarket next to the comet and ajax cleansers). Works great on fiberglass for things like rust stains and blood, and isn't harsh. I'll also second soft scrub, but since you have already tried that it's a moot point.

After you get the stains out might want to keep a coat of nonskid wax on the floor. Woody's works ok, and I like the cheap starbrite with PTFE, too. BTW - I like woodys for the aluminum and stainless work better than anything else I have tried.
 

bpmcl00

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
271
Re: Cleaning products which one?

not trying to hijack the thread but while were on the topic of cleaners, what is a good cleaner for old mildew stains, on vinyl seats
 

maxturbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
174
Re: Cleaning products which one?

I just bought a '98 Stingray with a 5.7 I/O, and the power trim pump bracket that's screwed to the deck was completely rotted, and badly rust stained the fiberglass deck. I tried every chemical in my arseonal with only limited results, and a boat buddy advised me on a chemical called "Purple Power" concentrate. The stuff is available at auto supply retailers such as Autozone and Pep Boys. Long story short, I was able to remove 95% of the disgusting brown stain around where the bracket rotted. Purple Power is a bit pricey, but it works fantastic IMO..

I know Purple Power is a bit pricey but if the soft scrub and the eraser doesnt work I will try that. I heard good thing about there stuff.
 

maxturbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
174
Re: Cleaning products which one?

If thats what you are looking for then dont bother looking any further.It does not exist!!Your. stains are not on the surface.they are IN the fiberglass.If 1 minute is all the time you can spare waiting for the bleach to work,then dont even bother.
However if you think you can find the time to let chlorox sit on the stain until it works.Which might be 1 more minute ,maybe 2,then go finish the job and rinse and wax it when done.If you had waxed the boat during the season,the stains would not have set in so deep.

I do have the time. Its just so much that stained the fiberglass. The leaves must of been laying in the boat for at least a week before I removed them. I think I might of waxed the boat about every other month. I was always on top when it came to cleaning. The boat is 7 years old but you could never tell. Looks brand new. Well it did until those dam leaves decided to stain it. I will defenitely know better next year. As soon as I bring her home Im throwing the cover on.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
 

pvmtsux

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
90
Re: Cleaning products which one?

not trying to hijack the thread but while were on the topic of cleaners, what is a good cleaner for old mildew stains, on vinyl seats

I had some mildew stains on my last boat and a 50/50 mix of bleach and simple green is the secret formula. It works like a charm!
 

scipper77

Commander
Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Messages
2,106
Re: Cleaning products which one?

What leaches out of wet leaves is very acidic. You may be dealing with a bit of a chemical reaction here, not just a stain.

As I am very conservative I would stay away from abrasives and thoroughly test harsh chemicals in a hidden area. You wouldn't want yellow fiberglass with brown stains.

Just my humble opinion.
Could the stain be in the wax you say you use and not the fiberglass? Those man made synthetic super waxes are very resilient. great until one day for some reason you want to strip the wax off the surface like to paint.:cool:
 

bpmcl00

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
271
Re: Cleaning products which one?

I had some mildew stains on my last boat and a 50/50 mix of bleach and simple green is the secret formula. It works like a charm!

thanks bud. will the bleach hurt the color in the seats?
 
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