Best solution for mildew on lines

[Anonymous 121765]

Hey guys,

Having elder parents with medical issues, I've had to neglect my boat. I usually never neglect her but, the past five months demanded my time.

Only on the East side, my main & STBD headsail sheet that run along close to the deck have some green mildew.

I am asking for the quickest & best way to clean my lines. Any suggestions?

CR

 

[Benny17441]

I have found that easiest way, perhaps not the fastest, is to start using the boat and working the lines. With sun, wind and line stretch and compression the mildew will go away. Those ends that can be accessed at the deck can be soaked in a chlorine solution but I would not go dismantling the running rigging.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I have the same thing on our west side during the winters. I get a big bucket with a strong Simple Green solution and use the deck brush on them. I agree with Benny, if they're simply on the deck where they get dirty, then, ahem, I use the DECK brush. Can't go wrong with this for starters, and besides, it's the easiest first step, by far. I LIKE easy.

 

[tjar]

When I bought my boat, it hadn't been sailed in 5 years. Most of the running rigging was stiff with caked salt and green with mildew. I followed the advice of my broker and the surveyor by removing the lines, loosely coiling them, putting them into a large laundry bag, and throwing them into a commercial washing machine. Use a mild laundry soap and lots of fabric softener and they will come out soft and pliable. Do not use a pressure washer under any circumstances.
When removing the lines, I attached a thin line to the ends that followed the route through the sheaves. Reinstalling was a simple matter of reattaching and pulling the clean lines back into place.

 

[centerline]

yep, the green stuff will grow on the shady side of an unused boat... when planning to clean with a brush or hand washing in a bucket, plan to do in on a wet day after they have been "soaking" a few hours. they will come much cleaner, much quicker with less effort than doing it on a nice day... unless you have plenty of time to let the lines soak.

 

[Anonymous 121765]

BE,

I appreciate your post that by using the boat & cleaning therefore, mildew will not happen.
In my initial post, I spoke about my family issues that kept me from my boat chores for 5 months now.

At present, I am ONLY looking for a bucket solution that will kill the mildew without damaging my cordage.

I am only asking that responders be focused to what I am trying to achieve.

CR

 

[Mark Maulden]

Everyone has their way to clean lines...I went the way of prevention which helps alot. I have two halyards on the port side and a halyard, sheet, topping lift on the stbd side that are brought back to the cockpit on the cabin top which is nonskid. Mildew would accumulate on these, mainly, cuz they were laying on the deck or very close when tensioned. Once it starts, it accumulates fast. I strung a line across the boom under the sail foot and tied it to these lines on both sides lifting them off the deck and giving them more airspace and some slope to move water. Also keeps mildew off the deck. I also coil the headsail sheets at the furler and hang them on the pulpit so they're constantly moving water and draining. Also removes a trip hazard. I do this mainly in the winter as i dont use the boat as i do in the warmer weather. I also used to let my excess spring line length lie on the deck and now it is half hitched down the spring. In short, there's no horizontal length of line on the deck or close to it and it only takes another 10 minutes in the rigging process. I had a mold explosion in the nonskid last winter that i didnt catch until Spring. Lot of work to get it out. But we get a lot more rain than FL....

 

[FastOlson]

When I bought my boat, it hadn't been sailed in 5 years. Most of the running rigging was stiff with caked salt and green with mildew. I followed the advice of my broker and the surveyor by removing the lines, loosely coiling them, putting them into a large laundry bag, and throwing them into a commercial washing machine. Use a mild laundry soap and lots of fabric softener and they will come out soft and pliable. Do not use a pressure washer under any circumstances.
When removing the lines, I attached a thin line to the ends that followed the route through the sheaves. Reinstalling was a simple matter of reattaching and pulling the clean lines back into place.

Similar to what I did after the halyards accumulated dirt and mold for a decade. I used mild soap and cold water with no other chemicals. The lines were then air dried over saw horses.
We have a front loader washing machine so we used a short cycle with extra rinse.
While it did not bring them back to 'like new' it did take a of stiffness out and the color was a lot closer to new.
Loren

 

[centerline]

I am only asking that responders be focused to what I am trying to achieve.

CR

if only ALL replies to all posts would "focus" this way... but it could never happen that way and be beneficial to the site, as everyone has their story to tell, and they are going to tell whether you want to hear it or not... thats just how its going to work forever

 

[Davidasailor26]

CR, I just re-read Benny's post and I think he's trying to say that even now that the mildew has formed, it might go away on its own if you're able to start using the boat again. I know you're looking for a bucket solution, but that might not even be necessary if his method works and the problem fixes itself once you're able to get back at it.

 

[heritage]

I read an article in Practical Sailor about ways to clean dirty, moldy lines. Two conclusions of the testing that I remember were, never use bleach and that removing the lines and washing them in an old pillow case worked better than the bucket washing method.

 

[Ken13559]

every year or two I would remove all running lines for cleaning in washing machine. I haven't tried softener yet but will use it in next wash.

 

[centerline]

I just leave 'em green... they turn blackish in the summer and get quite a bit stiffer. but when they are wet, they become green again and are soft and supple... and if you use them while its raining, the algae wears right off...
just set back awhile, have a beer and relax... and wait til it rains so you can go sailing and wash the lines

 

[rgranger]

Bleach can damage your line. Soaking in a mild peroxide solution (like the stuff you get at walmart) helps and the peroxide eventually decomposes to oxygen and water so it leaves no residue in your line to stiffen it up or continue to do damage (like bleach will).

 

[shemandr]

Power wash with plain water? Sorry to hear of your family's health challenges. Been there.

 

[Mark Maulden]

I sent Samson and NewEngland emails asking what they recommend for mold/mildew. NE would not answer two emails. Samson stated their designs inhibited growth or something to that effect....

 

[agprice22]

I had several lines the way you describe, fouled with dirt, mildew, and algae. These lines had actually sat on the ground in a coil in the back of a shed! They were terrible looking, but looked new in places. I tied figure 8s in the ends just to secure them in case the whipping came off, put them in mesh bags, and washed them in the washer with regular detergent. They came out great! The whipping did come off one end, but the stopper knot kept the line from being ruined.

Rinse, lather, repeat!

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[Stu Jackson]

No bleach, no softener. Bad for the lines. Doesn't take a call to NER, this is basic stuff.

Just clean 'em as agrice says.

KISS.