Best spray on / spray off deck cleaner for sailboats
- Thread starter heath18703
- Start date
In my other life I built street rods for 30 years or so. I found that many of the commercially available cleaners contained acids of one type or another, and/or chlorine bleach. these would all quickly corrode and/or dull aluminum parts in particular, and everything else in general. Then one day my wife brought home some LA Totally Awesome concentrated cleaner from the dollar store (yes it's only one dollar per 32 oz spray bottle) and I got hooked on it. No acids and I haven't found anything that it doesn't clean better than any cleaner out there, and more importantly, without damaging it.
I use the Awesome on my boat by spraying a small amount everywhere on the boat and then going over it with a wet car/rv wash "mit on a stick". then just rinse with water. it lifts muddy footprints and other grunge right out of the non-skid. also removes the algae, or whatever that brownish film is that covers the boat, at the water line, every time it comes out of the lake at the end of the day. nothing else I used has done all that.
Nope.. I don't get a kickback, but I do love the stuff
,
Russ
I use the Awesome on my boat by spraying a small amount everywhere on the boat and then going over it with a wet car/rv wash "mit on a stick". then just rinse with water. it lifts muddy footprints and other grunge right out of the non-skid. also removes the algae, or whatever that brownish film is that covers the boat, at the water line, every time it comes out of the lake at the end of the day. nothing else I used has done all that.
Nope.. I don't get a kickback, but I do love the stuff
,Russ
lizdom, I think your question deserves its own thread instead of being hidden away under a deck cleaning thread.
I cannot believe that no one has mentioned Amazing Roll Off.
It just flat out works. Cleans most anything. Dilute it 1:1 with water and spray on. Lightly brush to spread and work it in. Wait 5. Brush nasty areas. Rinse off. Shiny! Helps keep it clean. Check Amazon and read the reviews. It earns its 5/5 stars. Human safe and safe for the water to boot.
http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Chemical...P+WuC3L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_
It just flat out works. Cleans most anything. Dilute it 1:1 with water and spray on. Lightly brush to spread and work it in. Wait 5. Brush nasty areas. Rinse off. Shiny! Helps keep it clean. Check Amazon and read the reviews. It earns its 5/5 stars. Human safe and safe for the water to boot.
http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Chemical...P+WuC3L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_
Roll Off is a great product, but I have hesitated to use it on the nonskid because it does leave a little bit of a waxy residue. My thought was that it would make the nonskid somewhat slippery.
I would be curious to know if anybody has used it on the nonskid and is satisfied that they would not lose footing on a wet deck.
Doug,
we use it all the time on our raced boats, and can assure you that if it messed with the anti-skid in any way we would not use it. Bowman approved.
I ordered mine from Jackdaw's Amazon link. They charged quite a bit for shipping, but I guess it's not all that bad if you consider how heavy a gallon of liquid is. Based on his recommendation, I think it will be good to have on hand for the post haul out, pre-tarping wash down. And it sounds like it might do a good job cleaning the icky looking back door of the house
The link ships from Offshore Wake. total price with shipping is as good as anywhere that I saw, and it shipped VERY fast. I had it in a day or two.I ordered mine from Jackdaw's Amazon link. They charged quite a bit for shipping, but I guess it's not all that bad if you consider how heavy a gallon of liquid is. Based on his recommendation, I think it will be good to have on hand for the post haul out, pre-tarping wash down. And it sounds like it might do a good job cleaning the icky looking back door of the house
I had to try it just to see for myself, so I just washed the fore-deck, one half with the Roll Off and one half with LA Totally Awesome. I lightly sprayed the whole deck with the hose first, then sprayed (straight) Roll Off on one side and Awesome on the other. lightly spread each around with a brush, washing the brush between sides, and let it sit for a few minutes to work. rinsed with plenty of water, then dried with a towel.
Both products provide a slight foaming action when brushed. both products worked equally well. both products smell the same, feel the same, work the same...... only difference I could see was in the color and the price. [shrug] I don't mind being seen at the dollar store
Russ
interesting Observation Russ; any difference over time? Totally awesome seems pretty aggressive, I haven't tried Roll Off. This summer the local coal plant made a huge mess of boats in our marina. I found dishwasher soap to work very well on coal dust and noted any sap was also disintegrating.
Jackdaw, glad your bowman approves, but I hope he manages to find his shoes before he goes forward again.
Bare feet aren't the safest thing on a wet deck.
Totally agree that shoes are SAFER. Funny thing is that we're have two world-class bowman as part of Team Kestrel, and both adamantly say their bare feet have better grip then shoes. I kept waiting for one of them to either slip or stub their toe so I could tell them 'I told you so', but it never happened.
We do have a shoe rule for cockpit crew. Feet are always getting stepped on in maneuvers. But on the bow; personal pref. You can't tell a bowman anything anyway.
Russ, thanks for that information. Not sure if there is a Dollar Store around but I will look. Sounds like a bargain.
FWIW, with WM shipping free to the store for pickup, and I have a small WM close to the boat, it is much cheaper than having it shipped. WM wants about $24, and the cheapest I found on Amazon was about $18 plus $11 shipping.
FWIW, with WM shipping free to the store for pickup, and I have a small WM close to the boat, it is much cheaper than having it shipped. WM wants about $24, and the cheapest I found on Amazon was about $18 plus $11 shipping.