Cheap Hull Cleaner

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Bob Rutland

Most hull cleaner's main ingredent is Oxalic Acid and sell for about $28 per gal. I found a product at Home Depot called Rustaid(used to remove rust stains from houses) that also contains Oxalic Acid for about $8 per gal. It works very well on those ugly rust stains your boat gets at the waterline. Be careful not to get it on Aluminum or painted surfaces. It will also streak bottom paint (just like most hull cleaners).
 
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Rick Webb

Even Cheaper

If I remember right. Ace Hardware (the one in Valparaiso anyway) has some stuff called Aluminim Brightner and Fiberglass Cleaner sounds to be similar stuff. I think it is like $17 a gallon. I'll check it out next time I'm out that way.
 
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Alan

Hopfully..

..you're not doing this in the water. Leave these kinds of jobs for landbased work where you can contain the waste material after the job is done not just dumping this "cleaner" into the water.
 
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Terry Cooney

Oxalic acis

Oxalic acids claim to fame is bleaching wood. West Marine sells it in a powder form. Have some in the garage, don't remember the cost but I'll guess around $8.00. Makes 3-4 gals.
 
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John

Great all around cleaner for the boat!

If you like the oxalic acid based cleaners, try a can of Barkeepers Friend. Is is made to clean stainless, but is the #one all around cleaner on my boat. It comes in a can like scouring powder and can be found in almost all grocery stores, usually under two bucks a can.
 
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cole

Sno bowl

I watched some guy on a Morgan 41 use a toilet bowl cleaner on his hull after motoring up the ICW and the beard came right off. So, I used it on my boat and the stuff works great. Dont let it stay on long and i think its only $2 per bottle.
 
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Rick Webb

Bob, I was Twice Wrong

It is the Ace in Niceville right next to Doris's, I did not think it was that far down. They get $10.99 for the stuff. Seems to be the same stuff as the On-Off stuff at West Marineonly way cheaper.
 
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Joe

RE: Sno-bowl.

... I used generic toilet bowl cleaner from Smart & Final on my Nacra (beach cat) to clean off biological stains such as algae. It is acid based. VERY effective! VERY caustic. This boat was on a trailer, no bottom paint, easy to rinse off with fresh water in a non-sensitive location. IMPORTANT: this type of cleaner will not remove petroleum based stains. For scum and algae it's great, for scuff marks, dock skids, etc. Forget it.
 
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Bob Rutland

Thanks Rick

I'll have to check out Ace. I live in Bluewater, but my boat is docked @ Giuseppi's. I'll check both the Ace locations. Now if I can just brave the Boggy Bayou aligator, I,m going to scrub the bottom.
 
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Rick Webb

Gator Would be the Least of My Worries

That necrotizing fasciitis bacteria is way more scary than any critters in there. When I use it on my boat I use a cheap bathroom scrub brush the kind with like an 18” handle and good rubber gloves, don’t forget eye protection as well.
 
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