Cleaning my sails

[Ctskip]

I'm going to put my sails in the bathtub with some Biz and Tide for clothes, some warm water and slight agitation and let soak for one hour, then drain and take outside to the grass(driveway is to coarse on the bottom side) and hose off any residue left on the sails. Allow them to dry and reinstall. Any comments or other options that I have overlooked? Any better ways to clean the sails? I can't think of a better way. Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[Ross]

When you carry those dripping sails

through the house you will find that for the next week you will sleep in the garage and eat out of a hub cap.

 

[Bob7291]

Mild soap

You want to use the mildest possible soap that will do the job - something like Dreft, which is ph neutral, is good to try first. The problem is that milder soaps are weaker and often don't do much to get the sail looking good. The stronger the soap, the better it cleans and the harder it is on the sail. Guys like SailCare essentially dry clean the sail and along with dirt take out the resin that is built into the sail too - that is why the sail feels so good when you get it back: they re-resin it as the last step in the process.

 

[Windwalker]

Plastic garbage cans

I used mild soap and soaked in a 35 Gallon plastic garbage can I got at Wally-World for $5. Very light agitation with a final step of 1 cup of bleach in 30 gallons of water (fill the can w/o the sail, add the bleach and mix, then the sail). Soak for 30 minutes. I hung them on the porch and rinsed with the hose.

 

[Ross]

If they are large sails use the dink

as the wash tub, it better hold water, it is outside, paid for, and probably needs to be cleaned anyway.

 

[Ranger Paul]

Where is SailCare

I have sent two quote requests to SailCare over the last 6 weeks and gotten no response. Any idea what is going on?

 

[r.w.landau]

Sail Care is in Ford City just north east of

Pittsburgh.Four boats in our sailing club (L.A.S.C.: Lake Aurthur Sailing Club)are hosting an outing for their employees this week end.Call them, nice people, and a good place to do business.r.w.landau

 

[Ctskip]

Thanks for all who answered

I will be using the dingy for sure. Thanks for that answer to my question, as to where to do this. I can clean the dingy at the same time. What could be better? thank all! Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[MerSea]

Ctskip,one more thing

Use a soft brush,if necessary to loosen dirt.When you've finished cleaning ,always rinse the sail liberally with fresh water and if you hang your sail to dry ,do so at a time when it's not windy.(wind alone can inflict damage on wet sails fibers).Phil

 

[filthy liberal scum]

ct; a word of caution!

don't use a chlorine bleach. it will degrade dacron sail material. s/v Que Pasa?

 

[Ctskip]

I found the dingy and the tide and biz

Now I'm waiting for my daughter and her husband who are coming for a week visit with the grandchildren. While the daughter sits at the beach with the babies, I'll have her husband help. I'm a pretty fart smeller don't you think? I have Tide and Biz and hopefully that'll do the trick. Cold water, not too, too much agitation, rinse thoroughly on the grass with hose,hang off mast to dry while sailing.I couldn't think of a better initiation to my vessel than that! Who else wants to go sailing? Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[Ross]

The grandkids can play in the dink with

the wet sail and be the agitation----- I mean agitator.. Then you can dump the wash water and rinse.