What is the best/strongest/paintsafe cleaner for the older painted nonskid surfaces?We changed slips a few months back and since then the decks have been getting progessively dingier,soot,oil,oak residue etc. what will foam and lift the filth and not the paint? Fair Winds clarke
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Wow
Sounds like you live in a dirty area down their in Melbourne Clarke. It may be a bit abrasive, but my neighbor uses Soft Scrub, purchased at the local grocery store. It seems to get all the air pollution and bird droppings cleaned up with doing minimul damage to the deck non-skid. It must take a little elbow-grease also. I'm not sure on the effects to the environment though. The deck on my 1981 H33 was beginning to look pretty sad, so I painted it two seasons ago. It went on easily, and looks darned good. Much praise from fellow boaters. Used the Interlux sinle-part Epoxy with their non-skid additive and gloss flattener. More details are available if you need them. Ken Palmer, S/V Liberty
Sounds like you live in a dirty area down their in Melbourne Clarke. It may be a bit abrasive, but my neighbor uses Soft Scrub, purchased at the local grocery store. It seems to get all the air pollution and bird droppings cleaned up with doing minimul damage to the deck non-skid. It must take a little elbow-grease also. I'm not sure on the effects to the environment though. The deck on my 1981 H33 was beginning to look pretty sad, so I painted it two seasons ago. It went on easily, and looks darned good. Much praise from fellow boaters. Used the Interlux sinle-part Epoxy with their non-skid additive and gloss flattener. More details are available if you need them. Ken Palmer, S/V Liberty
West Marine
Clark: West Marine's non-skid deck cleaner works very well. Just spash it on and scrub with a deck brush. Let is sit for 5-10 minutes and re-scrub and rinse. You will probably need to use multiple products on those stuborn parts.
Clark: West Marine's non-skid deck cleaner works very well. Just spash it on and scrub with a deck brush. Let is sit for 5-10 minutes and re-scrub and rinse. You will probably need to use multiple products on those stuborn parts.
Pressure Washer!!
The answer to all your cleaning of rough surfaces is the pressure washer. In the Northwest we get fungus and mold that grows deep down in the little depressions on nonskid decks but the pressure washer blows all this stuff out and the deck winds up looking nice and clean. Several years ago I bought a Karcher pressure washer (from Costco) rated at about 1250 psi and use it on the boat regularly. Lines that become grey get blasted and turn almost white. The joint between the aluminum toe rail and the gel coat allways collected filth and was hard to scrub clean - pressure wash and presto! Dock - collects grime which gets tracked onto the boat - blast away and it's clean for a while. No chemicals required, just water. Don't recommend using it early on Sunday mornings as they are a bit noisy and sound carries. Don't use it anywhere near decals or adhesive backed graphics - the pressure will probably lift them off. Don't use inside your anchor locker unless you're sure it is water tight to the inside of the boat - found out the hard way as the V-berth kept getting wet). Be considerate of overspray and trying not to get your neighbors power boat windows all misty and wet. The only thing we use the deck brush for now is the boat bottom.
The answer to all your cleaning of rough surfaces is the pressure washer. In the Northwest we get fungus and mold that grows deep down in the little depressions on nonskid decks but the pressure washer blows all this stuff out and the deck winds up looking nice and clean. Several years ago I bought a Karcher pressure washer (from Costco) rated at about 1250 psi and use it on the boat regularly. Lines that become grey get blasted and turn almost white. The joint between the aluminum toe rail and the gel coat allways collected filth and was hard to scrub clean - pressure wash and presto! Dock - collects grime which gets tracked onto the boat - blast away and it's clean for a while. No chemicals required, just water. Don't recommend using it early on Sunday mornings as they are a bit noisy and sound carries. Don't use it anywhere near decals or adhesive backed graphics - the pressure will probably lift them off. Don't use inside your anchor locker unless you're sure it is water tight to the inside of the boat - found out the hard way as the V-berth kept getting wet). Be considerate of overspray and trying not to get your neighbors power boat windows all misty and wet. The only thing we use the deck brush for now is the boat bottom.
Bon Ami
Bon Ami is the best; I like it better than Soft Scrub. West Marine sells it, but Wal Mart is cheaper. DON'T use most other powders; they're too abrasive.
Bon Ami is the best; I like it better than Soft Scrub. West Marine sells it, but Wal Mart is cheaper. DON'T use most other powders; they're too abrasive.
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