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Acetone, gasoline, or bleach works well.
Just kidding about the harsh chemicals. I soak mine in our pool overnight to them get saturated and wet. I use an Oxyclean type product and lay the sails out on the lawn. Try not to wash them when it is too sunny or the soap will dry out. You can scrub with a soft brush and then rinse both sides with lots of fresh water. Air dry completely. Thats it...
Just kidding about the harsh chemicals. I soak mine in our pool overnight to them get saturated and wet. I use an Oxyclean type product and lay the sails out on the lawn. Try not to wash them when it is too sunny or the soap will dry out. You can scrub with a soft brush and then rinse both sides with lots of fresh water. Air dry completely. Thats it...
I made a shallow trough
Not having a pool or a hot tub, I built a trough out of 2x4's and laid a plastic tarp in it. Filled with water and a bit of dishwashing soap and scrubbed with a soft long-handled brush on both sides. Rinsed completely (both sides) with water and let dry on the lawn. It was a 4-5 hour job for my two sails on my h40.5, but the results were very good. Even my sailmaker thought the sails were clean.
Not having a pool or a hot tub, I built a trough out of 2x4's and laid a plastic tarp in it. Filled with water and a bit of dishwashing soap and scrubbed with a soft long-handled brush on both sides. Rinsed completely (both sides) with water and let dry on the lawn. It was a 4-5 hour job for my two sails on my h40.5, but the results were very good. Even my sailmaker thought the sails were clean.
Clean them ON the boat .......
For woven white DACRON sailcloth ONLY: On a cloudy windless day using spray bottles of a sodium silicate detergent and a garden type water hose, slowly raise the sail a few feet at a time as you spray on the sodium silicate applying until the sail is fully raised. Use a long handled soft scrub brush to help spread the detergent. Drop the sail and cover with a plastic tarp to prevent the detergent from drying (mist with water if necessary). After about 20 minutes to allow the detergent to 'work', slowly raise and scrub and mist the sail then drop to the deck and recover/soak. Raise, etc. again then *thoroughly rinse* several times until ALL the detergent is removed. This should remove most of the "black crap": artillery fungus, air pollution specks, etc. The sodium silicate will dissolve most of such 'dirt'. You can get strong sodium silicates at a janatorial supply. Wear goggles, etc. when using. For tannin and rust stains, mix up a solution of oxalic acid (hardware/paint store stuff) and spread over the areas to get rid of the 'brown'. Rinse thoroughly. Caution: Oxalic will rapidly cross your skin and accumulate in your kidneys doing great potential harm .... wear gloves, goggles, etc. DO NOT mix sodium silicate and oxalic. Then *thoroughly* rinse the sail. Let the sail thoroughly dry (go sailing). The sodium silicate will strip all the old dead wax in the gelcoat where it splashes down from the sail, so you'll need to rewax the boat. The old dead wax accelerates gelcoat oxidation so it should be stripped every 2-3 years anyway. Use the oxalic on the gelcoat to remove tannin and rust stains ("moustache", etc. at the waterline, etc.) Dont use this method on laminated or colored sails. Hope this helps.
For woven white DACRON sailcloth ONLY: On a cloudy windless day using spray bottles of a sodium silicate detergent and a garden type water hose, slowly raise the sail a few feet at a time as you spray on the sodium silicate applying until the sail is fully raised. Use a long handled soft scrub brush to help spread the detergent. Drop the sail and cover with a plastic tarp to prevent the detergent from drying (mist with water if necessary). After about 20 minutes to allow the detergent to 'work', slowly raise and scrub and mist the sail then drop to the deck and recover/soak. Raise, etc. again then *thoroughly rinse* several times until ALL the detergent is removed. This should remove most of the "black crap": artillery fungus, air pollution specks, etc. The sodium silicate will dissolve most of such 'dirt'. You can get strong sodium silicates at a janatorial supply. Wear goggles, etc. when using. For tannin and rust stains, mix up a solution of oxalic acid (hardware/paint store stuff) and spread over the areas to get rid of the 'brown'. Rinse thoroughly. Caution: Oxalic will rapidly cross your skin and accumulate in your kidneys doing great potential harm .... wear gloves, goggles, etc. DO NOT mix sodium silicate and oxalic. Then *thoroughly* rinse the sail. Let the sail thoroughly dry (go sailing). The sodium silicate will strip all the old dead wax in the gelcoat where it splashes down from the sail, so you'll need to rewax the boat. The old dead wax accelerates gelcoat oxidation so it should be stripped every 2-3 years anyway. Use the oxalic on the gelcoat to remove tannin and rust stains ("moustache", etc. at the waterline, etc.) Dont use this method on laminated or colored sails. Hope this helps.
"ouch" say the fish
Maybe I care too much about them sea critters, but it seems that Rich's idea of cleaning sails on the boat might be a tad detrimental to sea life, what with all them chemicals and wax and such going directly into the water.
Maybe I care too much about them sea critters, but it seems that Rich's idea of cleaning sails on the boat might be a tad detrimental to sea life, what with all them chemicals and wax and such going directly into the water.
No doubt about it .......
Phosphates are one of the chief pollutants in coastal seawater. So is caffeine, the chemicals that make up 'scotchguard', teflon, etc. Or, you can do it at home, let the water go down the sewer and have the municipal sewer plant direct discharge it into the water for you or just let it sink into the local water table - no difference. Just be judicious in the amount of detergents (and other chemicals) you use .... just use 'enough' to do the job, soak time is important. My gosh 'dear old sailor', do you realize how much unpolymerized free styrene is leaching from your fiberglass boat directly into the water. Wow, what happens to all that toxic bottom paint you're putting on. Got an engine in that boat? Maybe you always buy new clothes instead of washing: or, maybe just never change them. <g> Better burn your boat to help save the environment, eh? <g>.
Phosphates are one of the chief pollutants in coastal seawater. So is caffeine, the chemicals that make up 'scotchguard', teflon, etc. Or, you can do it at home, let the water go down the sewer and have the municipal sewer plant direct discharge it into the water for you or just let it sink into the local water table - no difference. Just be judicious in the amount of detergents (and other chemicals) you use .... just use 'enough' to do the job, soak time is important. My gosh 'dear old sailor', do you realize how much unpolymerized free styrene is leaching from your fiberglass boat directly into the water. Wow, what happens to all that toxic bottom paint you're putting on. Got an engine in that boat? Maybe you always buy new clothes instead of washing: or, maybe just never change them. <g> Better burn your boat to help save the environment, eh? <g>.
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