Anyone have experience cleaning sails with oxyclean? I've heard it works great on halyards and I'm considering trying it on my sails this weekend.
cleaning sails
- Thread starter mulligan
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On white dacron ......
I use a sodium silicate based detergent. This will dissolve/remove all the teeny black spots (actually a fungus) and release most of the air pollution soil, then rinse, rinse, rinse, then apply a solution of oxalic acid to bleach out all the tannin and iron staining, then rinse & rinse again. You dont want any of these strong cleaning agents left on the sail fabric. I do this ON the boat with a spray bottle, a long handled soft brush and a water hose. Do it on a windless, humid, cloudy day. Just dont let the sails dry out, cover the sail/detergent with a plastic tarp to 'soak', let the detergent have enough time to soak, rinse rinse rinse, dont mix the detergent and acid and thoroughly RINSE the sail between the two. Wear goggles, rubber gloves when using strong detergents and oxalic. Oxalic will rapidly adsorb through your skin and can do great harm to your kidneys. Dont use this method on laminated or colored sails, nor do this if you have a teak deck. hope this helps.
I use a sodium silicate based detergent. This will dissolve/remove all the teeny black spots (actually a fungus) and release most of the air pollution soil, then rinse, rinse, rinse, then apply a solution of oxalic acid to bleach out all the tannin and iron staining, then rinse & rinse again. You dont want any of these strong cleaning agents left on the sail fabric. I do this ON the boat with a spray bottle, a long handled soft brush and a water hose. Do it on a windless, humid, cloudy day. Just dont let the sails dry out, cover the sail/detergent with a plastic tarp to 'soak', let the detergent have enough time to soak, rinse rinse rinse, dont mix the detergent and acid and thoroughly RINSE the sail between the two. Wear goggles, rubber gloves when using strong detergents and oxalic. Oxalic will rapidly adsorb through your skin and can do great harm to your kidneys. Dont use this method on laminated or colored sails, nor do this if you have a teak deck. hope this helps.
LOL
LOL after watching those oxyclean commericals, it makes you feel like you can clean anything huh? I bought some of that and used it around the house, wasnt as good as i expected but i would find it hard to believe it could actually hurt your sails, try a test section or offer to clean your neighbors old boat sails for free! and see what happens
LOL after watching those oxyclean commericals, it makes you feel like you can clean anything huh? I bought some of that and used it around the house, wasnt as good as i expected but i would find it hard to believe it could actually hurt your sails, try a test section or offer to clean your neighbors old boat sails for free! and see what happens
I use my driveway.
First I pressure wash it to get rid of dirt. I tried the lawn many years ago but didn't like the green color imparted to Dacron. Anyway, then I spread out the sail on the pavement, hose it down, dump Costco dish washing powder all over the sail and scrub. For left over rust, I pour pure muriatic acid directly onto the stains, stand back and let the smoke clear, (and the smell too) and scrub a little. Then rinse. Works great. Then turn the sail and do the other side.
First I pressure wash it to get rid of dirt. I tried the lawn many years ago but didn't like the green color imparted to Dacron.
Anyway, then I spread out the sail on the pavement, hose it down, dump Costco dish washing powder all over the sail and scrub. For left over rust, I pour pure muriatic acid directly onto the stains, stand back and let the smoke clear, (and the smell too) and scrub a little. Then rinse. Works great. Then turn the sail and do the other side.A Distinction
I believe the active ingredient in Oxy-Clean is (hydrogen) peroxide, which is a rather mild, safe-around-the-house cleaner/non-chlorine bleacher. Oxalic acid is a strong caustic agent, and something altogether different. Straight muratic (swimming pool) acid on sailcloth? No damage to the sail? I never would have trusted it.
I believe the active ingredient in Oxy-Clean is (hydrogen) peroxide, which is a rather mild, safe-around-the-house cleaner/non-chlorine bleacher. Oxalic acid is a strong caustic agent, and something altogether different. Straight muratic (swimming pool) acid on sailcloth? No damage to the sail? I never would have trusted it.
RichH, can you give us...
...an example of a sodium silicate detergent? I'd like to try it on those same black spots left over on our teak from wintering in London. I'm really amazed that you would use oxalic acid on dacron; you must dilute it heavily and, as you say, rinse the dickens out of that sail. Jack
...an example of a sodium silicate detergent? I'd like to try it on those same black spots left over on our teak from wintering in London. I'm really amazed that you would use oxalic acid on dacron; you must dilute it heavily and, as you say, rinse the dickens out of that sail. Jack
Oxiclean and Sodium Silicate
Oxiclean doesnt contain Oxalic acid but does contain sodium carbonate and perhaps sodium percarbonate. Jack - When I can't get the janatorial stuff, the product that I use is called 'Tuff-eNuff' made by Wallace & Sons in Florida for the marine market. Its usually available in most chandleries and is available from West Marine --- Product 329245 - very expensive. I WOULD NOT use sodium silicate on teak as it will pull the tannins out because of the high caustic nature ... the surface color of the teak will change to a dark brown similar to the actions of a TSP triSodiumPhosphate strip. I do use it for teak stripping when I dont have any TSP handy. I would imagine that Sodium Silicate is included in some of the commercial teak stripper/cleaners. Once teak becomes colonized with 'those damn mold spots' it usually means that the mold is growing into and feeding on the teak cells. For dirty sails the 'usual' debris (those multitudinous teeny black spots) are usually a form of 'artillery fungus' a fungus that is common worldwide on trees, etc. After a long period of rain or humid weather, one will often see the artillery fungus growing on gelcoat as colonies - little black spots. The sodium silicate detergents will totaly dissolve these fungal cells. On gelcoat, sodium silicate will turn it temporarily 'yellow' but will quickly fade back to the base color .... after it dissolves all the old dead wax inside the pores of the gel - also use it as a wax stripper. For inside the boat cleaning, the same will apply to the various fungal forms (some extremely toxic) that thrive in the dark moist 'under-surfaces' in boats, inside water tankage and their atmospheric vents. The Sodiuim silicate not only destroys such cells but leaves a high pH surface which will retard re-colonization.
Oxiclean doesnt contain Oxalic acid but does contain sodium carbonate and perhaps sodium percarbonate. Jack - When I can't get the janatorial stuff, the product that I use is called 'Tuff-eNuff' made by Wallace & Sons in Florida for the marine market. Its usually available in most chandleries and is available from West Marine --- Product 329245 - very expensive. I WOULD NOT use sodium silicate on teak as it will pull the tannins out because of the high caustic nature ... the surface color of the teak will change to a dark brown similar to the actions of a TSP triSodiumPhosphate strip. I do use it for teak stripping when I dont have any TSP handy. I would imagine that Sodium Silicate is included in some of the commercial teak stripper/cleaners. Once teak becomes colonized with 'those damn mold spots' it usually means that the mold is growing into and feeding on the teak cells. For dirty sails the 'usual' debris (those multitudinous teeny black spots) are usually a form of 'artillery fungus' a fungus that is common worldwide on trees, etc. After a long period of rain or humid weather, one will often see the artillery fungus growing on gelcoat as colonies - little black spots. The sodium silicate detergents will totaly dissolve these fungal cells. On gelcoat, sodium silicate will turn it temporarily 'yellow' but will quickly fade back to the base color .... after it dissolves all the old dead wax inside the pores of the gel - also use it as a wax stripper. For inside the boat cleaning, the same will apply to the various fungal forms (some extremely toxic) that thrive in the dark moist 'under-surfaces' in boats, inside water tankage and their atmospheric vents. The Sodiuim silicate not only destroys such cells but leaves a high pH surface which will retard re-colonization.
Easy and it work
Here is a simple and effective way to clean sail. Plug the scuppers in the cockpit by stuffing in a few paper towels. Fill cockpit with water, about a cup of liquid detergent and one half cup of Chlorox. (This brand seems to work better than others) Drop in the sail, let it soak a few minutes, walk around on to agitate and then hoist it. Rinse well with hose as you hoist, then let it dry. While you are rinsing, add another sail to the "tub" and let it soak while you rinse the first one etc. Bag them when dry. You will amazed at the result. I do this once a year and the sails look like new. Just make sure you do not add too much bleach because it will weaken the stitching. This system works well on Dacron Sails. No Idea how it would work on other types. An added bonus is the process will clean the cockpit and cure any foot fungus.
Here is a simple and effective way to clean sail. Plug the scuppers in the cockpit by stuffing in a few paper towels. Fill cockpit with water, about a cup of liquid detergent and one half cup of Chlorox. (This brand seems to work better than others) Drop in the sail, let it soak a few minutes, walk around on to agitate and then hoist it. Rinse well with hose as you hoist, then let it dry. While you are rinsing, add another sail to the "tub" and let it soak while you rinse the first one etc. Bag them when dry. You will amazed at the result. I do this once a year and the sails look like new. Just make sure you do not add too much bleach because it will weaken the stitching. This system works well on Dacron Sails. No Idea how it would work on other types. An added bonus is the process will clean the cockpit and cure any foot fungus.
Rich...
Rich, thanks for the add'l info. There's a commercial cleaning supply house I use on occasion; I'll see what I can turn up. When you said "...then apply a solution of oxalic acid to bleach out all the tannin and iron staining", that's what caused my surprise and led to my comment. Jack
Rich, thanks for the add'l info. There's a commercial cleaning supply house I use on occasion; I'll see what I can turn up. When you said "...then apply a solution of oxalic acid to bleach out all the tannin and iron staining", that's what caused my surprise and led to my comment. Jack
John ---
I simply do it on the boom and on the deck. This cleans the sail, strips the wax out of the gelcoat - two jobs for the price of one. Dont do this method if you have teak deck!!!!! ... unless you want to chemically 'etch' the teak.
I simply do it on the boom and on the deck. This cleans the sail, strips the wax out of the gelcoat - two jobs for the price of one. Dont do this method if you have teak deck!!!!! ... unless you want to chemically 'etch' the teak.
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