Grundgy fenders problem

[Ivan]

I am sure that my boat is not alone in seeing the fenders that we always have over the side while in our slip get increasingly grundgy over the years until now they look like a black film has permanently covered their surface.

I really mean "permanently", as I have tried a number of cleaning solutions and solvents, and nothing seems to faze that coating. :cry: Could I please hear from others who hopefully have some wisdom to share on how to get rid of the film (without getting rid of the fenders), based on their success stories?

My boat and I will be forever thankful.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Having tried a number of things with limited results, I came across one product that works wonders:

fleece fender covers

 

[shemandr]

Fender covers.

 

[Steve Dion]

Ivan:

I would suggest that you try Totally Awesome from the Dollar Tree Store. I really cannot believe that this stuff can clean stuff as well as it does. It is great for the non-skid and many other cleaning jobs.

Anyone with teak should try it. Just wet the teak, spray on the Totally Awesome let it sit for a while and rinse it off. If the teak is unusually dirty it may take a soft brush to get some addition dirt out.

http://www.lastotallyawesome.com/html/Store_Locator.html

 

[Captain Gadget]

I use an item called "Bartenders Friend". You can purchase it at Walmart in the cleaning supplies area. It is cheap. You cannot buy it in Canada so I usually pick up several before heading back North. It works great on fiberglass so it is good on boats and RV's without damaging the surface. It is a white powder, comes in a shake can something like comet without the damaging abrasive.

 

[fordke]

Steve,

Good tip on the LA's Totally Awesome cleaner. We use this at work for cleaning painted surfaces, and buy many cases at a time. I'll have to try it for fenders.

For cleaning fenders I use inflatable boat cleaner. I have a white Achilles tender and have found that the cleaner for that works great on fenders.

Ken

 

[Steve Dion]

Another option is to use Zud or BarKeepers Friend on the fenders. Both of these products contain Oxalic acid.

You can also purchase Oxalic acid and keep it aboard for those tough deck stains and other cleaning chores.

 

[Rich Stidger]

According to the Taylor-Made people, they told me that the only solvent-based cleaner that they could recommend was paint thinner. Anything more aggressive (like acetone) would damage the surface of the fender.

 

[Steve Dion]

I would agree about acetone. A little may not hurt, but it causes the vinyl to become sticky and they eventurally are worse than the original dirt problem.

I am going to try some Totally Awesome on a couple of my fenders and see what happens.

I have also used the Island Girl products (Pink) and it works as long as the fender does not look like one of those floating refugees that we periodically find floating around. The good thing about the Island Girl Pink, it appears to recondition the vinyl too.

 

[Richard Bryer]

The best cleaner I have found for fenders is Collinite cleaner (not the combination cleaner/wax- just straight cleaner). Works well for hard to get off stains on the hull as well.

 

[Pat Hooyman]

Try Star Brite Power Cable Cleaner. It works great on power cables and the vinyl wind scoop dorade on Hunters so it should work on fenders.

 

[Ivan]

Thank you one and all

Thanks to all of you for the tips. Clearly there are a number of chemical cleaners that should help remove most, if not all, of the grundginess. (Is that a real word?)

 

[Paul4414]

I have had great luck with Wesley bleach white which is for white wall tires. You can get it at any auto parts store

 

[Ron McCoy]

If they're really bad off, use acetone. It's agressive, but evaporates quickly. Once you get them clean, rinse with water and apply a good wax to them.

 

[Alan K]

Greased Lightening is a great product for cleaning fenders.