I have recently purchased a 1977 Catalina 25. Overall in very good condition, but dirty from neglect. Sat unused (a pity) for about 4 years. In that time rain water had accumulated & then dried up in the interior. While good 'ol Simple Green got most of the gunk out, there is still some yellowish staining where the water stood. Any thoughts on how to remove this staining (or discoloration) so interior can be back to factory white ?? I've heard diluted bleach will work, but may cause blisters. HELP !! and thanks in advance.
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FSR
I've used this product with good success. I got it at West Marine & it's called Fiberglass Stain Remover (FSR). It's basically just oxalic acid in gel form but worked well for me. The bummer is the cleanup. Rinsing with a hose would be best and inside the cabin that might be an issue. Then again, you could dump all the cleaning crap & just get the boat out on the water! ;-) LaDonna
I've used this product with good success. I got it at West Marine & it's called Fiberglass Stain Remover (FSR). It's basically just oxalic acid in gel form but worked well for me. The bummer is the cleanup. Rinsing with a hose would be best and inside the cabin that might be an issue. Then again, you could dump all the cleaning crap & just get the boat out on the water! ;-) LaDonna
*** LaDonna***?????????
doesn't bleach break down the surface of the gel coat into a soft chalk like surface?
doesn't bleach break down the surface of the gel coat into a soft chalk like surface?
Bleach for cleaning
Joe R, Bleach actually can cause more discoloration due to the high ph factor. There is some chemical reaction thing that occurs. We manufacture fiberglass urinals (yes, that's right) and find that 99 times out of 100, premature 'yellowing' after install is caused by cleaning w/ bleach or some other product w/ a very high ph. I don't recall what the 'do not exceed' number is. Happy (and clean) Sailing !!
Joe R, Bleach actually can cause more discoloration due to the high ph factor. There is some chemical reaction thing that occurs. We manufacture fiberglass urinals (yes, that's right) and find that 99 times out of 100, premature 'yellowing' after install is caused by cleaning w/ bleach or some other product w/ a very high ph. I don't recall what the 'do not exceed' number is. Happy (and clean) Sailing !!
Joe R - What do I look like?
What do I look like? A chemist?!?! ;-) I actually don't know about your bleach question. I'll defer to Richard's firsthand urinal knowledge (snicker).
FSR isn't bleach though - it's oxalic acid. WAY more nasty than bleach (wear gloves) but it works. LaDonna
What do I look like? A chemist?!?! ;-) I actually don't know about your bleach question. I'll defer to Richard's firsthand urinal knowledge (snicker).
FSR isn't bleach though - it's oxalic acid. WAY more nasty than bleach (wear gloves) but it works. LaDonnaI've also tried
some of that OxyClean stuff. Yes, the cleaner hocked on infomercials by the hyper bearded guy. You can get it in the supermarket now. I had some stains on top of my sliding hatch cover that neither Soft Scrub and a brush nor a pressure washer would touch. I made up a light paste of OxyClean and water, lightly scrubbed to distribute, and let sit for a few minutes. I was a bit skeptical, but the stuff really worked! The stains from the boat sitting uncovered for three ears were completely gone with no apparant ill effects to the get coat. I'm planning on try using it for my interior to get rid of some nasty rust and rainwater stains.
some of that OxyClean stuff. Yes, the cleaner hocked on infomercials by the hyper bearded guy. You can get it in the supermarket now. I had some stains on top of my sliding hatch cover that neither Soft Scrub and a brush nor a pressure washer would touch. I made up a light paste of OxyClean and water, lightly scrubbed to distribute, and let sit for a few minutes. I was a bit skeptical, but the stuff really worked! The stains from the boat sitting uncovered for three ears were completely gone with no apparant ill effects to the get coat. I'm planning on try using it for my interior to get rid of some nasty rust and rainwater stains.
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