I don't recall seeing anyone refer to these, but I am finding that plain heavy duty magic erasers are amazing for cleaning topsides gel coat on my recently acquired Cat 22. The gel coat is kind of chalky on the cabin and decks, so it had lots of that black dirt speckling that I assume is from air pollution. It doesn't come off with a soapy sponge or even with one of those nylon-mesh-covered bug remover sponges, but the magic eraser takes it off almost instantly without intense scrubbing. They are made of melamine foam and work two ways. They are very finely abrasive but much less so than 1600 wet dry sandpaper. But it isn't just the abrasive qualities that make them work, they adsorb dirt and stains into the foam structure itself. They are excellent for cleaning dull gel coat to remove fine contaminants before wet sanding steps on the way to restore the gel coat's shine by buffing. They wear out fast, but they are relatively cheap. If your topsides look like dull crap, they can make them look about 100% better with minimal effort. If you don't sand and polish afterwards, it may not last long, but it is still a big improvement. Test on a small spot first just to be safe, but they worked great for me.
Magic Erasers for cleaning dull gel coat
- Thread starter Coppertone
- Start date
Yes! I have discovered the Magic Eraser as well. Mix that with a little Soft Scrub with bleach and you can clean up anything.
Or you could make your own
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/make-your-own-magic-eraser-for-10-cents/
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/make-your-own-magic-eraser-for-10-cents/
I sell and install Satellite Television (DIRECTV/DishNetwork) for a living. I love magic erasure for removing fingerprints from painted walls. No matter how often I clean my hands, invariably I leave fingerprints when I am working on a customer's wall plates, or opening their attic hatch to run wires. Magic erasure saves the day every time.