New Catalina 30 owners - questions about deep cleaning

[madmax]

My wife and I are getting a new-to-us Catalina 30 this weekend. My wife wants to clean the interior fiberglass with bleach (Clorox wipes). I told her no, no... I'm afraid that the bleach will ruin the fiberglass surface (interior only). She wants to clean dust (and maybe mildew) that adhered to the fiberglass surface. Can we use a mild dish soap with hot water? or ??? What are your suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Bleach won’t harm fiberglass (the gelcoat or paint).

 

[Foswick]

Bleach is safe for occasional use, provided you rinse it thoroughly. We use Mold Armor - Mold and Mildew Killer if we have a really heavy job and are able to spray it off with fresh water. Simple Green is a pretty common for general cleaning - that's what we keep on the boat.

 

[dlochner]

Use Formula B mold and mildew cleaner. It is a home brew treatment that works well.

Don't use Simple Green around any acrylic or Lexan ports, it will cause them to turn cloudy.

Bleach will work and won't harm fiberglass or gelcoat, however, it can affect hoses. Don't use it in the toilet, it will damage the seals and hoses.

Dawn works well on grease and oil and will remove wax on the hull.

Homemade Mildew Preventers That Really Work - Practical Sailor

Since 1974, Practical Sailor’s independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying.

www.practical-sailor.com

 

[Project_Mayhem]

For general cleaning, Spray Nine is hands down the best cleaner I've ever used. Most cleaners get things white, this stuff get them bright white. I reluctantly paid for a Practical Sailor study (not included with the subscription) on cleaners. This one was one of the best. You can get a spray bottle of it from AutoZone for $7. Gallon jugs are available on amazon. I have not tried the marine formula which is lye based. I have no idea what the regular one is based upon but it's safe for surfaces that come in contact with food as long as you rinse it off afterwards.

 

[madmax]

Awesome, thank you for your advice. I will tell my wife to try these products you mentioned.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Awesome, thank you for your advice. I will tell my wife to try these products you mentioned.

If she uses Spray Nine, tell her to wear gloves as it appears to be a dilute sodium hydroxide solution.

 

[Foswick]

As several products were suggested, I will add a caution. If you rinse cleaners that will settle in your bilge, be aware of:

• What plastic or rubber parts will it touch there.
• If it goes into the bilge, make sure it isn't just pumped into the ocean, unless it is safe to do so.
• Be careful about what chemicals get mixed.

 

[sailme88]

After much thought, I've decided to offer my boat to your wife as a guinea pig to gain experience with Clorox wipes.. I'm making this offer in the spirit of boaters helping boaters...

 

[dlochner]

After much thought, I've decided to offer my boat to your wife as a guinea pig to gain experience with Clorox wipes.. I'm making this offer in the spirit of boaters helping boaters...

And while she is on the east coast, I'll offer a second training opportunity...

 

[Project_Mayhem]

If she uses Spray Nine, tell her to wear gloves as it appears to be a dilute sodium hydroxide solution.

The marine formula is sodium dydroxide/lye based. The regular formula is something else. My chemistry knowledge is lacking too much to decipher what's on the SDS. I have only used the regular formula

 

[mforum]

Had a lot of mold/mildew issues when we first got our boat 6 years ago. I have been using mild bleach, murphy oil soap, warm water solution for years on interior hard surfaces without any problems and the old boat smell is virtually gone. Borax is a consideration for fabric but can leave a white residue if too much after drying out.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

A few little tips for preventing mold:
-Flip your cushions up if there's really high humidity to get some airflow
-For wood, such as the covers under cushions, apply some hydrogen peroxide to it. It's a fast and easy deterent
-Solar fans work wonders at mold prevention even if it's a non-battery model. We had a really humid summer that resulted in a moderate mold issue. After a cleanup and solar vents, the issue went away for good. Only very minor occurrences in inconspicuous spots after that

 

[dlochner]

A common place for mildew and mold is under the V-berth mattress. While sleeping a lot of moisture is released from our bodies which gets trapped between the mattress and the bed support. Use Hyper-vent under the mattress and it will provide air flow and reduce trapped moisture and the ensuing mildew and mold.

Hypervent Condensation Prevention Matting

Plain and simple, a differential between the inside and outside temperature can cause condensation. A favorite place for condensation is under mattresses, bunk pads and cushions. Ask any boater and they'll tell you stories of damage caused by condensation

defender.com

 

[Mikes 87]

My wife and I are getting a new-to-us Catalina 30 this weekend. My wife wants to clean the interior fiberglass with bleach (Clorox wipes). I told her no, no... I'm afraid that the bleach will ruin the fiberglass surface (interior only). She wants to clean dust (and maybe mildew) that adhered to the fiberglass surface. Can we use a mild dish soap with hot water? or ??? What are your suggestions?

Thanks

To answer your question directly Clorox Disinfecting wipes do not use bleach, I've been using them for the last 10 years on the hard surfaces (gelcoat) parts of the interior to remove mildew (and dirt). They work great, but I also reduced (almost eliminated) mildew by using four containers of Damp Rid (or No Damp) year round. I place one on the front water tank (cushions on side and lid open - my A/C is located here), one on the sole next to the bilge (remove cover when the boat is stored and the bilge is dry), one in the gally directly across from the companionway (most important) and the last one half way back in the aft birth. My boat is in the Chesapeake so we do get many humid days.

Google/AI -
"Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are highly effective, bleach-free, triple-layered wipes that kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses—including cold, flu, and SARS-CoV-2—on hard, nonporous surfaces."

 

[dlochner]

To answer your question directly Clorox Disinfecting wipes do not use bleach, I've been using them for the last 10 years on the hard surfaces (gelcoat) parts of the interior to remove mildew (and dirt). They work great, but I also reduced (almost eliminated) mildew by using four containers of Damp Rid (or No Damp) year round. I place one on the front water tank (cushions on side and lid open - my A/C is located here), one on the sole next to the bilge (remove cover when the boat is stored and the bilge is dry), one in the gally directly across from the companionway (most important) and the last one half way back in the aft birth. My boat is in the Chesapeake so we do get many humid days.

Google/AI -
"Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are highly effective, bleach-free, triple-layered wipes that kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses—including cold, flu, and SARS-CoV-2—on hard, nonporous surfaces."

Most (all?) cleaning products and other chemicals are required to have an Safety Data Sheet which provides the chemicals in the product, the toxicity, risks to the user, and so on. Easy to find, just search (Product name) SDS. Always better to go to a primary source than someone's interpretation.

https://www1.mscdirect.com/MSDS/MSDS00017/06644835-20250314.PDF