Oxalic Acid - What Is This Stuff

[Ducati]

I have a bottle of Interlux Teak Cleaner which I have never used because I hear it is too harsh on teak. Is this true? I just use dish soap and an old 3M pad to do the job every other week. I clean the topside of our boat with Starbrite Deck Cleaner and find that it does not do a very good job because the bird crap stains still appears after washing. Was wondering if a diluted solution of oxalic acid and water would do a better job. If I use it to wash the topsides, would it take off the wax on the hull as it was being rinsed off?

Anyhow, would like to know more about this stuff and possible cleaning uses.

Thanks

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

It has been used as a general cleaner for teak for decades and is quite safe for both the user and the teak. Rinse the topsides first and rinse before it dries as you remove the acid solution. Not a problem.

 

[Roger Long]

is quite safe for both the user and the teak. .

The teak maybe. Don't let a lot or any of it get on your skin. It soaks in and is very hard on the kidneys.

 

[Ross]

Sea water has been the basic teak cleaner for many years. It is available by the bucket full on both sides or your boat.

 

[mark_swart]

I also saw an article in Sail last month where someone had used white vinegar and it worked really well getting off a lot of old mold.

 

[zeehag]

white vinegar kills mold. is good also on and for salt buildup. is also good for using in toilets and other areas of boat for cleaning.
salt water is easily obtained and does a great job of cleaning and bleaching teak. i use it exclusively on my formosa 41 and her 110 ft of teak. is cheap and easy to get in a bucket, as ross described. is safer than any other substance or chemical man has introduced in the name of bleaching a non- blonde wood into blonde-ness. doesnt hurt skin or eyes and is safe for kids and small animals. goood luck and smooth sailing.

 

[Alex Dare]

It's getting harder to find at some supermarkets but "sudsy ammonia" mixed with water does a wonderful job on teak. Cheap too! Don't know what's in it but it does differ from regular plain ammonia.

 

[Don12364]

To claim it is safe might be over stating the case somewhat. See info below from a manufacturer.
Wiki says it is about 3,000 times stronger bleach than acetic acid - (vinegar).
Works a treat though and mix it to the strength needed to do your job.
.......................................................
http://www.intralabs.co.uk/oxalic-acid#!__oxalic-acid
Oxalic Acid
Oxalic Acid can be used as a restoration treatment for wood , please see below for full
details of how to make the solution required:

A solution of 50g -100g of oxalic acid per 1 litre of hot/warm water is quite effective in reducing many types of discolorations and will also restore weather-darkened wood to a reddish tan.

This solution should be applied to bare wood. Because oxalic acid will tend to lighten and brighten the woods colour, it should be applied to the whole face of the boards. If a small section of a particularly large surface is being treated, feather out the area surrounding the stain with smaller amounts of the solution, much as one would treat a spot in dry cleaning to prevent formation of a ring around the spot being removed. The oxalic acid should be allowed to dry completely, and then be thoroughly flushed of with water and allowed to dry again. Following this, the desired finish system may be applied. Prepare oxalic acid solution in a plastic, glass or enamel container. Wear rubber gloves and eye protection. Oxalic acid is poisonous and should not be applied by sprayer or allowed to drip on plants. Please read the S Phrases below before using oxalic acid. A MSDS is available upon

 

[Joe]

sea water and rock salt as the abrasive.

 

[rgranger]

Anyhow, would like to know more about this stuff and possible cleaning uses.Thanks

Vinegar is a 5% - 12% solution of acetic acid (see pic). Acetic acid is a byproduct of fermentation ( metabolism of yeast w/sugars), so it is quite safe. Acetic acid belongs to a class of acids called carboxylic acids. They are characterized by having a carbon atom double bound to an oxygen and single bound to a hydroxide (-OH). It is the proton (H) on the hydroxide that is the active acid.

Oxalic Acid can be thought of as a double headed version of acetic acid. It also has two carbon atoms but both carbon atoms have a double bound oxygen and a single bond to a hydroxide group (see pic).

Although white vinegar will do a lot of the things that oxalic acid will do, oxalic acid is superior for removing rust stains.

Although oxalic acid is often listed as a toxic substance, it does appear in many foods (e.g. leafy greens). The plant with one of the highest oxalic acid concentrations is rhubarb and it is estimated that you would have to eat 11 pounds to rhubarb in a single sitting to reach toxic levels. Calcium oxylate is responsible for kidney stones. So avoid eating it and/or contact with your skin and you should be fine.... or use white vinegar instead.

 

[zeehag]

rust stains remove well with a 99 cent store purchase of barkeepers friend.

 

[rgranger]

rust stains remove well with a 99 cent store purchase of barkeepers friend.

Barkeepers is oxalic acid, surfactant (soap) and abrasive.

Another cheap source of oxalic acid is Rit Dye rust remover but... you can buy Oxalic acid online in bulk if you really need some cheap.