My husband just purchased a 30' Catalina. I think it is in good condition, however it needs a lot of TLC to get things back to top notch. I have never embarked on a project such as this and it seems overwhelming. I just do not want to make any mistakes which will cost us later. COULD SOMEONE RECOMMEND A BOOK OR REFERENCE? Some of my concerns are as follows: (or my projects for the week(s). 1. How do you remove Mildew on tan canvas Dodger 2. A small amt of mildew on cloth cusions which are almost brand new (and a small area where the prior owner tried to remove the mildue with chlorox. 3. Can you use Chlorox on the sides and cockpit of the sailboat? I am trying to remove very small brown spots which I think, appeared during transport of the boat. 4. How do you clean and maintain teak.. There are some brown stains under the teak rails. Is this stain and how do I care for it? 5. Do you clean the stove the same way you clean and other stove? 6. Any hints or do and don't would be appreciated.
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Oxi clean
Donna: It seems to me that Oxi Clean is the best cleaning agent to come along in years. It subs for bleaches AND detergents and is non abrasive.. We had to use The Hoover carpet cleaner on the upholstry but Oxy clean works well in it too. In another string in the forum Murphys oil soap is mentioned as a teak cleaner. We use it at home also so it should work fine.. Good luck and good sailing: Jim
Donna: It seems to me that Oxi Clean is the best cleaning agent to come along in years. It subs for bleaches AND detergents and is non abrasive.. We had to use The Hoover carpet cleaner on the upholstry but Oxy clean works well in it too. In another string in the forum Murphys oil soap is mentioned as a teak cleaner. We use it at home also so it should work fine.. Good luck and good sailing: Jim
Restoration
I too just bought a Cat 25 that needed much cleaning. The hull and cockpit had mildew stains. I used Chlorox cleaner (not their bleach product, full strength. It work great to remove all the stains without much effort. I would not get it near any cloth however. Once clean the pores of the gel coat are open so i throgh on a quick coat of wax, this even brightened my topside teak wood For the cabin teak i used soap
I too just bought a Cat 25 that needed much cleaning. The hull and cockpit had mildew stains. I used Chlorox cleaner (not their bleach product, full strength. It work great to remove all the stains without much effort. I would not get it near any cloth however. Once clean the pores of the gel coat are open so i throgh on a quick coat of wax, this even brightened my topside teak wood For the cabin teak i used soap
Boat and Sunbrella cleaning
Hello Okay, here is my two cents.. Use either TSP or Teaka A and B cleaner for exterior teak, then seal with Cetol. Cetol will give you 1.5-2 yrs. Ordinary oils will just turn dark in sun. For interior teak.. just a good in-home wood cleaner and oil.. not Teaka as it makes a big big mess. I use soft scrub with bleach outside because it seems to polish the old gelcoat a bit. One caution is that bleach will quickly fade any topside lines. I tried Soft Scrum with lemon and quickly went back to the bleach product because it was plainly inferior. If you have mold on dodger, it is probably elsewhere topside and the lemon just has zero staying power to cure the problem on the gel coat, while bleach does. For Cat 30 specific Maintenance, I suggest you join Catalina Association for around 30 bucks per year, then immediately buy the 400 page collection of Cat 30 repair articles. I had a 30 for 2 years and found the ad-hoc collection of articles to be a treasure of info. To follow is Sunbrella cleaning instructions that I lifted from a website as referenced in Related links.. One of the best ways to keep Sunbrella® fabrics looking good and to delay the need for deep or vigorous cleanings is to hose fabrics off on a monthly basis with clear water. This practice will help prevent dirt from becoming deeply embedded in the fabric and eliminate the need for more frequent vigorous cleanings. In most environments, a thorough cleaning will be needed every two to three years. When it's time for a thorough cleaning, Sunbrella® fabrics can be cleaned while still on an awning frame or a boat, or, size permitting, they can be removed for cleaning in a washing machine. If you are cleaning Sunbrella® while still on a frame or on a boat, follow these simple steps: Brush off loose dirt. Hose down. Prepare a cleaning mixture of water and mild, natural soap (no detergents). Use a soft bristle brush to clean. Allow soap to soak in. Rinse thoroughly. Air dry. If stubborn stains persist, you can use a diluted chlorine bleach/soap mixture for spot cleaning of mildew, roof run-off and other similar stains. Good luck with a great boat. Jim
Hello Okay, here is my two cents.. Use either TSP or Teaka A and B cleaner for exterior teak, then seal with Cetol. Cetol will give you 1.5-2 yrs. Ordinary oils will just turn dark in sun. For interior teak.. just a good in-home wood cleaner and oil.. not Teaka as it makes a big big mess. I use soft scrub with bleach outside because it seems to polish the old gelcoat a bit. One caution is that bleach will quickly fade any topside lines. I tried Soft Scrum with lemon and quickly went back to the bleach product because it was plainly inferior. If you have mold on dodger, it is probably elsewhere topside and the lemon just has zero staying power to cure the problem on the gel coat, while bleach does. For Cat 30 specific Maintenance, I suggest you join Catalina Association for around 30 bucks per year, then immediately buy the 400 page collection of Cat 30 repair articles. I had a 30 for 2 years and found the ad-hoc collection of articles to be a treasure of info. To follow is Sunbrella cleaning instructions that I lifted from a website as referenced in Related links.. One of the best ways to keep Sunbrella® fabrics looking good and to delay the need for deep or vigorous cleanings is to hose fabrics off on a monthly basis with clear water. This practice will help prevent dirt from becoming deeply embedded in the fabric and eliminate the need for more frequent vigorous cleanings. In most environments, a thorough cleaning will be needed every two to three years. When it's time for a thorough cleaning, Sunbrella® fabrics can be cleaned while still on an awning frame or a boat, or, size permitting, they can be removed for cleaning in a washing machine. If you are cleaning Sunbrella® while still on a frame or on a boat, follow these simple steps: Brush off loose dirt. Hose down. Prepare a cleaning mixture of water and mild, natural soap (no detergents). Use a soft bristle brush to clean. Allow soap to soak in. Rinse thoroughly. Air dry. If stubborn stains persist, you can use a diluted chlorine bleach/soap mixture for spot cleaning of mildew, roof run-off and other similar stains. Good luck with a great boat. Jim
Moldy mold!
Donna: Jims advice here is good. There is nothing wrong with using a mixture of boat soap and bleach on the exterior either. The bleach will help kill the mold spores (gotta do this). Once you get the first once over done, look at the Island Girl products. You can really clean up the gel coat/fiberglass and keep it looking nice. I like to use Murphys Oil on the interior to clean any really dirty wood areas. If you have mold down below too, I'd suggest that a little bleach in the water (again to kill the spores) and then use Murphys Oil to clean the dirt from the wood. Finish the wood with citrus oil/lemon oil. This is good to use a couple of times a year. The Sunbrella can be put in the washing machine but only use the natural soap not detergents. Then when it is CLEAN and DRY finish it with 303 Sunbrella protectant. For you stove (assuming that it is stainless steel) just use any stainless steel cleaning products. Otherwise I'd use 409 or other cleaners if has an enamel finish. The interior mildew can be a problem. Bleach is NOT good. The cleaning machines (if they produce enough heat) are suppose to do a good job. Something like the Oxi Clean would be something good to try. You may also try some of the citrus cleaners on these spots too (be sure to spot test first). The main problem with the mold is killing the spores. You may still end up with some black spots but if you don't kill the spores the stuff will spread and get into the foam etc. etc. Sounds like a lot of elbow grease is in order. Maybe it's time to buy a case of beer and see how many FRIENDS you really have.
Donna: Jims advice here is good. There is nothing wrong with using a mixture of boat soap and bleach on the exterior either. The bleach will help kill the mold spores (gotta do this). Once you get the first once over done, look at the Island Girl products. You can really clean up the gel coat/fiberglass and keep it looking nice. I like to use Murphys Oil on the interior to clean any really dirty wood areas. If you have mold down below too, I'd suggest that a little bleach in the water (again to kill the spores) and then use Murphys Oil to clean the dirt from the wood. Finish the wood with citrus oil/lemon oil. This is good to use a couple of times a year. The Sunbrella can be put in the washing machine but only use the natural soap not detergents. Then when it is CLEAN and DRY finish it with 303 Sunbrella protectant. For you stove (assuming that it is stainless steel) just use any stainless steel cleaning products. Otherwise I'd use 409 or other cleaners if has an enamel finish. The interior mildew can be a problem. Bleach is NOT good. The cleaning machines (if they produce enough heat) are suppose to do a good job. Something like the Oxi Clean would be something good to try. You may also try some of the citrus cleaners on these spots too (be sure to spot test first). The main problem with the mold is killing the spores. You may still end up with some black spots but if you don't kill the spores the stuff will spread and get into the foam etc. etc. Sounds like a lot of elbow grease is in order. Maybe it's time to buy a case of beer and see how many FRIENDS you really have.
More Suggestions
Mold and mildew is tough to deal with. I'd like to underscore something said earler - don't use soap to clean Sunbrella (or any other fabric). Soap is what mold feeds on. I've been told that Ivory Flakes is good but I don't even like to use it. To minimize mold I take my dodger (and sails) off during the winter season. From the Sunbrella web site: http://www.sunbrella.com/usa/ "Is Sunbrella fabric waterproof? Sunbrella fabric is not waterproof; it is water repellant. This means that during the finishing process a water repellant finish is applied to the fabric. Normal wear and usage will reduce the effectiveness of this finish as will cleaning the fabric. We suggest that after Sunbrella fabrics are cleaned and if they remain exposed to the elements constantly and water repellency is a factor that you retreat your Sunbrella fabrics with a water repellant treatment such as 303 High Tech Fabric Guard which can be purchased at local awning and marine shops. Will Sunbrella fabric mildew? Sunbrella fabrics, if kept clean, will not mildew. An inherent characteristic of acrylic fiber is that it will not support the growth of mildew, as a natural fiber will. Mildew will and can grow on any surface that is dirty, so to keep your Sunbrella fabric from mildewing you must keep your fabric clean. If mildew growth becomes a problem please refer to our "care and cleaning" instructions. " Teak - try not to use bleach or a pressure washer as it removes the soft wood and eventually it has to be sanded which also removes wood. I used to keep mine "natural" but found this would be a good home for mold. Now I varnish everything that isn't a walking surface. That which isn't varnished I remove or cover. Good Reference Book: "Boat Cosmetics Made Simple" by Sherri Board. This has a lot of good information. Its a few years old now but maybe there is a newer edition with updates. Congratulations on your new boat. This will take care of all that free time you didn't know what to do with!
Mold and mildew is tough to deal with. I'd like to underscore something said earler - don't use soap to clean Sunbrella (or any other fabric). Soap is what mold feeds on. I've been told that Ivory Flakes is good but I don't even like to use it. To minimize mold I take my dodger (and sails) off during the winter season. From the Sunbrella web site: http://www.sunbrella.com/usa/ "Is Sunbrella fabric waterproof? Sunbrella fabric is not waterproof; it is water repellant. This means that during the finishing process a water repellant finish is applied to the fabric. Normal wear and usage will reduce the effectiveness of this finish as will cleaning the fabric. We suggest that after Sunbrella fabrics are cleaned and if they remain exposed to the elements constantly and water repellency is a factor that you retreat your Sunbrella fabrics with a water repellant treatment such as 303 High Tech Fabric Guard which can be purchased at local awning and marine shops. Will Sunbrella fabric mildew? Sunbrella fabrics, if kept clean, will not mildew. An inherent characteristic of acrylic fiber is that it will not support the growth of mildew, as a natural fiber will. Mildew will and can grow on any surface that is dirty, so to keep your Sunbrella fabric from mildewing you must keep your fabric clean. If mildew growth becomes a problem please refer to our "care and cleaning" instructions. " Teak - try not to use bleach or a pressure washer as it removes the soft wood and eventually it has to be sanded which also removes wood. I used to keep mine "natural" but found this would be a good home for mold. Now I varnish everything that isn't a walking surface. That which isn't varnished I remove or cover. Good Reference Book: "Boat Cosmetics Made Simple" by Sherri Board. This has a lot of good information. Its a few years old now but maybe there is a newer edition with updates. Congratulations on your new boat. This will take care of all that free time you didn't know what to do with!
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