sail cleaning

[lloyd7284]

My sail has a bad case of block mold. Can I use an over-the-counter cleaner i.e. Fantastic w/ Bleach in order to kill the mold and clean the sail? Thanks in advance,
LLOYD

 

[RECESS]

From advice in past threads, I am giving Oxy-Clean a try. I am doing it on Friday so if you want to hold off, I can post the results.

 

[BobM]

Accodring to Doyle's bleach is fine for use on Dacron, but should be rinsed extensively.

 

[George H260]

There is a ton of stuff on cleaning sails on the internet: Think twice. It's important to understand the difference between bleaching products. Here's a couple links worth considering:

http://www.mothboat.com/CMBA/Building/sailclean.htm

http://www.porttownsendsails.com/pdf/sail_cleaning.pdf

 

[RECESS]

I finished cleaning my main sail tonight. I soaked it overnight in a very weak bleach solution (1 cup added to an entire bathtub of water) I also used Palmolive Ultra. It brightened the sail and the water was a dingy shade of brown. I then ran the shower about 4 times after draining the tub flipping the sail with every rinse. I took it outside in the carport that had been power washed several times lately and rinsed it very well again. I decided to go with Super Clean as all I had left were some black marks and a little black in some spots left from mold. The Super Clean lifted it immediately. I bought a microfiber sponge so I would not be running a brush over my stitching. I was really pleased with the result and at no time felt it was harsh. I did the cleaning with Super Clean with my bare hands and no stinging. My wife was blown away at how white the sail is again. I am about to soak my Jib overnight.

Please note I do not know the long term effects of this product on sail material. I just chose to give it a shot based on the results of others.