Spring cleaning the sheets-what's best

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Nov 15, 2011
1
Hunter 35.5 Boston Harbor
We have a Hunter Legend 35.5 and living in Olympia WA where it's wet and damp our sheets get a bit green by this time of year. What's the best way to clean them? Power washer? Water and bit of bleach?
 
Jun 25, 2012
942
hunter 356 Kemah,the Republic of Texas
We have a Hunter Legend 35.5 and living in Olympia WA where it's wet and damp our sheets get a bit green by this time of year. What's the best way to clean them? Power washer? Water and bit of bleach?
Old pillow case and the washing machine with lots of bleach . Leave room to tie the knot.
 
Jul 19, 2007
262
-Hunter 1995-40.5 Hunter Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada
SJ

We own the same boat and had a similar problem. My sheets and halyards were pretty well stiffened by salt and sun so I decided to wash them out. I ran cheap polyprop lines up the mast and removed all the halyards, took off the main sheet, boom vang and both pairs of jib sheets off and ran them through the washer three times with detergent only, no bleach as I was told it would further weaken the fibres. Instead of a pillow case I put all the lines in two mesh laundry bags for better water flow and removal of any residue. It worked out really well. Dried all the lines in the sun by looping them over the patio deck on the rear of the house and re-installed. All the lines last another two years before I changed them out last spring. If you don't think your washer will handle the job its off to the laundramat. Good Luck.
 
May 26, 2004
168
- - Oriental, NC
I soak on a 5 gal bucket with dawn for 24 hrs, then rinse on the driveway with a hose to blow of what ever green I can. Thin I soak in downy for 24 hrs, hand from the porch rail till dry. Works pretty well and puts lubricant back in the lines so the are more flexible and softer.

Goodwinds
DaveM
 
Jan 24, 2008
293
Alerion Express 28 Oneida Lake, NY
I washed all the lines, except halyards, in one load in a big machine at the laundromat, using mild detergent, no bleach.
The lines were nowhere nearly as tangled as I thought they might be.
Dried by looping over a stepladder in the driveway.
Came out great.
Paul
 

Sailm8

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Feb 21, 2008
1,746
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
I did them once without a laundry bag or pillow case. Big mistake. I had a huge knot that took hours to undo.
 
Oct 11, 2012
56
Clark-San Juan 23 Kings Mountain N.C.
I soak overnight in a washtub of laundry detergent and take to the car wash for rinse down . This has worked well for several years but gets some strange looks.
 
May 31, 2007
758
Hunter 37 cutter Blind River
A rigger once told me to soak them in a tub of fabric softener. Then scrub and rinse. I don't think detergent, bleach and washing machines do any good for the fibers. Has worked well for me and the lines come out soft and supple.
 
Oct 14, 2005
2,191
1983 Hunter H34 North East, MD
Washing sheets and lines...

I soak mine overnight in a tub of soapy water, then lay them out on the driveway and use the softest setting on the powerwasher to rinse them clean.

For anchor lines, I just lay them out in loops on the drive and power rinse them.
 
Jan 5, 2013
25
Hunter 31 Sea Isle City
I did mine last year, used a laundry bag and tide, also added fabric softener and they came out great. Just make sure your line ends are whipped or sodered or you will have a mess. Also use hot water and delicate cycle.
 
Aug 5, 2006
121
Hunter 33 brisbane
I did mine last year, used a laundry bag and tide, also added fabric softener and they came out great. Just make sure your line ends are whipped or sodered or you will have a mess. Also use hot water and delicate cycle.
Why would you do this? I sail every week and in 30 years of sailing have never washed any sheets. Salt gets rinsed out by rain. On my current boat 2004 H33 all are still original and OK.
 
Jun 17, 2012
201
C&C 35 MKIII Manitowoc, WI
we would do this because the gentleman I purchased my boat from parked it under trees all winter on the hard [MI winter] with several important [and expensive] lines exposed and now they have a nice green/black stiff personality. I hand washed a couple and they provided a season of great performance. Now I need to clean ALL THE REST. and I was just searching this forum for the best safe effective method.
 
May 25, 2004
958
Hunter 260 Pepin, WI
nick,
I would suggest to you that not all areas of the world have the same weather conditions.

While not in the same class as Olympia WA (Olympia had more rainy days per year on average over the past 30 years than any city in the lower 48 states) the spring rains here in Minnesota also cause exposed lines to start turning green with organic growth. This is with me sailing every weekend.
 
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