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#1
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
Our brand new (well, two years old now...) dinghy is looking a little dingy.
Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning a hypalon dinghy? Will bleach hurt the hypalon? Note that cleaning materials that work on PVC (or decitrex) may harm Hypalon and vice versa. I am interested in hypalon cleaners... Also note that I have been specifically advised to avoid cleaners which contain silicones (eg ArmorAll) to minimize problems with future patches bob s/v Eolian Seattle |
#2
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
RW Salnick writes:
Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning a hypalon dinghy? Will bleach hurt the hypalon? Hypalon (chlorosulfonated polyethylene) is chemically compatible with many cleaners. However, the question is more, what is it you want to "clean". "Dinginess" is typically due to structural degradation, not an foreign substance, so cleaning doesn't help. This can be confusing since a lot of coatings that get "dingy" (paint and gelcoat) are restored by "cleaning" that is not so much cleaning but polishing out a fresh surface. But rubbery stuff like Hypalon doesn't polish out. Bleach is often inappropriately used as a cleaner, for which it has an exaggerated reputation. The actual chlorine oxidizing power is typically not effective in cleaning, if for no other reason than the dilution is incorrect (needs lowered pH to activate), and most cleaning tasks require surfaction, not oxidation. Liquid chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite 5 percent in the laundry version or 10 percent in the swimming pool version) is typically stabilized with high pH via a good dose of lye (caustic soda, sodium hydroxide) in the solution, which is a very harsh alkali cleaner, if not diluted too much. The popular notion that bleach is a good cleaner is misunderstood, because what really is typically doing the cleaning is nothing but plain old lye. |
#3
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
softscub but it won't stay clean... make sure you keep it covered.
Also, the dingy cleaner/protector from West (2 bottles) Richard J Kinch wrote: RW Salnick writes: Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning a hypalon dinghy? Will bleach hurt the hypalon? Hypalon (chlorosulfonated polyethylene) is chemically compatible with many cleaners. However, the question is more, what is it you want to "clean". "Dinginess" is typically due to structural degradation, not an foreign substance, so cleaning doesn't help. This can be confusing since a lot of coatings that get "dingy" (paint and gelcoat) are restored by "cleaning" that is not so much cleaning but polishing out a fresh surface. But rubbery stuff like Hypalon doesn't polish out. Bleach is often inappropriately used as a cleaner, for which it has an exaggerated reputation. The actual chlorine oxidizing power is typically not effective in cleaning, if for no other reason than the dilution is incorrect (needs lowered pH to activate), and most cleaning tasks require surfaction, not oxidation. Liquid chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite 5 percent in the laundry version or 10 percent in the swimming pool version) is typically stabilized with high pH via a good dose of lye (caustic soda, sodium hydroxide) in the solution, which is a very harsh alkali cleaner, if not diluted too much. The popular notion that bleach is a good cleaner is misunderstood, because what really is typically doing the cleaning is nothing but plain old lye. |
#4
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
I agree with Ed - make a paste with Soft Scrub and a little water, apply
with a scrubbing brush and let dry in the sun for a couple of hours. Then go over it with the brush and more water and rinse off as you go. I then spray Aerospace protectant on after it dries. Cheers "RW Salnick" wrote in message ... Our brand new (well, two years old now...) dinghy is looking a little dingy. Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning a hypalon dinghy? Will bleach hurt the hypalon? Note that cleaning materials that work on PVC (or decitrex) may harm Hypalon and vice versa. I am interested in hypalon cleaners... Also note that I have been specifically advised to avoid cleaners which contain silicones (eg ArmorAll) to minimize problems with future patches bob s/v Eolian Seattle |
#5
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
Some agreement points and amplification:
My dinghy service (also the life raft servicer on the free raft I gave away) joint makes them look new by doing a thorough scrub with acetone and 3M scrubbie-with-a-handle, followed by 303 protectant. I expect they also first "clean" it - my most successful cleaner was Purple Power; Simple Green has not proven itself to me, this included, in *any* environment, to be superior to nearly anything else I've tried. My first scrub was SG, to little avail; just spritzing on PP gave rivulets of added clean spots, and the scrubbie made it white. However, without solvent level cleaning, and sealing/protecting, it went back to chalky very quickly (months). Back to the Acetone/303... Amazing transformation; we'll do it on ours once we actually get close enough to splashing for Lydia to join me on the boat. The usual avalanche of photos will follow :{)) -- L8R Skip Morgan 461 #2 SV Flying Pig KI4MPC http://tinyurl.com/p7rb4 - NOTE:new URL! The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her "Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in boats-or *with* boats. In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not." "Paddy Malone" wrote in message . .. I agree with Ed - make a paste with Soft Scrub and a little water, apply with a scrubbing brush and let dry in the sun for a couple of hours. Then go over it with the brush and more water and rinse off as you go. I then spray Aerospace protectant on after it dries. Cheers "RW Salnick" wrote in message ... Our brand new (well, two years old now...) dinghy is looking a little dingy. Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning a hypalon dinghy? Will bleach hurt the hypalon? Note that cleaning materials that work on PVC (or decitrex) may harm Hypalon and vice versa. I am interested in hypalon cleaners... Also note that I have been specifically advised to avoid cleaners which contain silicones (eg ArmorAll) to minimize problems with future patches bob s/v Eolian Seattle |
#6
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
Skip Gundlach wrote:
Some agreement points and amplification: My dinghy service (also the life raft servicer on the free raft I gave away) joint makes them look new by doing a thorough scrub with acetone and 3M scrubbie-with-a-handle, followed by 303 protectant. I expect they also first "clean" it - my most successful cleaner was Purple Power; Simple Green has not proven itself to me, this included, in *any* environment, to be superior to nearly anything else I've tried. My first scrub was SG, to little avail; just spritzing on PP gave rivulets of added clean spots, and the scrubbie made it white. However, without solvent level cleaning, and sealing/protecting, it went back to chalky very quickly (months). Back to the Acetone/303... Amazing transformation; we'll do it on ours once we actually get close enough to splashing for Lydia to join me on the boat. The usual avalanche of photos will follow :{)) Thanks Skip - I will see if I can find this "Purple Power" locally. But I think I will skip both the acetone and the 303, which I believe contains a silicone oil of some kind... |
#7
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Purple Power (was) Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
You can find it in most automotive stores. If you're going to do any
more than spot cleaning (I used gallons on my bilge, e.g.), get the sprayer quart, or if you have a sprayer, skip that part and go straight to/also get the gallon refiller of spray quart (or yours). I've tried umpteen degreasers and none has done the job this does. Use gloves and rinse thoroughly, don't get it on paint (unless you're trying to remove it), etc. Doesn't hurt gelcoat, fiberglass, etc. Think drain cleaner... L8R Skip, back on the boat |
#8
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Purple Power (was) Cleaning Hypalon dinghy?
On 19 Jun 2006 16:46:11 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote: You can find it in most automotive stores. If you're going to do any more than spot cleaning (I used gallons on my bilge, e.g.), get the sprayer quart, or if you have a sprayer, skip that part and go straight to/also get the gallon refiller of spray quart (or yours). I've tried umpteen degreasers and none has done the job this does. Use gloves and rinse thoroughly, don't get it on paint (unless you're trying to remove it), etc. Purple Power is available at Auto Zone stores around here. It is a good cleaner but over time it will create a horrible stench in your bilge if even a tiny trace remains. Multiple fresh water flushings after each use are an absolute necessity. |
#9
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