"RG" wrote in message
...

Her motivation is sound, but I think her chemistry could be improved.
Since you trailer your boat (at least I that's the case), long-term algae
build up is probably not at the top of your list of issues. More likely,
what you're really trying to deal with are water spots on the hull.
Either way, algae or hard-water mineral deposits (spots), tend to be
alkaline, and the antidote for alkaline is acid. Sort of a
matter/anti-matter thing. If you're just dealing with water spots, one of
the cheapest and most effective treatments is a vinegar and water
solution. Vinegar is a mild acid, and you can buy mongo-sized bottles of
the stuff at Costco for next to nothing. Mix a solution of vinegar and
water in a spray bottle. Spray the hull and wipe with a clean rag. Have
a beer, you're done. In the case of stubborn algae build-up, such as when
a boat has been slipped for a while, you need to step up to a more robust
acidic solution, probably muriatic acid (what you put in your swimming
pool) and water.


The algae issue is one of the lakes we visit a couple of times a year has a
serious algae (actually, it might be a cyanobacteria) problem (I'll have to
look into it a little deeper). To minimize our cross-contamination
potential we like to really scrub the hull and trailer before visiting other
lakes.

Now that you mention the water spots that was going to be my next question.
We haven't been giving the topsides a good cleaning often enough and we've
got water spots! I'll try your vinegar solution. Thanks.

Don't use bleach on vinyl. It'll leach out the plasticizers and destroy
it over time. Best thing I've ever found for vinyl is Barkeeper's
Friend scrubbing powder with a spray of Simple Green. A little bleach
for the hull, etc. should be too bad, as long as you don't use a very
strong mixture.

"Keith" wrote in message
oups.com...
Don't use bleach on vinyl. It'll leach out the plasticizers and destroy
it over time. Best thing I've ever found for vinyl is Barkeeper's
Friend scrubbing powder with a spray of Simple Green. A little bleach
for the hull, etc. should be too bad, as long as you don't use a very
strong mixture.


Thanks for sharing the knowledge everyone!