Best cleaner for river slime
 

On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:59:57 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

John H. wrote:
On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:39:12 GMT, "Canuck57"
wrote:

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:44:21 -0500, sherwindu penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I noticed
that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the
upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but this
band
of
gunk stayed on. I had the same problem last year, and had to rub like
hell with

all kinds of cleaners to get it off. Someone recommended using Tidy Bowl
as a
cleaner, possibly because it contains Muratic Acid. I know that Muratic
Acid is

used to clean and etch concrete, so I was wary to use it on my fiberglass
hull.
Was I correct about this? Is there a better way to clean off this river
junk?
I
have used Zud and other similar products, but they don't get everything
off and
require a lot of elbow grease. Some of this gunk is on the bottom paint,
as
well,
so I have to be careful not to dissolve that.

Sherwin
We have the same problem here in the rivers and the AICW.... I have
constantly fought this battle and won.

First of all, I would caution against using any powdered cleaners.
They are all abrasive, to some extent, and I suspect do more harm than
good.

Gelcoat is porous. Sorry, but that is just the way it is. Your cleaner
is going to have to go where the stain is and chemically remove it.
The only way to actually do this is acid.... and it might be
hydrochloric (muriatic), oxalic, phosphoric, oxalic, sulfuric or a
mixture, including detergents or surfactants. Read that, "I gotta wear
eye and skin protection!" Thus, also, you have the reason the toilet
bowl cleaners can be used.... they are acid. They can be bought
cheaper that the boutique cleaner blends offered in most chandleries.

This is one easily obtainable boat product with which I have had good
results:
http://tinyurl.com/24gcep

NOTICE: that any acid based cleaner is NOT good for your trailer.....
especially if it is aluminum. It will stain and etch the metal.

ALSO NOTICE: (at least in my experience) any acid cleaner is going to
screw up your bottom paint. I use a black ablative paint and it
doesn't really stain, so I use tape and plastic to mask off my bottom
paint. If your paint cannot be washed clean.... I think you are in for
scrubbing and a touch-up.

What about waxing it before going out? Any thoughts on this? Is there a
easy treatment that makes it come off easy?

I know it doesn't get it off once on, but maybe an ounce of prevention is
better than the cure.


You can buy oxalic acid powder at hardware stores. $5 will get about a half
pound which will make enough solution for several years. I use about two
tablespoons per gallon of water, put it in a spray bottle, mist it on the
brown stain, wipe with a sponge, and then rinse. The stain is gone.

This is much cheaper than Off and On, it is worth a try, even if I lose
the rest before i need to use it again. Maybe we can just buy a half
pound for the whole dock.

It was a great find at our local Fischer's Hardware.

http://tinyurl.com/28hgbj

Best cleaner for river slime
 

On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:57:45 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

Chuck, have you used this stuff on water line gunk?

Or brown mustache?

I don't want to know what you are talking about. ;)

Trust me, it's boat related.

Best cleaner for river slime
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:57:45 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

Chuck, have you used this stuff on water line gunk?
Or brown mustache?
I don't want to know what you are talking about. ;)

Trust me, it's boat related.

I hope it doesn't relate to the Sanitation System.

Best cleaner for river slime
 

On Oct 28, 6:04?pm, " JimH" ask wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message

ups.com...





On Oct 27, 10:44?pm, sherwindu wrote:
After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I noticed
that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the
upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but this
band
of
gunk stayed on. I had the same problem last year, and had to rub like
hell with

all kinds of cleaners to get it off. Someone recommended using Tidy Bowl
as a
cleaner, possibly because it contains Muratic Acid. I know that Muratic
Acid is

used to clean and etch concrete, so I was wary to use it on my fiberglass
hull.
Was I correct about this? Is there a better way to clean off this river
junk?
I
have used Zud and other similar products, but they don't get everything
off and
require a lot of elbow grease. Some of this gunk is on the bottom paint,
as
well,
so I have to be careful not to dissolve that.

Sherwin

You might try this stuff:

http://lat43.com/marine.html

Absolutely non-abrasive, and cleans far better than any thing else I
have ever used.

It is not about cleaning........it is about removing a built in stain. ;-)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Maybe I misread the description. Sounded like after be blasted the mud
off with pure water there was some "gunk" remaining on (rather than
imbedded into) the hull.


"After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I
noticed that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the
upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but
this band
of
gunk stayed on."

Best cleaner for river slime
 

Chuck Gould wrote:
On Oct 28, 6:04?pm, " JimH" ask wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message

ups.com...





On Oct 27, 10:44?pm, sherwindu wrote:
After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I noticed
that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the
upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but this
band
of
gunk stayed on. I had the same problem last year, and had to rub like
hell with
all kinds of cleaners to get it off. Someone recommended using Tidy Bowl
as a
cleaner, possibly because it contains Muratic Acid. I know that Muratic
Acid is
used to clean and etch concrete, so I was wary to use it on my fiberglass
hull.
Was I correct about this? Is there a better way to clean off this river
junk?
I
have used Zud and other similar products, but they don't get everything
off and
require a lot of elbow grease. Some of this gunk is on the bottom paint,
as
well,
so I have to be careful not to dissolve that.
Sherwin
You might try this stuff:
http://lat43.com/marine.html
Absolutely non-abrasive, and cleans far better than any thing else I
have ever used.
It is not about cleaning........it is about removing a built in stain. ;-)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Maybe I misread the description. Sounded like after be blasted the mud
off with pure water there was some "gunk" remaining on (rather than
imbedded into) the hull.


"After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I
noticed that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the
upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but
this band
of
gunk stayed on."


Well if you use an abrasive cleaner for a few years it will be embedded
in all of the scratches. ;)

Best cleaner for river slime
 

sherwindu wrote:
Thanks for all the replies.

As far as wax, I give the hull a good coating of high quality boat wax before the
spring launch, and it doesn't seem to help protect the boat. This fresh water river

must have some nasty chemicals in it. I certainly wouldn't go in this water to try
and
clean the boat during the season. I have tried various products containing bleach,
oxalic acid, etc. and haven't found an effective cleaner yet. I am still wondering
if
using these acid products full strength might do damage to the fiberglass, so maybe
they should be diluted (how much?). If they use muriatic acid to etch concrete,
that
sounds scary. I will check out the 'on and off' product. I eventually got most of
the
stain off using a heavy duty liquid cleaner, but it took a lot of rubbing. I have
used
most of the commercial products mentioned in this thread, with not much luck.

Sherwin

sherwindu wrote:

After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I noticed that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but this band
of
gunk stayed on. I had the same problem last year, and had to rub like hell with

all kinds of cleaners to get it off. Someone recommended using Tidy Bowl as a
cleaner, possibly because it contains Muratic Acid. I know that Muratic Acid is

used to clean and etch concrete, so I was wary to use it on my fiberglass hull.
Was I correct about this? Is there a better way to clean off this river junk?
I
have used Zud and other similar products, but they don't get everything off and
require a lot of elbow grease. Some of this gunk is on the bottom paint, as
well,
so I have to be careful not to dissolve that.

Sherwin


Check out Zaino Brothes before you put your boat back in the water.
Make sure you order enough for your cars. It is the best, highest
gloss, longest lasting showroom finish you will ever use. I tried this
because someone told me it was the easiest wax to apply and had a great
shine and long lasting protection. While it is easy, it makes my 7 yr
old car look brand new.

Best cleaner for river slime
 

Thanks for all the replies.

As far as wax, I give the hull a good coating of high quality boat wax before the
spring launch, and it doesn't seem to help protect the boat. This fresh water river

must have some nasty chemicals in it. I certainly wouldn't go in this water to try
and
clean the boat during the season. I have tried various products containing bleach,
oxalic acid, etc. and haven't found an effective cleaner yet. I am still wondering
if
using these acid products full strength might do damage to the fiberglass, so maybe
they should be diluted (how much?). If they use muriatic acid to etch concrete,
that
sounds scary. I will check out the 'on and off' product. I eventually got most of
the
stain off using a heavy duty liquid cleaner, but it took a lot of rubbing. I have
used
most of the commercial products mentioned in this thread, with not much luck.

Sherwin

sherwindu wrote:

After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I noticed that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but this band
of
gunk stayed on. I had the same problem last year, and had to rub like hell with

all kinds of cleaners to get it off. Someone recommended using Tidy Bowl as a
cleaner, possibly because it contains Muratic Acid. I know that Muratic Acid is

used to clean and etch concrete, so I was wary to use it on my fiberglass hull.
Was I correct about this? Is there a better way to clean off this river junk?
I
have used Zud and other similar products, but they don't get everything off and
require a lot of elbow grease. Some of this gunk is on the bottom paint, as
well,
so I have to be careful not to dissolve that.

Sherwin

Best cleaner for river slime
 

My experience with waxes are the easier they apply, the less protection. I only use
waxes with Carbona. It isn't easy to apply, but it lasts a whole season.

Sherwin

"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote:

sherwindu wrote:
Thanks for all the replies.

As far as wax, I give the hull a good coating of high quality boat wax before the
spring launch, and it doesn't seem to help protect the boat. This fresh water river

must have some nasty chemicals in it. I certainly wouldn't go in this water to try
and
clean the boat during the season. I have tried various products containing bleach,
oxalic acid, etc. and haven't found an effective cleaner yet. I am still wondering
if
using these acid products full strength might do damage to the fiberglass, so maybe
they should be diluted (how much?). If they use muriatic acid to etch concrete,
that
sounds scary. I will check out the 'on and off' product. I eventually got most of
the
stain off using a heavy duty liquid cleaner, but it took a lot of rubbing. I have
used
most of the commercial products mentioned in this thread, with not much luck.

Sherwin

sherwindu wrote:

After pulling my boat from the Root River in Racine Wisconsin, I noticed that
there
was an ugly band of black gunk at the waterline, especially at the upstream side
of
the boat when it was in the slip. A power wash got the mud off, but this band
of
gunk stayed on. I had the same problem last year, and had to rub like hell with

all kinds of cleaners to get it off. Someone recommended using Tidy Bowl as a
cleaner, possibly because it contains Muratic Acid. I know that Muratic Acid is

used to clean and etch concrete, so I was wary to use it on my fiberglass hull.
Was I correct about this? Is there a better way to clean off this river junk?
I
have used Zud and other similar products, but they don't get everything off and
require a lot of elbow grease. Some of this gunk is on the bottom paint, as
well,
so I have to be careful not to dissolve that.

Sherwin


Check out Zaino Brothes before you put your boat back in the water.
Make sure you order enough for your cars. It is the best, highest
gloss, longest lasting showroom finish you will ever use. I tried this
because someone told me it was the easiest wax to apply and had a great
shine and long lasting protection. While it is easy, it makes my 7 yr
old car look brand new.

Best Wax for boats and cars.
 

sherwindu wrote:
My experience with waxes are the easier they apply, the less protection. I only use
waxes with Carbona. It isn't easy to apply, but it lasts a whole season.

Sherwin


Sherwin,
That was my opinion for 25 years, and is the reason I always used
Carnauba Wax also and didn't even bother to try the new finishes
available at the auto store. I tried Zaino after someone recommended it
in rec.boats and I did a Google Search and found it was considered the
best finish and protectant by all of the car clubs and auto enthusiast.
The first year I tried Zaino Bros, (I think it was 4 yrs ago). I did
an A/B experiment with my wife's car and my car. I did a complete
detail on both cars, including using detail clay and the complete
Meguiar's Car Care 3 step Carnauba Wax Program and the Zaino Bros. 3
step Polish. After I finished both cars were as slick as glass. While
the Zaino Bros looked better initially, what I was really interested is
how well it would last after 6 months, since I would always wax my car
in the spring and fall. In the fall, the Zaino still had large beads of
water on the car, and when I clayed the car, their was no pollution
residual common off on the clay. The Mequiars car was still water
beading, but the beads were smaller, and it the finish definitely had
rough feel. When I clayed the car, I could see where the air pollution
had pitted the finish, and I was getting the pollution residual on the
clay. I also noticed that the Zaino car actually looked better the 2nd
time i applied the finish.

At this point, I gave alway the rest of the Meguiars to a neighbor and
in the Spring time used Zaino on my boat and cars.

I doubt you will try the Zaino, but I went through this explanation
because I really believe in the product and hope that some other people
will try it. It is truly amazing. What I thought was amusing is the
owner Sal Zaino is the guy who answers the phone when you call up with a
question. He has that gruff New York City voice. I think he is semi
retired, but is the "answer line" for people who have technical
questions about the product. It really does apply differently than most
waxes and polishes. Since the Caranuba wax obviously isn't working on
your water line gunk, why don't you try it after you clean off it with
"Off and On"? If you do, you will need to let us know next fall if it
did any good.

Why do I feel like I am doing a late night infomercial?

Best Wax for boats and cars.
 

John H. wrote:
On Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:17:12 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

sherwindu wrote:
My experience with waxes are the easier they apply, the less protection. I only use
waxes with Carbona. It isn't easy to apply, but it lasts a whole season.

Sherwin

Sherwin,
That was my opinion for 25 years, and is the reason I always used
Carnauba Wax also and didn't even bother to try the new finishes
available at the auto store. I tried Zaino after someone recommended it
in rec.boats and I did a Google Search and found it was considered the
best finish and protectant by all of the car clubs and auto enthusiast.
The first year I tried Zaino Bros, (I think it was 4 yrs ago). I did
an A/B experiment with my wife's car and my car. I did a complete
detail on both cars, including using detail clay and the complete
Meguiar's Car Care 3 step Carnauba Wax Program and the Zaino Bros. 3
step Polish. After I finished both cars were as slick as glass. While
the Zaino Bros looked better initially, what I was really interested is
how well it would last after 6 months, since I would always wax my car
in the spring and fall. In the fall, the Zaino still had large beads of
water on the car, and when I clayed the car, their was no pollution
residual common off on the clay. The Mequiars car was still water
beading, but the beads were smaller, and it the finish definitely had
rough feel. When I clayed the car, I could see where the air pollution
had pitted the finish, and I was getting the pollution residual on the
clay. I also noticed that the Zaino car actually looked better the 2nd
time i applied the finish.

At this point, I gave alway the rest of the Meguiars to a neighbor and
in the Spring time used Zaino on my boat and cars.

I doubt you will try the Zaino, but I went through this explanation
because I really believe in the product and hope that some other people
will try it. It is truly amazing. What I thought was amusing is the
owner Sal Zaino is the guy who answers the phone when you call up with a
question. He has that gruff New York City voice. I think he is semi
retired, but is the "answer line" for people who have technical
questions about the product. It really does apply differently than most
waxes and polishes. Since the Caranuba wax obviously isn't working on
your water line gunk, why don't you try it after you clean off it with
"Off and On"? If you do, you will need to let us know next fall if it
did any good.

Why do I feel like I am doing a late night infomercial?


Because it was still dark outside?

Nah, it is because it sounded just like their spiel. ;) The only other
product I have tried that exceeded my expecations as well as Zaino is
OxyClean. When that was new, I told everyone how great it was to get
rid of mildew on the boat, to clean the carpet and used at home in the
laundry. I wanted to make sure it stayed on the market.