As we head into the second week of April the bulk of the heavy pollen is gone and with some windy weather lingering it is a great time to get your spring cleaning knocked out on the boat. I usually perform a good deep cleaning on the boat before the season so all I have to do is maintain for the rest of the summer. Over the years I have found some products that work great and others that are not worth the container they are packaged in. While the list of cleaners and waxes I use is somewhat long I believe in always using the right tool for the job and since the jobs vary the tools must as well. Provided herein is a list of the products I typically use and their applications. Please note these products may not necessarily be applicable to your projects and you should use some common sense and check with manufacturers before using some of these. Also you must check with SCDHEC and marina regulations for environmental concerns before using some of these cleaners on vessels while they are in the water.
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Orpine – A great all purpose cleaner. I compare it to industrial strength Pinesol. Orpine off the shelf is concentrated and should be mixed with the recommended amount of water for your cleaning application. From canvas, to vinyl, from topside to hull, from isinglass to the bilge, I use Orpine everywhere and when I am finished cleaning I always dump what remains into the fish box and bilge to knock out those funky odors.
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Bleach – Good ole fashion Clorox Bleach. Nothing knocks out mildew better, you just have to be careful where you use it and what it may come in contact with. Clorox will dry out and damage vinyl and rubber if it stays on it for any period of time, and it will obviously discolor canvas. If you have to use it make sure you rinse thoroughly and then put on some wax or lubricant to recondition.
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Mary-Kate On Off – A great product for removing rust stains or scum from fiberglass. I used to use it on both the deck and on the hull, however I found it strips fiberglass of all wax. These days