Textiles Talk

How remove mildew from vinyl boat trim?

Question:

Can anyone recommend a good product for removing stubborn mildew stains from the white vinyl trim on boats? I tried a strong bleach solution and bristle-brush, but it barely had any effect.  :(

Response:

How about X-14 Mildew remover. It seems to be one of the few that really still has some "kill" power Wes

Response:

try plane houshold bleach works very well – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How about X-14 Mildew remover. It seems to be one of the few that really still has some "kill" power Wes

Response:

X-14, Tilex, etc. are nothing but diluted chlorine bleach, with perhaps some detergent.  At typical $2/pint they are equivalent to buying chlorine bleach at $80/gal.  I can get good drinking liquor for less.  The decades-old USDA recipe for cleaning mildew from paint of 1 part bleach with 3 parts water is still the best recipe.  Toss in a little detergent to help. Dave Carnell  <http://home.att.net/~DaveCarnell – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – try plane houshold bleach works very well How about X-14 Mildew remover. It seems to be one of the few that really still has some "kill" power Wes

Response:

Are you sure it’s just mildew? I have used Tilex and X-14 to remove mildew, which are just bleach based products. Maybe it’s mildew and dirt.  Try some bleach based Soft Scrub. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can anyone recommend a good product for removing stubborn mildew stains from the white vinyl trim on boats? I tried a strong bleach solution and bristle-brush, but it barely had any effect.  :(

Response:

Once mildew has firmly set into fibers enough to stain to the extent that bleach won’t remove the stain, the only thing that will remove it will also bleach the fabric (vinyl, whatever)…and you run the risk of deteriorating the fabric enough to damage it.  IOW, if you can’t get it out with bleach, you’re stuck with it. That’s why it’s VERY important to vent boat covers so that humidity dries instead of becoming a breeding ground for mildew…to take the cover off and let the boat air out as often as possible…never put the boat away wet…and wash the boat often, even if you haven’t used it to wash away the spores before they can stain the upholstery. Air is mildew’s enemy…moisture is yours…so do whatever you can this winter to keep your boat aired out and dry. Even if there’s 2′ of snow on the ground, if there’s a bright sunny day, take the cover off for a few hours…sunlight kills mildew and the crisp dry air will dry out your boat. Prevention is always better than trying to find a cure… Peggie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Are you sure it’s just mildew? I have used Tilex and X-14 to remove mildew, which are just bleach based products. Maybe it’s mildew and dirt.  Try some bleach based Soft Scrub. Can anyone recommend a good product for removing stubborn mildew stains from the white vinyl trim on boats? I tried a strong bleach solution and bristle-brush, but it barely had any effect.  :(

Response:

It probably unlikely that you have mildew on your vinyl rubrail, as fungus doesn’t eat plastic very well, but more likely that you have the blackened crud deep stains we get from bad outdoor storage – composted leaves, pine needles, air pollution, whatever.  You can rub most of it out with an abrasive polish and a lot of elbow grease, after you bleach away what you can.  If it is really crappy, new rubrail section (replacement) may be more practical.  We get this often in Maine, with our acid leaves/needles and acid rain when left unprotected for long periods.  FWIW the newer supermarket product "Tackle" (cheap enough) has bleach & detergent in a gooier mixture that will stay on the surface for a longer time to act, full-strength. Anyone found an effective pine pitch (aged & dried) remover on fbgls? Turpentine doesn’t touch it (you’d think it would dissolve it?) – so far full-strength dish detergent and manual attack with a plastic knife is all that has worked for me – very slow going.

Response:

This is a bit strong. but..I’ve found that MEK or Touelene works very fast. be sure to mix 50/50 with Dawn dishsoap.

Response:

Filed under: upholstery fabric

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