Canvas cleaner

[Michael Rogers]

VERY mundane and low-tech, this.

I have ordered some sail and canvas cleaner, to do my boat cover prior to re-proofing. Very annoyingly, the cleaner hasn't come. The proofing stuff has. Carts and horses come to mind. The weather tomorrow might allow me to clean first thing, get the cover dry and re-proof, all in one day. Weather windows like that will become increasingly rare as autumn progresses.

Does anyone know if there's anything 'special' in the canvas cleaner? Or is it detergent by any other name? In which case, would something 'domestic' do the trick? If so, what? Considerations - 1) the cover isn't very dirty; actually mainly some lichen on the north side! also it's fairly sheltered from 'salty' winds. 2) I have access to a hose with good water pressure, so thorough rinsing isn't a problem.

Any suggestions? If possible something other than "Good heavens, man, don't do THAT!! You'll completely RUIN it!"

Thanks                  Michael (R)

[Tony]

Hi, Michael.
I probably don't have to say this.....but don't try to use a pressure sprayer on your canvas. I tried my Karcher out on a very green garden parasol  - it blasted the warp and weft apart!  "Double plus ungood!" as it almost says in Brave New World.  I promptly gave up all notions of using it to clean my sprayhood. A softish scrubbjng brush and washing-up liquid did the trick, but it needed a lot of hose action to wash off the detergent before I could dry and re-proof it. Last time I did this job I used "proper" canvas cleaner and it didn't work any better. Less foaming, though, so perhaps low foaming laundry liquid will be my next choice. (Hmm...should I use colourwash,  non-biological or Ecover?)

[Michael Rogers]

Thanks, Tony.
I did what I should have done before bothering you lot - consulted the web! It warned against using a pressure hose, which is OK because I don't have one. I used eco-washing up liquid, it worked. However, the lowly (botanically speaking) lichen put up stiff resistance, and it took (gentle) use of a pot scourer to shift it.

I thought the cleaning would be a doddle; it took 2 1/2 hours of hardish graft. I thought drying might be a problem but, in lovely autumn sunshine and a breeze it took an hour. Which left time to re-proof the cover AND have one of those sails which leave me glowing inside and out, in a chirpy F4 breeze and soft sunlight, with some wind against tide to make the sea state interesting. Altogether a worthwhile day. And so to bed.

Michael (R)

[Andy Dingle]

Hello Michael.

Sorry I hadn't seen this post a bit earlier, I've been away all weekend.
I had just last week cleaned my sail bag using this stuff..

http://www.astonishcleaners.co.uk/product/mould-mildew-remover/

Worked very well in cleaning and removing all the dreaded green algae stuff off my canvas.
It sprays on, then I wiped it over the canvas with a damp sponge. Leave for a few minutes then hose off - bad contamination can be retreated and lightly scrubbed with a stiff brush to work it in. Hose off.

Best of all I got it from the pound shop for a quid - but it is readily available pretty anywhere.

Hope this helps you or other's experiencing the same woes.

Andy

[Michael Rogers]

Thanks, Andy. That's really useful to know, for possible future reference.

I would actually like to know more about the physics/chemistry of the stuff we use to re-proof canvas covers and the like. How 'ingrained' is the water repelling effect of Fabsil Gold (which is what I used. Bloomin' expensive but, I'm told, one of the best)? I don't know if you re-proofed your sail bag; and what would happen to the waterproofing effect if you regularly re-used your 'Astonish' product, as its blurb suggests.

My boat now stays year-round under her cover at Studland, and her well-being directly depends on the quality of the cover, and of the re-proofing. That's why I didn't stint on the stuff I reproofed with - it took 2 1/2 litres at about £15 a litre, and cheap at the price if it does the job. The cover is good quality and an excellent fit, with no pooling: and I've been well pleased with my experience of Fabsil Gold.

So far as the cleaning goes, I don't know if my experience is unusual. Studland is on the so-called Isle of Purbeck, which seems to have a reasonably dry local climate. The canvas doesn't get damp for long (because of the waterproofing and the slopes, water seems to get the duck's back treatment), so it doesn't get mildew/damp mould/algae. It does get grimy with time, obviously, and I've already mentioned the other problem - lichen. This was quite difficult to remove thoroughly, and I must do some research on preventing it in the first place....

....Which brings me back to wanting to know What Goes On in and on the canvas!

Michael (R)

[Andy Dingle]

I'm not really in a position to answer any of your questions Michael. Probably best to ask the respective manufactures.

All I do with my canvas (spray hood, lazy jack sail bag, genoa 'sock' and a cockpit cover I had made up) is strip it all down a couple of times a year and chuck it in one of those huge washing machines in a launderette. I add some water proofing additive - nikwax usually. Come back after a pint and put it all back on the boat.

I use the spray cleaner referred to as an interim when I wash the boat down..

Seems to keep the 'green' at bay..

Regards

Andy

[Rob Johnstone]

I wonder if a thin bare copper wire strung along the top sides of the cover would keep the lichen at bay. It certainly works with moss - I think the copper leaches out into the rain water and acts as an effective antifoul.

[Peter Taylor]

I wonder if a thin bare copper wire strung along the top sides of the cover would keep the lichen at bay. It certainly works with moss - I think the copper leaches out into the rain water and acts as an effective antifoul.

I don't know; but if you then use Andy's bleach based mould and mildew remover you might be "Astonished" by the Chlorine gas given off!

I use Boracol fungicide on the teak bits of Seatern and it seems to also clean the green off the webbing straps of the spray hood very effectively. I'm tempted to try it on the spray hood but have visions of the whole thing disintegrating into small bits of canvas. If I do try it and it works I'll let you know; if I try it and it's a disaster I'll surreptitiously order a new spray hood!  But if you have any teak (left in its natural state, rather than oiled or otherwise coated) then I definitely recommend Boracol.

Peter

[Michael Rogers]

I'll try Rob's copper wire suggestion - certainly through the winter. I can't think of a downside; I suppose a bit of staining? But that wouldn't bother me, provided the cover keeps the water etc out of the boat.
Michael (R)

[Andy Dingle]

Chlorine gas!! - Where did that one come from Peter?!


'...You were only meant to clean the bloody mildew off!' (To be read in your very best Michael Caine accent..)

[Peter Taylor]

Hi Andy, ...I read the H&S statement for your cleaner! Any bleach based cleaner coming in contact with an acid will give off chlorine (why you should never mix toilet cleaners!*). My chemistry is not good enough to know why copper will have a similar result but that's what the H&S statement says. My guess would be that it would not be in huge quantities ...but I might be totally wrong!
Peter

* an able seaman on one oceanographic cruise I was on did just that and nearly gassed himself, fortunately he recovered (as far as we could tell)!

[Michael Rogers]

I've ignored the 120 day thingy to follow up Rob Johnstone's suggestion of a copper wire along the ridge of my boat cover (28/9/17).

I've had one in place throughout the winter and to date - and it works a treat!! No lichen, no moss, no staining, no nuffink. The cover is remarkably clean, especially compared with others in the same boat park. Assuming the magic (I know, it has a sound scientific basis) continues, it will make my next re-proofing a relative doddle. I'm chuffed!

Thanks Rob. I hope we cross paths sometime so that I can buy you a pint or two.

Michael R (Trouper 12 'Cavatina')