boat cover fabric softener needed.

[bob goeckel]

the cover on my sailboat has begun to get stiff, the cost of replacement makes me want to treat it for a few years to get more use. it's not rotted or damaged. anyone tried any treatments for this problem. thanks

[mister_moon]

It may be getting stiff from UV degradation, which is just as bad as rot. A softener won't cure sun rot.

[bob goeckel]

i figured the sun was the cause, just hoping to prolong it's life and make it more managable.

[Todd Bradshaw]

I might be tempted to wash it (mild soap, warm water, soft brush, followed by a thorough rinse) as dirt, salt and any other grainy stuff that works it's way into the fibers is abrasive. Then I'd blast it with 303 Fabric guard, which is the best U.V. filtering water repeller available. I don't think it will soften it much, but it's the best protection from further UV damage. The blockers convert the UV to heat and allow it to float off into the air before it kills the fabric. They do slowly get used-up in the process though, so seasonal re-application is a good idea.

[Todd Bradshaw]

WRONG! Scotchgard and similar silicone waterproofers (Camp DRY, Rain-Ban, etc.) are not compatable with the fluorocarbon treatments used by the manufacturers of the vast majority of these fabrics to provide water repellency. Even on an old cover, there will still be some residue from the original treatment present and you run the risk of gaps in the coverage (both water repellency and UV blocking) in areas where these two different types of water repellent treatments don't get along and will be trying to repel each other.

303 Fabric Guard is a fluorocarbon treatment just like the original stuff used by the manufacturers and is designed to restore water repellency and replenish burned-out UV blockers. It's as close as you can come to renewing the original finish and also is one of the best fabric UV blockers you can buy.

[Todd Bradshaw]

One interesting thing about fluorocarbon fabric treatments is that after they've been washed you can revive a good deal of their water repellency by ironing the fabric. In addition to boat cover fabrics, fluorocarbon treatments are commonly used on the fabric used to make most camping gear, raincoats and foul weather gear. They boost the overall effectiveness of the Gore Tex lamination, polyurethane coating or whatever is being used to form the fabric's primary water barrier. The idea is that the less water that gets through the yarns and down where it has to be stopped by the coating, the better - less chance for leakage, faster drying, etc.

The washing instructions on those little labels sewn into garments usually mention ironing the garment after washing it. At first, it may seem pretty silly to iron your foul weather gear unless you're some kind of obsessive-compulsive neatness freak, but the reason it's mentioned is to revive the fluorocarbon's water repellency, not to make you look spiffy at the yacht club by eliminating wrinkles.

Understand that the melting point for most synthetics is a bit shy of 400 degrees and some can be weakened or damaged 100 degrees or better less than their melting point (when I flew balloons, they wouldn't let us heat them hotter than 275 degrees F, as more heat than that weakened the nylon). So taking an iron to an expensive piece of nylon clothing must be done with caution. If you don't want to iron them you can always just re-spray them with 303 instead.

Unfortunately, though ironing might boost the water repellency on an old boat cover, it won't revive the UV blockers. They get used up as they do their job and then are either gone or dead (I don't know which). So for boat covers or anything else which has to live for extended periods out in the sun, you want to re-treat the fabric with fresh fluorocarbon products to restore both water repellency and replace the dead or missing UV blockers. You can also use products like 303 Fabric Guard on drapes, upholstered furnishings in sunrooms, auto seats or any other place where sun-fading of fabrics is a problem.

I'm sure there must be other brands of home-applied flourocarbon treatments on the market, but the 303 products seem to be the easiest to find and they're good stuff. They also used to have some really good technical explanations of UV blocking and how it works on their website, but the last time I went there it had been changed and I couldn't find them.

[rbgarr]

Todd-

As usual, your expertise has come in handy once again. I was just about to 'renew' my cockpit and sail covers with Scotchguard... at a local sailmaker's suggestion (not Nat Wilson). The ironing is an especially good tip. Should I apply the 303 before the ironing or after? Two treatments?

[bob goeckel]

thanks for the advise! the term flourocarbon makes me wonder if using it would furthur damage the environment?

[Todd Bradshaw]

rbgarr, I'd probably just wash or rinse them (with or without soap, depending on how dirty they seem to be) let them dry completely and then treat them with 303. If you do want to iron them as well, I'd do it before applying the new 303. The new 303 will be good to go without ironing as soon as the solvent (mineral spirits) evaporates, so the belt and suspenders approach of both ironing and re-treating them may not yield much of a gain. Plus, isn't there some kind of man law that says "never iron anything unless there is a woman making you do it?"

If you do iron, set it on "synthetic" and keep a close eye on what's happening as you're ironing. I occasionally iron spinnaker fabric if I need the spot I'm working on to lay flat without wrinkles and have yet to melt anything, but ironing synthetics is always a bit tense due to the potential risks of overheating it.

The "fluorocarbon" part originally made me wonder whether using the stuff would be killing the planet, sunburning penguins, etc. as well. From what I gather by reading the MSDS, the mineral spirits used as a carrier for the other ingredients seem to be getting just about all the attention, so I assume it's not releasing dangerous levels of other chemicals. The plastic bottles of 303 are also trigger sprayers like a Windex bottle, rather than pressurized spray cans, so there should be less over-spray and you're not releasing an additional propellent into the air just to get the stuff out of the bottle.

[Bruce Hooke]

If I remember correctly, it is the "cloro" part of cloroflorocarbon that damages the ozone, so florocarbon alone would presumably not raise the same issues. If it did, I don't think it would be on the market at this point given the phase out of CFC's.

[bob goeckel]

so.... local hardware/ automotive store?

[rbgarr]

Ace Hardware carries 303 around here.

[Todd Bradshaw]

They make a whole line of cleaners and at least two types of protective sprays. 303 Protectant is kind of like Armorall from what I gather. For fabrics you want 303 Fabric Guard.

I checked the 303 website and it's improved a bit since last time. There is even a pretty good video from Glen Raven Mills on how to clean Sunbrella. They say not to heat it as it could shrink, so save the iron for your foulies. Link is on the upper right, under the photo of the 303 bottles.

http://www.303products.com/main.php

[bob goeckel]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!