Sail cleaning for a Dummy

[Rich VanValkenburg]

I've used the search function here but come up empty. I'd like to clean Sonja's sails because it looks like I'll get to use them next week. We're finally there.

I remember seeing oxalic acid used in one thread or other, but can't find the threads. I've got a 55 gallon plastic drum to use for soaking but I don't have a clean, flat surface for scrubbing. The sails aren't bad, a few light stains, and they smell of not being used for many years. There's no dark mildew stains. The sails are dacron and about 40 years old but in good shape.

Can we go through this again one more time, please?

Rich

[Concordia...41]

Hi Rich - nothing to offer because I can't get the search function to work either, but I'm sure Todd Bradshaw or one of the other knowledgeable sorts will chime in shortly.

In the mean time, isn't a sail cleaning issue a nice problem to have???!!! :D

- M

P.S. - According to the UPS tracking #, SARAH's new mainsail is on a truck somewhere between Jacksonville and here. :) Gosh it's a wonderful world! :)

[sv Lorelei]

We've used Oxy Clean with pretty good results. Good long soaking. Agitate with a plunger. Rinse thoroughly several times. Alternately if you have a bath tub (we don't), you could easily do it in there too.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

Hi there Margo, You know what else is nice to not have to worry about? Only a gallon a week in the bilge. Let's hope it stays that way.

[Gary Bergman]

We use Woolite; it works on some stuff, others it doesn't, but it doesnt hurt a darn thing, either.......

[Todd Bradshaw]

Make sure to clean the plunger first.......:)

Basically what you've got is a fabric made from bundles of tiny plastic filaments that's been heated, squashed, dunked in a solution of aqueous resin (most likely melamine), scraped, baked, and treated with a few stray chemicals (maybe a little silicone or something to enhance UV resistance). It's actually pretty tough stuff as long as you don't go crazy with chemicals on it, abrade it too much or leave chemical residue that might alter the way it resists UV.

Soaking in warm water with soap or detergent and a little scrubbing with a soft brush as needed is the place to start. Overall bleaching can be done if needed to brighten them up a bit and the formula is usually a soak in 90% cold water and 10% Clorox, followed by a very good rinse. Oxalic acid is generally used for removing metallic stains (5% solution) in more of a spot-treatment role than as a cleaner for an entire sail. Again, thorough rinsing with fresh, clean water is one of the more important steps after washing - followed by plenty of time for the sail to dry (all the way down inside the multi-layered corner patches). Commercial spot removers can be used on smallish stains and there are specific chemicals or solvents that can be applied for removing stubborn stains of various types if really needed. Most of it is basic common sense.

[willmarsh3]

Search seems to be working now:

Use of oxalic acid on a sail:
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71111&highlight=oxalic

An interesting thread about sail cleaning that sticks in my mind:
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78694&highlight=sailcare

BTW I need to remove some stains on my sails too. I added it to the boat project list.

[Thorne]

Remember that you can use external engines to search this site. In Google's advanced search function, just put "woodenboat.com" in the "search within site or domain" field -

http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en