Bildge Cleaning and Painting

W

wjmarks

Active Member
Joined
28 Apr 2009
Messages
50
Visit site
I am looking for advice on the best way to clean out my bilges. Being on quite a tight budget I need to know is there any homemade mixtures that I can use to degrease and clean quite a stinky bilge. I have pumped it out and cleaned it to the best of my ability but now need that final push to get it as clean as possible before painting. Once I have this done what is the best paint to use to paint the bilges can I use ordinary gloss/matt paint or is there a specific bilge paint. I know this may be a silly question but what is the best colour light or dark?

On the subject of paint - is there any antifoul out there that doesnt cost 3 arms and a leg to by but is still good enough quality for a 23ft motor boat 10knotts to last a season. Please advise Thanks in advance!!
 
Have a Clicky Here
Bilge paint should be light coloured to show up any oil leaks ect
Cruiser Uno is my latest attempt not to put compost for weeds on the bottom of my boat /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Click Again
 
Daz and hot water to scrub it out. Then Danboline paint which is specifically for bilges - it only comes in 3 colours white, grey or red. I have always used grey for engine bays and white for inside lockers.
 
I've done this before!

I washed out the bilges using Fairy liquid. If they had loads of grease/oil in I would have used Gunk (from any decent car spares shop, it is what garages use), and then Fairy liquid and then clean water.

I have used floor paint and other bilge paints, all useless. There is one paint that covers well, copes with a bit of contamination, dries quickly, lasts very well....it is Danboline.

I use red for engine bays, grey for bilges and white for all my lockers. Danboline is to bilges etc as Hamerite is to painting metal.

I had not thought of using sugar soap. Would it get rid of grease/oil as well as Fairy liquid??
 
[ QUOTE ]
I had not thought of using sugar soap. Would it get rid of grease/oil as well as Fairy liquid??

[/ QUOTE ]

In my experience - yes.

Another big adavantage is that it doesn't produce much lather so it's easier to rinse off. You can buy it as powder or in a spray bottle; I bought my last lot from Wickes.
 
I'm not disagreeing with you but could you explain how you know that?

I asking because I need some Danboline bilge paint and if I can get exactly the same stuff cheaper, under another name then I will.
 
Most paint companies sell the same product under different names into different markets. Danboline is a low cost, surface tolerant, gloss paint. It contains a lot of filler rather than expensive titanium dioxide which gives good opacity but the colours are not so bright. Also uses cheaper pigments and resins, again because bright, clean colours not needed. All the same as floor paint - and a few other markets where it is sold.
Don't know if it will be cheaper in B&Q tho!
 
If you have reasonable access to it all and can wash off with water after ... then the best bilge cleaner is Oven Cleaner.

BUT beware that it has Caustic in it and must be rinsed off well.

I was passed the tip by a boat yard guy for cleaning grp ready to fit Echo-sounder tubes etc.

Wipe off as much as possible with rag and then spray a coat of Oven Cleaner on. Leave to work while having a beer or cup of tea. Go back and then with old brush .... brush it in to lift the last stubborn stuff.
Now wipe of the cleaner with rag - rinsing and squeezing out in bucket of water. (Of course you should be wearing golves !). Once it's wiped away as best you can - then wash off with water and pump out. Rinse / wipe down till squeaky clean ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

The above is good enough to then epoxy echo-sounder tubes in place as the cleaner really does lift everything !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top